Discover a newly-published gift book featuring stunning illustrations digitally refreshed by his son, Simon Wildsmith
Oxford Children’s, part of Oxford University Press, has recently published Paws, Claws, Tails & Roars: Brian Wildsmith’s Animal Kingdom, a stunningly beautiful new gift book from Brian Wildsmith, the late, world-renowned, Kate Greenaway medal-winning children’s book illustrator.
Presented with artwork digitally remastered by Brian’s son, Simon Wildsmith, the golden-edged edition of Paws, Claws, Tails & Roars, also includes a foreword from the shining star of children’s literature, Michael Rosen.
This brand-new anthology brings together artwork from three of Brian’s iconic works: Wild Animals, Birds, and Fishes, originally published by Oxford University Press in the 1960s, and features 42 remastered illustrations.
“Naturally, he had a preference for some animals over others because their shape, historical symbolism, or character inspired him to let loose with his imagination, and give full expression to his rainbow palette of colour,” says Simon. “Birds, for instance, populate his every book. They were, in his eyes, the ultimate symbol of freedom.”
Describing how it felt to be involved first-hand in upholding his father’s artistic legacy, Simon shares, “Remastering the artwork was like scuba diving. As I popped my head underwater, I saw the most unexpected and brightest of hues, the most exquisite combinations of colours, dreamy shapes covered in eruptions of marks – spots, stripes, patterns of every possible sort. A world of brightness, joy, and infi
