Book Description
Gnomes is the product of Rien Poortvliet and Wil Huygen’s observation of the local gnome population in Holland. Until Gnomes was first published in Dutch in 1976, these friendly nocturnal creatures were only represented in folk lore; descriptions were often incomplete or simply inaccurate. Poortvliet and Huygen, having studied and interviewed gnomes for two decades, set out to fill this gap with their own encyclopedic tome.

Gnomes covers all areas of gnome culture, including architecture, education, courtship, medicine, industry, and relationships with other mythical creatures. Huygen’s sober descriptions are balanced by Poortvliet’s light-hearted portrayals of gnomes at work and at play. Thirty years later, this beautifully illustrated volume continues to engage and enchant readers of all ages.

About the Author
Rien Poortvliet, born in 1932, was one of the most popular Dutch artists, regarded by colleagues as the Bach of wildlife painters. He illustrated more than twenty books before his death in 1995. The Rien Poortvliet Museum in Middelharnis, Holland, opened in 1992 and is dedicated to his works. Wil Huygen was born in Amersfoort, Holland, in 1923, the seventh of ten children. A physician and children's author, Huygen has recently taken up oil painting. He still lives in Holland with his wife and has five grown children of his own.

Card catalog description
Step-by-step instructions with patterns and diagrams for more than 50 gnome-inspired Christmas decorations and crafts. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.