Cozy Classics: Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, by Jack Wang and Holman Wang (and Charlotte Brontë)

Cozy Classics: Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre
Authors: Jack and Holman Wang (and Charlotte Brontë)
Series: Cozy Classics
Publisher: Simply Read Books
Publication Date: November 20, 2013
Source: NetGalley
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Of all the Cozy Classics by Jack and Holman Wang, this is the one I am least familiar with in its original form. I've never read Jane Eyre, though I've always meant to. I mean, really this whole series is based on books that many of us have never read but have "meant to." That's kind of what classic literature is, isn't it?

I've noticed that the books' website, MyCozyClassics.com, has been updated to include character and plot descriptions for each of the classics, which is very helpful for parents struggling to remember who's who.

Even if I don't know Jane Eyre very well, this book came at the perfect time because my daughter has been very fascinated with the Brontë sisters lately. She's far too young to read any of their books, but she is intrigued by the idea of three sisters (and one brother) living together in a big house and writing stories together. Who isn't?

And can I just say, I would wear that outfit right now! Maybe not the bonnet. But definitely the dress and maybe even the cape.

Okay, I guess I should go look up Jane Eyre now.


CHECK OUT THE WHOLE COZY CLASSIC COLLECTION:

NEW! Oliver Twist

Les Misérables 

NEW! Jane Eyre

NEW! Emma

Pride and Prejudice

War and Peace

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!

Moby Dick

Cozy Classics: Oliver Twist, by Jack Wang and Holman Wang

Cozy Classics: Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist
Authors: Jack and Holman Wang (and Charles Dickens)
Publisher: Simply Read Books
Publication Date: December 5, 2013
Source: NetGalley
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Oh I love these Cozy Classics so much! I love just about everything about them. I love how adorable the felted dolls are, and how intricately they're posed in each scene with detailed backgrounds, and how the background of the first page is always the first page of the actual book. They're just fantastic!

I'll admit I don't remember Oliver Twist that well. I don't think I ever read it. My school may have performed it as a play but I'm not sure. Isn't there a murder in it? Rest assured, there is no murder in the Cozy Classic version!

There are some dicey characters though. Look at their mean faces! I feel so bad for little Felted Oliver!

I've been reading these books with my daughter since she was a baby and now that she's just learning to read on her own (she's four), there is one thing I notice about these books. The font they use is the kind that's typical of book printing but doesn't look like how you actually write words. Oh, I'm terrible at explaining this because I don't know font-speak. Is there a font geek in the house who can help me out?

What I mean is that the 'a' and 'g', for example, have the extra serifs that make them look different than how you would actually write or print them. Here, like this:
a a

g g 

See what I mean? That's Times New Roman on the left and some other font on the right (sorry, I'm terrible at font names). Anyway, it's a little thing, but it really helps when children are learning to read and write if the letters in the book look like the letters they're supposed to learn.

But other than that small thing, these books are wonderful!

CHECK OUT THE WHOLE COZY CLASSIC COLLECTION:

NEW! Oliver Twist

Les Misérables 

NEW! Jane Eyre

NEW! Emma

Pride and Prejudice

War and Peace

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!

Moby Dick

Cozy Classics: Emma, by Jack Wang and Holman Wang

Cozy Classics: Jane Austen's Emma
Authors: Jack and Holman Wang (and Jane Austen)
Publisher: Simply Read Books
Publication Date: December 5, 2013
Source: NetGalley
View on Amazon



Yay! It's a new crop of Cozy Classics! I have to say, I'm not always a fan of the trend of children's books that are mostly just for adults, whether it's because they reference beloved classic literature or favourite movies or whatever. But I love these! I just can't get enough of them.

What makes these books so special is the illustrations. Those adorable knitted dolls that are posed and photographed are amazing. Plus I love all the work that goes into creating each of the backgrounds. And the juxtaposition of all that work next to a simple one-word text on the facing page is very charming.

Sometimes when I look at one of these books by Jack and Holman Wang with my daughter, I'm able to fill in the story for her because I'm somewhat familiar with the original classic, even if I haven't read it. In the case of Emma, I figured that'd be even easier because I have read it. In fact, it's the only Jane Austen book I ever remember finishing and certainly the only one I ever enjoyed (pausing to wait for the collective gasp from all the Austen fans).

I was able to mostly retell the story of Emma from this book (quite an accomplishment for the creators, considering they managed that in less than a dozen words) but if I'm honest, I was also secretly thinking back to the movie Clueless for help. (Remember Clueless? It was, like, totally a retelling of Emma. What-EV-er.)

I know I say this after reading every one of these books, but I wish I had those dolls! Also, how do they get them in all those poses? Is it glue? Is it wire? Is it hope and luck? I think they need to publish a "making of Cozy Classics" book next!


CHECK OUT THE WHOLE COZY CLASSIC COLLECTION:

NEW! Oliver Twist

Les Misérables 

NEW! Jane Eyre

NEW! Emma

Pride and Prejudice

War and Peace

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!

Moby Dick

Cozy Classics: War and Peace, by Jack Wang and Holman Wang (and Leo Tolstoy)

Cozy Classics: War and Peace

Authors: Jack and Holman Wang (and Leo Tolstoy)

Publisher: Simply Read Books

Publication Date: May 30, 2013

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

soldier

Ahhh, War and Peace. The classic Russian novel about...um...war...and...something else. If you're a consummate book lover like I am, it's probably on your "to read" list...because, you know, it's a smart person book, right? But you'll probably never read it. I mean, it's over 1200 pages long! I got tired just reading the plot summary on SparkNotes. Luckily, there is finally a solution for the whole family. It's Cozy Classics: War and Peace!

girl

You may remember me gushing about these cozy classics in previous posts (here and here) because they're ridiculously adorable. Jack and Holman Wang create little felted characters (including, in this book, A FELTED HORSE! I'm dying) and photograph them to retell famous books in simple picture book form. Ahhhhhhh-dorable!

dance

The best thing about this one in particular is that I can actually follow a storyline. Soldier meets girl. Soldier's friend loves girl. Soldier goes off to war and gets hurt. Girl nurses him back to health but ultimately ends up with his friend. Also, there's a winter in there. 

horse

Is that actually the plot of War and Peace? I have no idea. Like I said, it's 1200 pages long. But the fact that Jack and Holman Wang could even attempt to distill it down to just a few words and pictures is pretty darn amazing. Also, there is a felted cannon with wool for smoke that nearly made me swoon, it was so cute.

Plus now I can say I "read" War and Peace. Yay!

Cozy Classics: Les Misérables, by Jack and Holman Wang (and Victor Hugo)

Cozy Classics: Victor Hugo's Les Misérables

Authors: Jack and Holman Wang (and Victor Hugo)

Publisher: Smith Publicity

Publication Date: May 30, 2013

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

poor

I can't get enough of these Cozy Classics. I wish I knew how to make the adorable little felted dolls that Jack and Holman Wang use for the illustrations. I would play with them all day! Or, uh, I mean, I would give them to my daughter to play with. Yeah, that's it. 

sad

stroll

Les Misérables is one of my favourite classic novels, but I'm not sure I recognized the story just in the few pictures in this book. On the other hand, it's been a long time since I've read it so maybe I'm not remembering it all that well. Wasn't there prison and prostitution or something? Those aren't in the children's picture book version...obviously!

fire

I do love how the little felted dolls are so expressive, even though they just have thread for features. Check out how sad they look. Awwwww...

Cozy Classics: Moby Dick, by Jack Wang and Holman Wang (inspired by the classic by Herman Melville)

Cozy Classics: Moby Dick

Authors: Jack Wang and Holman Wang

Based on the book by Herman Melville

Publisher: Simply Read Books

Publication Date: November 5, 2012

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

The illustrations for this simple board book were created with possibly the cutest little felt creatures I've ever seen. I want them all and I want to play with them and snuggle them and make them talk. Having said that, it's not like your child will really learn anything about Moby Dick and some of the single word text that accompanies each picture are fairly abstract (the word 'leg' next to a felt peg leg, the word 'find' next to a sailor in a crow's nest, etc.). On the other hand, who cares? These classics-as-board-books are really more for the adults anyway (my daughter has received several "baby versions" of friends' favourite books and from an adult perspective, it's thrillingly adorable! If you have a young child and a friend who loves Moby Dick, expect to see this book under your tree at Christmas.

Hit the jump for Magda's Take and more pictures from the book!