Holland/1000 Things About Holland Set

Gr 4–8—Allocate plenty of time to pore over the artwork and digest the copious details compacted into this unusual two-volume set. The textless Holland consists entirely of full-color spreads, somewhat reminiscent of Martin Handford's work in the "Waldo" series. Arranged seasonally, Dematons's paintings depict different geographical areas and are filled with an intensive mix of historical and contemporary details relating to Holland. There are night scenes and day scenes; within them, Dematons intertwines contrasting realistic and cartoonish images. At times made busy by the mix of such diverse elements, these massive spreads are set outdoors and painted from an aerial perspective. Humans have minimal facial features, and numerous buildings are architecturally astonishing. Some settings offer window views of happenings inside structures. To fully appreciate the complexity of the artwork and the significance of individual artistic bits and pieces, one needs to turn to the accompanying, paperback volume A Thousand Things About Holland. This companion book is a combination of fine print text and illustration segments dissected from the first book. It opens with a list of seven recurring elements children can find in the first book's spreads. Each section begins with a small duplicate of the double-page illustration to which the section refers, a postage-stamp-size photo of Dematons, and some illustrator remarks. Sections are two to six pages in length and include selective information on Holland's history, transportation, politics, economy, people, and culture. Rarely are sources given, and there is no bibliography. The two volume set offers impressive artwork, but the text is a combination of undocumented facts with personal commentary.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH