Books published by publisher Laughing Elephant

This book is an essay on the feminine, composed almost entirely of paintings and photographs of women. On the juxtaposition, film director Sergei Eisenstein notes ""By the comination of two 'depictables' is achieved the representation of something that is graphically undepictable."" This is the intention of The Feminine. Looking at it, one enters a special world, a world in which meaning is revealed by the interplay of images, a world in which the arrangement of the images is as important as the images themselves. The women represented range from young to old, and art works date from the 13th century to the modern era. Among the artists included are photographers Jacques Henri Lartigue, Man Ray, and Clementina Hawarden; painters include Gustav Klimt, Joaquin Sorolla and Sandro Botticelli. A few pages of quotes have been included by the author to illuminate his work with words, where words are appropriate. Authors include Anais Nin, Colette, Laurie Anderson and Emily Dickinson.

Laughing Elephant presents a reproduction of a shaped ABC book (circa 1905) featuring various breeds of dogs and puppies (A is for Afghan etc). The book features breeds both familiar and not so familiar and the charming Victorian illustrations prove that affection for our canine friends is by no means a new phenomena. Alphabet books are much loved by children, and so there have been many of them published over the years. Happily they provide a stimulating challenge to artists and authors. This reprint, from 1908, features dog breeds. The poodle, greyhound and collie are familiar friends, but a few breeds, such as the harrier and the lurcher, show that even dogs change with time's passage. the rhymes that accompany each letter are delightful and informative, for example: N is for the Newfoundland Who springs in the wave And strives to his utmost The drowning to save.. Other passages are more moralistic, as was common in children's books of this era: Q stands for the Quarrel, It's most sad to see Both Puppies and Children Who cannot agree. Some of the dogs herein are less pampered than their more modern counterparts: E stands for the dogs of the Eskimo Who draws laden sleds for miles over snow. Charming pictures of dogs leaping, swimming, playing and doing all manner of canine things take us from a to Z in this delightful alphabet book.

A classic Grimm's fairy tale in an appealing facsimile of a shaped 1916 edition. Hansel and Gretel tells the story of two siblings who brave a night in the dark woods and cleverly defeata witch who lives in an deliciously tempting gingerbread house. Margaret Evans Price (1888-1973) was a prolific American illustrator of fairy tales and children's stories. Her gentle yet archetypal style achieves the right tension between the sweetness of the children and their plight and the scariness of the witch and her fiendish plans. Hansel and Gretel is the third title in the Green Tiger series of facsimile reproductions of shape-cut children's picture books. The previous two titles. The Night Before Christmas and The Three Bears have proven to be very popular.

An illustrated version of O. Henry's classic and touching story about generosity, with superb pictures. We suggest this little book as a slight, but perfect, Christmas book. It tells of the mutual love and self-sacrifice of a young married couple. It is about the best kind of gift giving, and of course, takes its title from the first Christmas gift givers, the three Magi or wise men. We illustrate the story with delicate line drewings by Steephen Gooden, first published in 1939.

The Beauty and the Beast story, French in origin, is one of the newer of the classic fairy tales. The first version of it dates from the mid-eighteenth century, though the tale of a beautiful woman forced by circumstance into romantic proximity to an ugly creature occurs throughout folklore and literature (Cupid and Psyche, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, King Kong). H.M. Brock’s version of Beauty and the Beast (1914) is a sumptuous and romantic one. Brock’s figures are lavishly clothed, Beauty is exquisite, and even the Beast is a rather handsome lion. Beast’s castle is so huge and dazzling, his gardens are so lavish and even his servants (who are exotic animals) are so beautifully dressed that one can’t imagine why Beauty would ever want to leave. The un-credited author of Beauty and the Beast brings the familiar tale to life admirably. We don’t dwell too long on Beauty and her family’s financial troubles or horrible sisters, and instead proceed quickly to Beauty’s father’s fateful visit to the magical castle, where all the delightful details that have long fascinated children (and illustrators and film directors) reside. The disembodied hands serving dinner, the magic roses and of course the transformative powers of love are all handled adroitly.This powerful story and Brock's lovely illustrations are accompanied by a new introduction from children's literature expert Professor Jerry Griswold. Laughing Elephant and The Green Tiger Press have long enjoyed bringing the great illustrators out of the past and into the present. In their new Illustrated Classics From The Green Tiger Press series they hope to revive these treasures with grace and intelligence and delight a whole new generation of children and adults.

My Resolutions, By Buster Brown Buster Brown, the creation of comic pioneer R.F. Outcault, is preternaturally modern in his style and outlook. A beautifully dressed child of angelic mien he sailed through the first two decades of the twentieth century with his faithful dog Tige (the first talking pet in American comics). Buster misbehaved constantly and was generally caught and punished, but like a modern sitcom child responds not with tears or remorse but a snappy comeback. In Buster’s case this took the form of the resolutions which ended every Buster Brown strip. The resolutions are little gems of comic writing, skewering parental piety at every opportunity: RESOLVED: That if you are going to insist on being truthful, learn to hold your tongue. The truth is a dangerous thing and must be handled by a master. ‘Truth is mighty and will prevail’ it doesn’t need your assistance. Just let it alone. Tact will help you a great deal & extreme kindness will help you to keep unwelcome truths to yourself. Don’t let anyone know you are honest. They will think you are a ‘come on’ and will take advantage of you.”

The Christmas Tree is a celebration of the Christmas tree’s importance to the holiday season . It is intended primarily for children. We see the journey of the tree, first as it grows, and then on its journey to market. The selection of the tree is an iconic holiday event, evidenced by the number of illustrators who choose to depict it, and we give it our full attention in this book. Tree decoration and visitation by Santa is covered, and finally Christmas morning, the pinnacle of the Christmas tree’s existence. Christmas trees of many sizes , from tiny to room-filling, are included in this charming holiday book. Illustrations are from a variety of vintage sources, including postcards, children’s books, magazines and advertisements.

The tale of Aladdin, a poor boy who finds a magic lamp containing a genie and eventually marries a princess, is one of Scheherezade’s from One Thousand and One Nights, and one of the best known. It has been told many times, in many forms and settings including opera, film, and of course many children’s picture books. This one – from 1934 and illustrated by C.H. Lawrence – is a fine example. The vivid imagery of Aladdin’s story is one reason it is so beloved over such a long period of time. The cave with its jeweled walls, the all powerful lamp, the genie’s sudden appearances, the Sultan’s court and the beautiful Princess – all these are wonderfully rendered by the artist C.H. Lawrence. Paired with a text that keeps the story’s potency, but simplifies it for younger readers – this is a wonderful Aladdin for parents and children to share.