The enduring popularity of Robert Louis Stevensons A Child's Garden of Verses (1885) is testament to the poet's uncanny ability to evoke the child's viewpoint so truly that it has flourished for more than a century. We have paired the poems with Charles Robinson's 1896 illustrations, which reflect not only the Art Nouveau aesthetic of that time, but also Robinson's masterful draftsmanship.
Author Biography
Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), in addition to giving us the beloved A Child's Garden of Verses, is also the author of such timeless works as Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Charles Robinson (1870-1937) was born into a family of artists, and he and his brothers T. Heath and W. Heath carried on this fine tradition. During his long and distinguished career Charles Robinson illustrated over 100 books, mostly for children, and was equally adept at line drawing and watercolors. His black and white illustrations are no less exciting or vibrant than their color counterparts - such is Robinson's genius. He was among the first to recognize the importance of book design and champion the book as a work of art in and of itself. Though clearly influenced by the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements of his day, Charles Robinson was a true original and titan of children's illustration.
