Farmer Boris
In their Farmer Boris picture books, Philip Hopman’s masterful illustrations perfectly underline the humour of Ted van Lieshout’s rhyming stories.
Boris is just a tiny tot, but he lives on a farm and drives the tractor like an expert. With his animals all around him, he experiences all kinds of little rhyming adventures, which author and poet Ted van Lieshout has captured in a rhythm that’s great fun to read aloud. This appealing little farmer has quickly become the protagonist of a popular series, with the fourth book currently in production. Van Lieshout works closely together with illustrator Philip Hopman, who has constructed Boris’s world in gentle watercolours and bright acrylics.
While Boer Boris gaat naar zee (Farmer Boris Goes to Sea) is a happy summertime story about a growing list of things to take away on holiday, Boer Boris in de sneeuw (Farmer Boris in the Snow) is an icy blue winter adventure. Hopman has illustrated these stories with a great deal of attention to composition and perspective, and his fluid lines and amusing details ensure that his illustrations will appeal to the youngest readers.
“Hopman’s use of colour is so beautifully warm that his illustrations seem to glow.”
