BEAUTIFUL USEFUL THINGS

The story of Victorian artist and creator William Morris.

As Kephart explains, the “writer, scholar, artist, activist, bookman” dedicated his life to honoring and creating beautiful things. Living in an era when the advent of mass manufacturing was beginning to severely damage the environment, Morris sought to preserve the art of making hand-crafted objects. Drawing inspiration from nature, travel, and the past, he carved out a place in history, and his influence persists today. Kephart’s text is leisurely, encouraging readers to fully take in every stanza and lovely illustration. Rich vocabulary, lyricism, and careful word choices enhance and deepen meaning. Stacey’s incredible soft-edged illustrations are reminiscent of Morris’ style: full of movement, imagination, and detail. One double-page spread uses a bird’s-eye perspective, drawing the eye downward past birds perched in a tree and hovering insects to young Morris below. Another shows a story springing to life from the pages of an open book. The nature elements that appear as motifs throughout the artwork, coupled with detailed close-ups of the processes of whittling, sewing, and bookbinding, reveal just how much Morris’ art was connected to his appreciation of the beauty of the natural world. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A harmonious picture book whose poetic text and delicate illustrations befit its subject.