Book full of animals?

March 6, 2013 1:31 PM

I read a book recommendation on the green for a beautifully illustrated children's book about animals. I can't remember anything about it except that the pages were complicated and full of animals and you could spend ages looking at a single page. I think the illustrations were pretty realistic (not cartoonish). Does this ring a bell for anyone?
posted by Omnomnom to MetaFilter-Related at 1:31 PM (16 comments total)

Animalia?
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 1:33 PM on March 6, 2013 [8 favorites]

YES!
Thank you so much!
posted by Omnomnom at 1:35 PM on March 6, 2013

If you like it, you should check out Graeme Base's other books. The Eleventh Hour was a favorite of mine as a kid.
posted by sonika at 1:36 PM on March 6, 2013 [9 favorites]

Achievement unlocked: give the correct answer in the first comment on an "Identify This" question.

(But does it count if it's on the Gray rather than the Green?)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 1:40 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]

I just ordered it. It looks great. Toddler Nom goes crazy for animal pictures (she loves D&K's animal encyclopedia).
The others are tempting, too, but I'll wait till Toddler Nom is older.
posted by Omnomnom at 1:41 PM on March 6, 2013

Base's "The Watering Hole" is also excellent, especially for a kid who likes to find hidden pictures.
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:02 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]

My tot ADORES Graeme Base, even if he won't let me read the story aloud. His absolute favorite is Sign of the Seahorse. Highly recommend them for tots, even if only to look at the (beautiful) pictures.
posted by sonika at 3:03 PM on March 6, 2013

If you're in Australia, you can pick up a mini-version of Animalia for free or with a copy of the Daily Telegraph, which I can't imagine many MeFites doing.

Sign of the Seahorse is amazing. Seapunk as fuck.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 3:10 PM on March 6, 2013

Animalia is just amazing, I still have my copy from when I was Child.
posted by turgid dahlia 2 at 6:09 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]

Also if you're in Australia, you can pick up variety packs of Base at the Post Office. My son's favourite is The Legend of the Golden Snail.
posted by hawthorne at 3:25 AM on March 7, 2013

"Seapunk as fuck."

If I ever get around to finishing my other projects, I want to make that into an embroidery design with a border of mermaids, coral, tentacles, and creatures with creepy little claws.
posted by DisreputableDog at 3:57 AM on March 7, 2013 [4 favorites]

Base is my fave. Do get the eleventh hour eventually--it turned me on to puzzle books when I was about 6.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:50 AM on March 7, 2013

If you like this stuff, you should try to get hold of a copy of Look and Look Again by April Wilson (Third link is to artist's site with scans of some of the illustrations). The illustrations in them are lush and beautiful and, for added fun, they're actually spot-the-difference books.
posted by Acheman at 11:56 AM on March 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

Thanks and I will definitely check out the other recommendations!
posted by Omnomnom at 2:08 PM on March 7, 2013

If I ever get around to finishing my other projects, I want to make that into an embroidery design with a border of mermaids, coral, tentacles, and creatures with creepy little claws.

And then digitize it onto an Amiga, and put it in a GIF with a spinning pyramid and a blue-tinted Log Lady.
posted by Slap*Happy at 11:22 AM on March 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I also still have my copy of Animalia from when it was first released! And shouldn't Somebody who is not me should do a FPP about Graeme Base (if it's not already been done)?
posted by deborah at 7:15 PM on March 8, 2013 [1 favorite]