Mud Book: How to Make Pies and Cakes - Hardcover

Cage, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1616895527 ISBN 13: 9781616895525

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press, 2017

Synopsis

In the mid-1950s, legendary avant-garde composer John Cage and artist Lois Long created a truly marvelous object. Part artist's book, part cookbook, and part children's book, Mud Book is a spirited, if not satirical, take on almost every child's first attempt at cooking and making. Through the humble mud pie—add dirt and water!—Cage and Long encourage children to explore their imagination and to get their hands dirty, and they offer this warning: "Mud pies are to make and look at, not to eat."

A unique hybrid of art book, unconventional cookbook, and inspiration for young makers, this new edition of Mud Book will delight children and parents alike, and makes a charming gift for all ages.

About this title

About the Author:

John Cage (1912-1992) was born in Los Angeles, and studied music with Henry Cowell and Arnold Schonberg before becoming the musical director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He is known for revolutionizing the parameters in music, experimenting with everyday objects as his instruments and incorporating elements of chance into his compositions. He is created with conducing the first "happenings" at Black Mountain College, and is celebrated for his writings, poetry, and work in the graphic arts arena.

Lois Long was born in Clarksdale, MS. She studied design and taught at Pratt Institute, along with running a textile design firm. She and Cage also collaborated on Mushroom Book, in which they were able to indulge their lifelong interest in mushrooms.

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2—First printed in 1983, this combination concept book and cookbook playfully encourages readers to use easily found "ingredients" (dirt, water, pebbles) and household materials, such as pie pans and cardboard, to create scrumptious mud pies and cakes with messy abandon. Two "recipes" are included, one for a mud pie and the other for a mud layer cake with a dandelion candle—topped birthday variation. The final page sagely reminds readers, "Mud pies are to make and to look at/Not to eat." Just bigger than a drink coaster, this small, square book strikes a sincere tone, deftly avoiding sentimentality or pretention. Long employs a limited palette of black ink, brown mud, and yellow paint and unassuming flat shapes to illustrate the bare-bones instructions to pound, sift, and mix dirt into deliciously messy mud pies baked under the hot yellow sun. The thick off-white paper and hand-lettered text contribute to the handmade feel. It's even possible to see the faint, ghostly outlines of first sketches done in brown pencil. VERDICT Whether shared with a grown-up or discovered independently, this quick read will inspire much imaginative play. A first purchase for school and public libraries.—Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1616895527
• ISBN 13: 9781616895525
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 36
• Illustrator: Long Lois