A WONDER BOOK Illuminated Edition

The paintings of master artist Das Pastoras merge with Nathaniel Hawthorne’s heroic adaptation of Greek myths in a new edition of the book that re-imagines these epic tales for young readers, first written in 1850 and popular ever since. This exquisite edition of A Wonder Book, complete with die-cut slipcase and two color printing throughout, plus the magnificent art by Das Pastoras, will transport readers into these beloved timeless tales. Featuring original essays by Guillermo Del Toro, José Villarubia and Kate Bernheimer — as well as the uniquely Victorian flourish of thirteen tipped-in full-color plates (plus dozens of smaller illustrations in the text) permitting a different paper stock ideal for reproducing the lush and gorgeous colors of Das Pastoras' paintings.

Villarubia offers us a wonderful look at all the of the past illustrated editions of Wonder Book. He discusses the exquisite editions from the Golden Age of Illustrations by talents including Arthur Rackham, Willy Pogany, Gustaf Tenggren, and Howard Pyle. This is thorough, 14 pages with black & white illustrations from several editions. Plus, a complete bibliography of illustrators and their first editions from 1850 onward!

Artist Das Pastoras is a Spanish-born illustrator who’s done graphic novels and comics, including some very popular Wolverine issues, as well as some work for the Spanish editions of 1984 and Metal Hurlant. His first graphic novel was 2002's Deicide with Carlos Portela. Since then, he’s done Castada</em >by Jodorowsky and he succeeded artist Juan Gimenez on the renowned Metabarons saga. He also did five books for the role-playing game based on Moorcock’s Stormbringer and more recently he’s done painted covers for Valiant, Fantagraphics, IDW, Aftershock and BOOM! His acknowledged influences include the great Victor de la Fuente and Antonio Palacios, fellow legendary Spanish album illustrators, and particularly Moebius.

Del Toro, in his introduction, compares Das Pastoras work to be a blend of “the vinyl suppleness of a Richard Corben with the delicate, inky pools of diluted color of a Jean Giraud (Moebius).”

We love his plates of Pandora’s Box, of the Pegasus in “The Chimera,” “The Gordon’s Head with the three blind Gray Women and the incredible Medusa of the snakes.

"Allow this magnificent edition to take you by the hand and show you the way…” - Del Toro.

Beehive is doing wonderful new illustrated editions, each one matching this with the fancy die-cut slipcase and color illustrations. But… wow… this one is so over the top I had to add my two cents' worth, and more, to tell you how very impressed I am with it. I’ve given it My Highest Recommendation. - Bud