Modern Classics that Need More Illustrators: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
How often do you come across a children’s classic where the mother is the heroine and main character in the story? I’ll answer: Almost Never! Mrs. Frisby is one of those unique characters in literature, deserving of full color attention for a new generation of readers.
I have only been able to find two illustrated versions of Robert C. O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. Both with charming, black and white, illustrations. No color!
How could such a visually stunning story, rich in characters and scenery, be this ignored?
I think (and this is purely just me thinking), it must have something to do with the iconic film we all know and love creating a visual presence that became tough to compete against. (I suspect several of the books that will find their way under this post heading will share this same issue). Just my opinion – could totally be a lot of nonsense – but regardless of the reason, enough time has passed and this remarkable story needs illustrations for a new generation, as well as for nostalgic readers!
Of the two currently illustrated versions available, Zena Bernstein is my favorite. Her black and white line drawings are bold, yet maintain a sort of ‘prettiness’ that reminds me so much of Mrs. Frisby.
The other illustrator is Justin Todd, whose mice and rats have more of a whimsical style. However, with his version we only get chapter headings.
The version I read to my son was the 2021 faux leathery-looking flexi bound 50th anniversary edition by Aladdin, which is petite and so wonderful to hold.
Where to Buy:
∞ Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Illustrated by Zena Bernstein from AMAZON
See below slides for other versions! Note that the color illustrations are only excerpts from anthologies.
So I do this thing for fun: I like to fantasize about which illustrators would make the coolest versions!
'There are two artists who I think would make remarkable illustrators for this title. Erica Williams and Nicole Gustaffson'.
Erica Williams’ style, (which can be seen in my dream clouds above), is a lot like Zena Bernstein’s, in that it matches Mrs. Frisby’s ‘courage and prettiness’ that I referred to above. Also, I love her use of color with brights vs darks, one of the elements that I think made the Bluth/Goldman film so visually stunning. Her animals, (many of which are caught in string no less!! -think Jeremy the Crow – check out the cover art for Witchborn by Nicholas Bowling) – are painted with the most delicate of lines and detail. I have long been in love with her limited edition, silk-screen prints she did of The Secret of Nimh back in 2014.
Check out more art by Erica Williams
For a different, yet equally mesmerizing look, Nicole Gustafsson would be a fantastic match. Her natural love for nature is brought to life by delicate magic. Check out her ‘Animal Characters’ and ‘Magical Worlds + Crystals’ pages on her website. I’ve added an example of her work to the dream clouds below.
Check out more art by Nicole Gustafsson
I could also see MINALIMA doing a great version of this book and oh what fun it would be! However at present they seem to be only covering Classics and Harry Potter. Who knows, perhaps one day they will break out into Modern Classics like Nimh!
How old does a book have to be to jump from “modern classic” to just “classic”?
That is such a great question, and the answer is so up in the air. Classic novels have themes that appeal to humanity in general, no matter what age you are living in. Modern classics are novels with themes that appeal to a modern age. I think the change comes when enough time has passed, and a work is still found to be relevant. But it’s still subjective…. For example, I consider The Great Gatsby a classic work, whereas others may consider it a modern classic still. For me, modern classics begin around the 1930s, but its different depending on the work.
I think the Fan Brothers would do a gorgeous job on this one. Their style has whimsy, and they really capture both the story line and emotional tone of the books they illustrate.
Christine I absolutely agree! It’s funny you mentioned them because I was just thinking of them the other day…I even saved their website to my favorites: http://www.thefanbrothers.com/. I love love love their work!