Closer Look

Open your eyes.

Open your mind.

Open your imagination.

Look!

What do you see?

Mary McCarthy's beautiful handmade-paper collages will transport young children on a journey of discovery.

Children's Literature

A ladybug, a cardinal flower, and a hummingbird are each slowly revealed through four double-page spreads. The ladybug starts with an illustration of a large black dot in a red background. More dots appear on the following two pages. The third spread shows the enlarged back of the bug with a hint of a head, and the fourth one reveals the completed ladybug on a large leaf. The flower and the bird emerge gradually in similar ways. Next is a close-up picture of hummingbirds near flowers, with ladybugs on the leaves. When that page is turned, this cluster is shown as part of an illustration of a large garden with many varieties of flowers. Brief factual information about ladybugs, cardinal flowers, and hummingbirds appears in the back. The text appears in large black print spread out through the illustrations. "Look! What do you see?" is repeated three times. Then, "Look again. What do you see?" This is a pleasant, interactive book for a small child and an adult to share.

Mary McCarthy's one-of-a-kind and limited edition artist's books have been collected by private collectors and major institutions across the United States, including the Library of Congress and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She has taught bookmaking and she is the co-author of the popular manual Making Books by Hand. Mary McCarthy lives in Boston, Massachusetts.