Emme I came across this author several years ago but was reminded today of how much I loved her – both her children’s books went right into my Amazon cart and were read many times in our home. My favorite is But Who Will Bell the Cats? and here are some images of how she created the book. I spent hours pouring through her gorgeous behind-the-scenes blog about how she made these amazing fairytale images, of course, and you can too:
butwhowillbellthecats.blogspot.com
This book is called But Who Will Bell the Cats, and is based on an Aesop’s fable. The author, Cynthia von Buhler, makes intricate scale-models of her whimsical scenes and then adds painted paper dolls for the characters, and these books are so beautiful! Intricate down to the smallest detail, and gorgeous colors that just grab you.
She also wrote another book in a similar style, also about a kitty, called The Cat Who Wouldn’t Come Inside, which based it on a true story. Since we love cats, I knew I had to get both, and was very happy I did. These books came home to us at Christmas time and I’m still so in love years later! Here is one of the actual finished pages with the upstairs/downstairs dichotomy shown in almost every scene of Bell the Cats.
This blog of hers shows the behind-the-scenes and how she made the book, her sculptures and close-ups and tons of photos of the delicious details. She goes over almost every single aspect of creating the sets and planning the characters and scenes. You have to see these pictures! Here is the before picture of the empty ballroom… amazing.
Every set design is basically a gorgeous free-standing doll house with amazing details that she goes over painstakingly on her blog so that you can appreciate them all. The amount of devotion and work that went into this project is on another level. I just love how romantic, gothic, and fantastical each and every aspect of the design is!
I think these sets would have made for an amazing stop-motion animation film or at least serve as the design behind some kind of movie, it seems a waste that so much beautiful effort was made for just one short children’s book! Apparently von Buhler has exhibited the sets in art galleries though, so that is nice.
Every page is like an entire story unto itself, and I can’t decide which room is my favorite because they all speak to that fairytale princess inside me, ever longing for my own enchanted castle. This book is the stuff of which dreams are made and I highly recommend it for both children and adults, as well as her other titles.
The author of the book, Cynthia von Buhler, is as interesting and intriguing as her creations and a recent article in Enchanted Living details some of her life’s story as well as a look at her absolutely magical home: https://enchantedlivingmagazine.com/inside-the-magical-mystical-world-of-cynthia-von-buhler/ – I found it very compelling and if she ever opens up another theatrical performance I will be trying to book a spot!
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I just love looking at other people's blogs. What cute pictures of your little guy! Enjoy him every minute…before you know it he will be heading to college!
Enjoyed every bit of this blog. Really Great. What a talented lady and has style too
If you’re looking for an awesome and inexpensive Christmas present, either of these books is the ticket! Also great for kid birthdays, or cat lovers!
What a material of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious familiarity regarding unpredicted emotions.
Hi i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anywhere,
when i read this book review I went and found the author, so interesting, thanks for sharing such a gem
Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all people, the interiors are divine and I really enjoy seeing this side of the book industry, will be getting this for my nephews.
Good day! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you
if that would be okay. I’m absolutely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.