Beguiled by the Wild: The Art of Charley Harper

Celebrated artist and children’s book author Harper (1922–2010) has an instantly recognizable style: geometric images of all manner of wildlife, rendered two-dimensionally with crisp lines, provide viewers with a unique, often whimsical, perspective on his subjects. This chipper book, a reprinting of his 1994 release of the same name with additional commentary from his son and collaborator, Brett Harper, collects all 110 of the serigraphs that the elder Harper produced from 1968 to 2007. Readers are sure to be stunned by the images and Harper’s ability to make flat images come to life. Simple scenes from nature—Jesus bugs (aka water skaters) skittering across a pond, a school of minnows mid-swim, a fiery red cardinal enjoying a midwinter bath, a black bear seen through a screen of birch trees—are enthusiastically rendered. Wildlife lovers in general, and fans of cardinals, owls, and raccoons in particular, will find this book a joy to behold. It’s a terrific summation of Harper’s work, and one that fans will return to again and again. Color illus. (Sept.)

This review has been corrected; a previous version showed an incorrect price.