The Illustrated Wynken, Blynken and Nod

About the Book

In this imaginative visual interpretation of Eugene Field’s poem, transformation is afoot: a trundle bed becomes a wooden-shoe sailing-craft. The surrounding wonderful water world is inhabited by star-born fish, a musical moon, a squeamish seahorse, and three wee fishermen, all entwined with the roll of the sea across shimmering pastel skies. The child reader is also aboard, appearing in the billowing spinnaker sail as the sabot is sped on by the antics of the wind. In the end, a final transformation is complete: a time-honored classic poem has become a fine-arts feast for young visual readers. The edition appears more than a century after Field’s death, though it was worth the wait! This fully illustrated edition of Field’s masterpiece is sure to endure the test of time. The sensitive, colorful renderings give flight to our imaginations and spur young readers to abandon themselves to the fantasy-world traveling of the unusual characters who inhabit this story.

Of course the ship’s final destination, Sleep, is reached, as all nightly passengers will discover. This visual flight of fancy is the perfect launch pad for pleasant dreams, and will easily enhance the pre-bedtime routine. Each new reading tugs one more deeply into the intricate illustrations where new discoveries await.

So, ...

          “Shut your eyes while mother sings of wonderful sights that be...

           And you shall see the beautiful things as you rock in the misty sea.”

You’re sure to make a cozy landfall... beyond the sea of dew.

About the Author

Geoffrey Thornton is an educator and fine arts illustrator whose visual imagery offers the reader passage on the famed sea-journey of “Wynken, Blynken and Nod,” the poetic legacy left to the ages by Eugene Field (1850 - 1895). Mr. Thornton has been a life-long advocate for interdisciplinary teaching in the education of our gifted and talented youth. He was honored with the Computing Educators’ Web Showcase Award for educational website design and is listed in “Who’s Who in American Teachers.” His unique curriculum materials are designed to  encourage development of the higher-order thinking skills which enable his students to better observe, evaluate, and respond to academic challenges. A similar attention to details is observed in the spectacular images conjured forth from Mr. Thornton’s imagination which unfurl, couplet by couplet, the unusual story events. The artist also produces limited edition archival digital prints from Wynken, Blynken and Nod and his other writings. They are available through his website: www.edmergentech.com.