Iacob Desideriu

 

Iacob Desideriu was a Romanian illustrator famous in his country for countless books illustrated for children. He was born on the 21th of June in Eliseni, Harghita 1930 and died in June 1980. He gratuated from the The Institute of Arts "Nicolae Grigorescu" Bucharest, graphics department, professor George Ivancenco. He was artistic editor for Ion Creanga Publishing House.

I grew up with his books. I have often wondered why his books are not reprinted in my country, knowing that in countries with tradition for children illustrations, the bestselling books are the ones illustrated by classic illustrators.

Iacob Desideriu represents the Golden Age of Romanian illustrations, when some of the most beautiful books for children came to light in this country, to recall a time when illustration was considered an art form.  

Illustrators like Iacob Desideriu, Angi Petrescu Tiparescu, Coca Cretoiu, Val Munteanu, Romeo Voinescu, Eugen Taru, Done Stan, Livia Rusz, Marcela Cordescu, Vasile Olac, Doina Botez, Petre Vulcanescu are the ones who made it happen. My deepest apologies for the ones I left out.

The success of a book intended for children doesn't lay with the writer only, it is a great responsibility of the illustrator as well. After the writer, the illustrator has to know and understand the story better than anyone else. A child is first drawn to a book by the pictures it sees. It knows very well that reading is a tedious business, but it will make the effort, if it likes the pictures. 

Iacob Desideriu illustrations so tackled my curiosity. Hats off to him. I read Gulliver's travels only on account of it.

Work illustrated:

• 1965 - Bristena, fiica dacilor – David Sava (Ed. Tineretului)
• 1966 - Gavroche – Victor Hugo (trad. Olga Monta, Ed. Tineretului)
• 1967 - Cosette – Victor Hugo (trad. Olga Monta, Ed. Tineretului)
• 1968 - Zece basme mitologice – A. I. Odobescu (Ed. Tineretului)
• 1969  - Singur pe lume – Hector Malot (trad. Anda Boldur, Ed. Tineretului)
• 1969 - Zânele din poiana fermecată – Silvia Caralulis (Ed. Tineretului)
• 1970 - Iliada ; Odiseea ; Eneida: repovestite pentru copii – de George Andreescu (Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1970 - Fata din împărăţia Curcubeului – George Niculescu-Mizil (Ed. Ion Creangă; ediţia a IIa)
• 1971 - Proză – I. L. Caragiale (Ed. Ion Creangă
• 1973 - Albă-ca-zăpada – Fraţii Grimm (Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1973 - Vântul prin salcii – Kenneth Graham (Ed. Ion Creanga, Colecţia "Biblioteca pentru toţi copiii")
• 1974 - Gulliver's travels – Jonathan Swift (London : Abbey)
• 1974 - Fram, ursul polar ( – Cezar Petrescu (Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1975  - Fram, the polar bear – Cezar Petrescu ( Ed. Roydon Publishing London)
• 1977 - Poveşti cu zâne – Contesa de Segur (Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1979 - Doftorul Todiraş – poveste populară (Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1979 - Povestea lui Harap Alb – Ion Creangă ( Ed. Ion Creanga)
• 1982 - Laleaua neagră (– Al. Dumas ( Ed. Ion Creangă, Colecţia "Biblioteca pentru toţi copii")
• 1983 - Alunel şi pofta de mâncare – Petru Demetru Popescu (Ed. Medicală)
• 1984 - Osul de peşte fermecat – Charles Dickens (trad: Antoaneta Ralian, Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1984 - Robin Hood – Pierce Egnan (Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1984 - Robin Hood – Pierce Egan (Ion Creanga Publishing House, lb. engl.)
• 1985 - Robin de Bois – Pierce Egan (Ed. Ion Creangă, lb. fr.)
• 1985 - Les voyages de Gulliver – Jonathan Swift (Ed. Ion Creangă
• 1985 - Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe (Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1985 - Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe (illustrated by I. Dezideriu and Cătălina Iacob, Roydon Publishing)
• 1985 - Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe (Ed. Ion Creangă, lb. fr.)
• 1987 - Le chat botté – (Ed. Ion Creangă, trad. în fr. Teodora Cristea )
• 1989 - Vrăjitorul din Oz – Frank Lyman Baum (trad. Iosefina şi Camil Baltazar, Ed. Ion Creangă)
• 1999 - Vrăjitorul din Oz – Frank Lyman Baum, repovestită de Mihail Drumeş (Ed. Doina, 1999, Colecţia “Repovestiri pt micii citiori”)