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Journey to the Ice Age: Mammoths and Other Animals of the Wild
In Journey to the Ice Mammoths and Other Animals of the Wild, Rien Poortvliet, the famed Dutch illustrator of the highly acclaimed Gnomes and Secrets of the Gnomes, sits in an imaginary seat high up on a ladder and he takes us on a journey back hundreds and thousands of years, making vivid observations of animals, both real and imagined, along the way. Best known for his portrayals and stories of people, animals, and such fantastic creatures as gnomes, Poortvliet gives us a privileged look at animals from both the present and the past and captures their beauty in this newly illustrated volume.
Starting in present-day Holland, Poortvliet observes, and illustrates, the many animals who inhabit this earth, in great detail. He may catch a rabbit, lynx, or partridge sauntering by, or admire a doe with her young right beneath him. He takes notice of foxes, deer, and wolves, and portrays them realistically and convincingly.
Poortvliet continues on his journey to the sixteenth century, a time when humans coexisted with such predators as bears, lynx, and wolves, and other wild animals. His journey ends with the people and animals of the Ice Age, and he imagines the now-extinct mammoth and other creatures in their natural habitat - the giant deer, the wooly rhinoceros, the wild horse, the auroch, and the cave lion.
Exploring the boundaries of time travel and studying the wild animals at close range, Poortvliet documents their daily habits and rituals. His colorful account unfolds before us to reveal the many interesting facts about the How much bigger is an elk than a deer or a doe? How do you subdue a rhinoceros? How many pounds is a mammoth's daily food intake?
Journey to the Ice Mammoths and Other Creatures of the Wild is filled with over 220 pages of full-color illustrations that will bring to life many of these now-extinct animals. Poortvliet's countless fans will be enchanted with this new and intriguing book.
Starting in present-day Holland, Poortvliet observes, and illustrates, the many animals who inhabit this earth, in great detail. He may catch a rabbit, lynx, or partridge sauntering by, or admire a doe with her young right beneath him. He takes notice of foxes, deer, and wolves, and portrays them realistically and convincingly.
Poortvliet continues on his journey to the sixteenth century, a time when humans coexisted with such predators as bears, lynx, and wolves, and other wild animals. His journey ends with the people and animals of the Ice Age, and he imagines the now-extinct mammoth and other creatures in their natural habitat - the giant deer, the wooly rhinoceros, the wild horse, the auroch, and the cave lion.
Exploring the boundaries of time travel and studying the wild animals at close range, Poortvliet documents their daily habits and rituals. His colorful account unfolds before us to reveal the many interesting facts about the How much bigger is an elk than a deer or a doe? How do you subdue a rhinoceros? How many pounds is a mammoth's daily food intake?
Journey to the Ice Mammoths and Other Creatures of the Wild is filled with over 220 pages of full-color illustrations that will bring to life many of these now-extinct animals. Poortvliet's countless fans will be enchanted with this new and intriguing book.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
1 person is currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 7, 2023
Tsja, what can I say, this is Rien Poortvliet. Grote nostalgie die deze man heeft voor 'vroeger', hij verafschuwt steden nu. Dit boek gaat vooral over (uitgestorven) wild en hoe men vroeger leefde. Wel interessant en natuurlijk gewoon erg goed getekend. Leest ook lekker vlot.
March 7, 2019
This book isn’t what I expected, based on the title, but it hardly matters; anything Poortvliet does is magic. If anything it was more fascinating than expected. A man sits with his dog in a forest in the Netherlands and describes the wildlife he sees there, as well as what he can only see with his imagination—people and animals that lived there long ago. A lot of it deals with hunting techniques from the 1600s back to the ice age. The paintings are absolutely the best, and the ancient scenes of mammoths and wooly rhinos are as believable as those of creatures still living. It’s an amazing book.
November 18, 2019
This is one of the most fabulous, stupendous books I will ever own. I've long since been acquainted with Poortvliet's Gnomes books, and found them charming, brilliant voyages into the lives of Scandinavian 'wee folk' I truly wish existed. 'Journey to the Ice Age,' on the other hand, is so full of tour-de-force artwork depicting wildlife both contemporary and bygone that its scope is almost mind-boggling. I've studied the work of several great wildlife painters, but my conclusion at this point is that this artist exceeds them all. In no other work have I found such an ingenious combination of the impressionistic with the breathtakingly realistic. I only wish ELEVEN stars were available here, because 'Journey' would merit them all!
April 26, 2020
This is a stunningly beautiful book illustrated and narrated by someone who truly knows and loves the outdoors.
I wish I could frame the pages for display on my wall.
It is the perfect book to read with a grandchild or two on your knee, being careful to skip the scary pages until the children are older. It immerses you in real natural life, not a saccharine sanitized life such as many children’s books do. It is a children’s book for adults and for children who plan on being adults someday.
I wish I could frame the pages for display on my wall.
It is the perfect book to read with a grandchild or two on your knee, being careful to skip the scary pages until the children are older. It immerses you in real natural life, not a saccharine sanitized life such as many children’s books do. It is a children’s book for adults and for children who plan on being adults someday.
June 15, 2017
Visually stunning!
October 19, 2022
Read this years ago and read it with my children today.
January 8, 2023
Gorgeous paintings, wish it had a bit more to actually read though, like with gnomes!
February 5, 2013
I wish Goodreads had the cover for this, because it is beautiful.
As always, Poortvliet's realist style and his attention to detail and emotion make the paintings plausible in a way not many painters have done. As he begins with contemporary animals and moves back, he also retains a sense of familiarity, so that by the time we see mammoths on the page, it remains as believable as when we saw rabbits.
A beautifully-painted and compassionate book.
As always, Poortvliet's realist style and his attention to detail and emotion make the paintings plausible in a way not many painters have done. As he begins with contemporary animals and moves back, he also retains a sense of familiarity, so that by the time we see mammoths on the page, it remains as believable as when we saw rabbits.
A beautifully-painted and compassionate book.
September 20, 2012
Not the type of book I usually read. The illustrations were beautiful and the book itself was interesting. It was about the animals and hunting habits of the people who have lived in Northern Europe for thousands of years. Normally, this would bore me to death. But the way it was laid out and written was superb.
January 4, 2008
No better book illustrator than Poortvliet. This one is a masterpiece; a recreation of the natural history of prehistoric animals, along with the artist's playful imagination.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews