Have a Bite!

The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, 1860 ca. 

After a rather long break, the Animalarium is back on his mission 
to feed its viewers with tasty bits of eye candy. 
Take a seat and enjoy the feast! 

The Animal's Ball, 1917

Yuri Vasnetsov, The Magpie, 1938

Hans Fischer, The Traveling Musicians, 1944

Heinrich Strub, Sumse Sumsebrumm, 1946

Elisabeth Brozowska, The Animal's Party, 1962

Garth Williams, The Turret, 1963

Karla Kuskin, The Walk the Mouse Girls Took, 1967 

Mai Miturich, Cockerel, 1968

Donald Chaffin, Fantastic Mr. Fox, 1970

Antoni Boratyński, Nie płacz, Koziołku, 1973 

Zdzisław Witwicki, O Wróbelku Elemelku, 1982 

Maria Mikhalskaya

Dan Bob Thompson

Martyna Zoltasek

Aiko Fukawa

Delphine Durand

Mister Gatto, In viaggio con papà

The Rainbow Book

The more work I see by Mai Miturich, the more I am impressed by his humor and childlike joy, 

the sophisticated spontaneity of his brush technique, and his whimsical, creative approach to page layout. 

Miturich (1925-2008) was one of the major Soviet children's books illustrators of the 1960s and 70s,

 and his numerous books were very popular among Russian children. 

The bright watercolors in this post belong to Poems For Children, a large collection of poems written
 and compiled by the famous children's book author Samuil Marshak. It was published in 1965,
 and won the Silver medal and the International Exhibition of Book Art in Leipzig.
 In 1974, the Soviet Progress Publishers issued an English-language edition with the name
 The Rainbow Book: Verses For Children. 

I am so happy with this discovery! Too bad Miturich is virtually unknown outside of Russia, 
and it's hard to find any other foreign editions of his books...

The Magic Ring

Pavel Fuksa aka jergot+gotroch


Christmas is in the air, time to continue traditions with 
Animalarium's 3rd Annual Circus Extravaganza

Hiroshige III, Big French circus on the grounds of Shokonsha shrine, 1871 

Seymour Chwast

Hans Erni, 1965, thanks to Sandi Vincent

Mai Miturich, The Rainbow Book, 1974, thanks to art.crazed

Peter Spier, 1992

Rafal Oblinski, 1980

Ana Juan

Sara Fanelli

Geraldine Alibeu

Violeta Lopiz

Eric Battut

Ian Falconer, Olivia saves the Circus

Sarah Young

Sacha Poliakova

By the way, while I love illustrated circus animals, 

I was very happy when these news came out!

If you are in the mood for more circus antics, please take a look at these previous posts:

The Circus is in Town, The Circus is Back in Town and Pink Elephants on Parade

Sunday Safari – The Bear Has Awoken

Mieczyslaw Wasilewski, Polish poster for the movie The bear by Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1989

Gradually coming out of hibernation, everything around and inside me is change.

Looking at all these bears, with their different moods and characters,

I wonder which ones am I going to wear for Spring?

Illustration by Mai Miturich for Merry Rhymes by Agnia Barto, 1976,

thanks to art.crazed's amazing flickr stream

Cover of Mishka the bear by Ingeborg Meyer-Rey, 1966,

thanks to allerleirau's beautiful Vintage Collection on flickr

Bear by Steve Jenkins

illustration from See again, say again by Antonio Frasconi, 1964,

thanks again to art.crazed

Boris Kriukov, illustration from Koza-dereza, 1920s

Victor Dubrovsky, Fat bear

Grizzly t-shirt design by Michael Robertson at Samba for Rats

Dan Bob Thompson, Two bears

Trust your instincts at Ashley G and Drew's etsy store

Lisa Congdon, California grizzly

Diana Sudyka, Edith Frost and the Zings poster, 2006

for sale at poster cabaret

Jane Mount, Amy's bear

Gennady Pavlishin, illustration for Folktales of the Amur,

thanks to Poemas del Rio Wang

Illustration for Merry Rhymes by Brian WIldsmith, 1976,

one of flamenconut's Tasty Morsels