Gutenberg's Gift - Hardcover

Willard, Nancy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152007830 ISBN 13: 9780152007836

Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books, 1996

Synopsis

A narrative poem about Guterberg's production of his first printed Bible, a Christmas gift for his wife, is accompanied by lavish interactive pop-ups that bring the world of the Renaissance to life.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

In this strangely conceived pop-up fantasy in rhyme, Willard (Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch) imagines Gutenberg with a wife for whom he is determined to create a printed Bible by Christmas. Step by step, he blithely solves his technical problems and presents her with the book. She proclaims her joy and simultaneously hints at the future of his invention: "Open our shutters to the sun./ You shall make books for everyone." The verse is well composed and buoyant-but, as H. George Fletcher, curator at the Morgan Library, points out in a decidedly debunking afterword, it ignores rather than builds upon the historical record. There's no evidence that Gutenberg ever had a wife, and it took him many years to develop and use movable type. Meanwhile, Leister's atmospheric, attractively detailed Renaissance-style paintings don't benefit much from the pop-up frills; with the exception of a model printing press with movable parts, not much actually pops, and pull-tabs have little effect. Neither book lovers nor pop-up lovers will find much to romance them. All ages.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0152007830
• ISBN 13: 9780152007836
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Illustrator: Leister Bryan