Chris Conover

The traditional English nursery rhyme and song Over the Hills and Far Away is given an "otterly" charming treatment by author/artist Chris Conover in this picture-book. The rhyming text - "Tommy was a piper's son, / He learned to pipe when he was young; / The only song that he could play / Was over the hills and far away" - with lovely illustrations, as the eponymous Tommy (an otter, obviously), brings pleasure to all around him with his playing, eventually winning an otter bride of his show more own...

Before picking up Over the Hills & Far Away, my only exposure to this song was through the television show Sharpe, a historical drama set during the Napoleonic Wars, so I was surprised to discover that there are multiple versions of it, and that it started out as a nursery rhyme. Conover does an excellent job expanding upon her text, telling a story of Tommy the piping otter through her lovely artwork. This is the fourth picture-book of hers that I have read and enjoyed, and I definitely intend to track down more. Recommended to fans of the artist, readers looking for nursery rhyme picture-books, and otter lovers. For myself, I may have to start an otter shelf. show less

In a northern land gripped by the magic of a terrible wizard, hardship and hunger are commonplace, as the tyrannical magic-maker hoards all of the animals of the land and air, and all of the crops of the earth for himself. Boots, the youngest son of a poor farmer, finds employment with the wizard, and spends three years serving him - first as a hare, then as a raven, and finally as a fish. It is in this last incarnation that he meets the wizard's daughter, imprisoned in a glass palace at the show more bottom of the sea. Getting to know one another, the two young people plot how best to defeat the wizard and restore prosperity to the land...

Although author/illustrator Chris Conover does not list her source, The Wizard's Daughter: A Viking Legend is a retelling of a traditional tale from Danish folklore. Readers interested in the story can find another retelling in Svend Grundtvig's Danish Fairy Tales, first published in English in 1912. Leaving aside the issue of origin - and the lack of attribution would be my sole criticism of the book - this was a delightful picture-book folktale retelling, pairing an engaging story with beautiful artwork. The specific story was unknown to me, when I picked it up, but the story elements - the poor boy who serves a magical master, the freeing of the maiden from captivity, the challenge by riddle/question - were all reminiscent of many other such stories I have read. The idea of the wizard keeping his heart outside of his body, to make himself invulnerable, is one I have seen in multiple cultures - see Joanna Troughton's The Wizard Punchkin for an example from India, or the Norwegian tale of The Giant Who Had No Heart for another - and seems to have been an influence on J.K. Rowling, who used a similar idea in her plot-line concerning Lord Voldemort and his horcruxes. Highly recommended to all folk and fairy-tale fans. show less

Picture-book author/artist Chris Conover has a fondness for nursery rhymes, judging by such titles as Over the Hills & Far Away, The Adventures of Simple Simon and Six Little Ducks. Here she illustrates another famous rhyme, Froggie Went A-Courting, which chronicles the wedding of a frog and a mouse. The rhyming text is paired with vividly colorful artwork depicting all the doings amongst the animals. The book alternates between two-page spreads with text on the right-hand page and full-page show more painting on the right, and wordless spreads with a full two-page painting. The musical notation for the rhyme/song is included at the rear...

Much like her other titles, Conover's Froggie Went A-Courting is a visual delight, with beautiful, vibrantly colored paintings that capture the charm and humor of the various scenes, and the lovely world inhabited by these animals. I have a fondness for cross sections and cutaway drawings that allow the reader to see the interiors of structures, so my favorite scene was the one showing the inside of Miss Mousie's arboreal home. With engrossing artwork and a rhyming text, this is a book to be read (or sung) aloud. Recommended to fans of Chris Conover, and to anyone looking for nursery rhyme picture-books. show less

Children's author and artist Chris Conover uses the popular nursery rhyme and song, Six Little Ducks, as her beginning point in this charming picture-book. The rhyming text relates the tale of how six little ducks set out to market, losing their wares along the way, while the richly detailed illustrations depict the ducks, having crash-landed their air balloon, continuing their voyage on a houseboat...

I know very little about the history of this song, but structurally it seems very similar show more to the traditional Five Little Ducks nursery rhyme, which chronicles how five duckling ran away from their mother, before all coming back. The artwork here alternates between detailed black-and-white, almost-etching style illustrations, paired with text on the facing page, and full-colored, two-page illustrative spreads, sometimes featuring a phrase or two of text, sometimes wordless. The artwork itself, whether black-and-white or colored, is gorgeous, and the overall effect is engaging. The rhyming text reads well out loud, as one would expect, given the source material. Six Little Ducks was published in 1976, and is long out-of-print, but I would still recommend it, both to fans of Conover's artwork, and to anyone looking for picture-books featuring popular nursery rhymes and/or children's songs. show less