Miró's Magic Animals

by Antony Penrose

A unique look at the work of a great artist as seen through the eyes of a child As might be expected of the son of photographer Lee Miller and writer Roland Penrose, Antony Penrose’s childhood was populated with some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. Miró’s Magic Animals is a delightful story, chronicling Antony “Tony”’s encounters with the great Spanish artist Joan Miró.

Tony introduces Miró as a quiet, kind, and smartly dressed man who “dreamed when he was awake” and painted wonderfully strange worlds filled with magical animals. The book brings Tony’s memories to life with beautiful reproductions of some of Miró’s finest works, as well as evocative archival photography by Lee Miller and specially commissioned artworks in the style of Miró, painted by children. We see the renowned painter from a new perspective, as the slightly eccentric visitor to Tony’s childhood home, during an excursion to Miró’s farm―filled with extraordinary creatures―and on a trip to London Zoo, during which Miró asked to see “large birds, snakes, and strange creatures of the night.” Vibrant design and playful typography make the package as appealing as the story, and round out the feeling that we’re immersed in Tony’s adventure. Illustrated in color throughout

Genres: Art, Childrens, Nonfiction, Animals, Picture Books

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Antony Penrose was born on 9 September 1947 in the London Clinic, central London. He is the son of Lee Miller, a model, fine art photographer and noted war correspondent, and Sir Roland Penrose, the surrealist artist, poet and biographer of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Man Ray, and Antoni Tàpies, who co-founded the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in 1947.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that introduces children to this influential artist - wonderful art and story! I think it is really important for children to use their imagination; books like this encourage children to be creative and explore different types of expression. So very important to let small children know that art is approachable and that creativity is within us all.

[Scott Fillner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this nonfiction story of Antony Penrose and Joan Miro There are many opportunities to notice and talk about creativity with students.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this children's book in the Joan Miro Foundation museum, which has a small area for children to play (it is located between the majority of the exhibits, and the exhibit of about 80 things that he painted and made specifically as gifts for his family, so kind of a nice break). The book is about an actual visit that Miro made to London to visit a family of two expressionist artists and their son. There are photos of the visit, as well as drawings that the kids did to try to imitate Miro's style and his own drawings as well. Very interesting, and explains some of his artistic process at the level of a child.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This introduces us to Joan Miró through the eyes of a young boy who grew up in the company of Miró and other artists. The book’s design mirrors his style and palette, includes samples of his paintings and sculpture, photographs of Miró, and children’s art that was commissioned for the publication. Although intended for children, this volume is also a fine addition to artists and art historians.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book both introduces the art of Joan Miro but also engages children with finding the "magical" animals that Miro painted within his pieces. Mr. Penrose clearly had a special childhood and I am appreciative of his interest in writing children's stories to introduce this famous artist whom he was fortunate enough to know personally.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really neat book—sort of half biography of the Surrealist artist Miro and half memoir of a man who knew the artist as a child, all as a picture book. There's a good bit going on between these two goals and all of the illustrations—Miro's art; photos of the author, the artist, and some other events/places described in the book, all by the author's mother; and animal illustrations by contemporary children. Sometimes it causes the central storyline to get a bit muddled, but for the most part it just captures the energy of Miro's art. The idea of looking at Miro's love of animals and his depiction of animals in playful ways throughout his art adds another wonderful element, as does the author's encouragement to readers to look closely at the art in the book. I don't know that this book will have much general appeal for children, but for those studying Surrealism or Miro's art, it's a special look at the artist.

[Biblioteca Lardero]

Contiene más de 60 ilustraciones, incluidas varias obras de Joan Miró, fotografías de Lee Miller y dibujos realizados por niños, que se inspiraron en la obra del artista.
¿Te imaginas cómo sería ir al zoo con un pintor famoso? Esta es la extraordinaria historia que nos cuenta Antony Penrose de las visitas que les hacía en su infancia, en la granja familiar, el genial artista Joan Miró, un hombre que «soñaba cuando estaba despierto» y pintaba universos rebosantes de criaturas mágicas.Contiene más de 60 ilustraciones, incluidas varias obras de Joan Miró, fotografías de Lee Miller y dibujos realizados por niños, que se inspiraron en la obra del artista.

[Christine Turner]

School Library Journal recommends this book for pre-school - grade 2.

In Miró's Magic Animals Antony Penrose recalls a visit by Miró to his childhood home and a trip to London Zoo, where the artist Miró asked to see 'large birds, snakes and strange creatures of the night'.

Joan Miró was a quiet and kind man who 'dreamed when he was awake' and painted wonderfully strange worlds filled with magical animals. Beautifully illustrated with some of Miró's finest works, as well as evocative archive photography by Lee Miller, Tony Penrose's mother, and specially commissioned artworks by children done in the style of Miró, this book will inspire and appeal to art fans of any age.