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children, chimney sweep, fairytales, illustration, imagination, little mermaid, paul durand, princess and the pea, puss in boots
In 1964 my father went to The Ideal Home Exhibition – well, at least that is my memory but who knows if this is entirely correct. Whatever the truth I remember him coming home wearing brown leather gloves with fur inside and handing me a book of fairy tales. It is just bigger than A4 but not quite A3 and looks very different 49 years later!
Yes Puss in Boots and other stories was a Golden Pleasure Book published by Paul Hamlyn and it is next to me as I write this blog. The reason I am writing about is the illustrations are burned into my mind like an etching and if you asked me I could draw the pictures as they are so striking.
The book was translated from the French and was originally written by Perrault and Andersen. There is nothing particularly special about the texts. Puss in Boots is followed by The Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, The Princess and The Pea and finally The Shepherdess and The Chimney Sweep.
Paul Durand
So what is it about this book which means it has travelled all over with me? It is the illustrations of Paul Durand which make this volume something so very haunting. The story of the Little Mermaid taught me so much about being careful what we wish for, of betraying our true self, the tyranny of unrequited love and the pain of being female in a patriarchal society. Not that I thought like that in 1964 of course!
I was lost in the magic of an enchanted forest which sprung up outside the castle where Sleeping Beauty lay undisturbed for 100 years. The illustrations are beautiful and Durand’s evocation of the prince gazing on the castle and then tiptoeing up an enormous curved staircase where guards were sleeping and a candle still burned prompted my imagination to walk alongside the prince.
The book is not glossy but even now the colours are vivid but very much of their time. Paul Durand was born on the French Island Bréhat in1925 and died in Guerville ( Yvelines )in 1977. He began his career by producing drawings for Femina, Woman Chic back in 1946. He then went on to design posters for Renault. But once photographs started to replace illustrations in newspapers, he turned his attention to children ‘s literature where he found considerable success. By 1975 Durand’s name was known all over Europe and General de Gaulle chose his compatriote as illustrator for his Christmas message to the children of France.
Durand’s books have been published all over the world and even now you can check out his legacy on the website dedicated to his work www.pauldurandillustrateur.fr.
Perhaps he might have been surprised to know Puss In Boots and Other Stories book is still a treasured possession. I guess it just goes to prove just how important illustration can be in the minds of children and may well have a life long impact.
The Illustration Machine 