One of my favorite books as a child was The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. I still have my original copy. It’s loosely illustrated with nice areas of blank space (which “child-me” filled in with crayon scribbles). I love how much personality there is in every stroke of Herbert Danska’s pen. I love his use of blue!
Reading it again today I was struck by the underlying Christian symbolism, but I was also reminded that what I’ve always loved about the book is the elegant visual play on the boy’s smallness and the giant’s largeness. It’s a true odd couple book and I’ve always loved stories that make friends of unlikely companions.
