Based on a German folktale "Hans im Gluck" (Hans in Luck) from the early 19th century, the tale tells the story of Hans who leaves home and works hard for seven years and then returns home to visit his mother. His master, satisfied with his work, gives him a chunk of gold as payment. The story recounts his numerous encounters with people on his way home who eventually relieve him of all his gold, but he's glad to get rid of the gold, and the story suggests that happiness has nothing to do with acquiring or losing material goods.
The reverse side of this accordion retraces his journey as a computer game in which the gamer is met at each page with the different types of choices Hans had to make, but here it gives the player some agency over Han's choices and the outcome of the game. This is a smart switch from the front side in which everything seemed to be predetermined for poor old Hans!
Maguma's illustrations are certainly up to the task of illustrating this old fashioned morality tale, and he switches nicely to a computer game look on the reverse side.
16 double-sided pages, individually 10" x 6.5", and when fully opened 5' 5".
reverse side
free at last!
four postcards by Maguma are included in the book, with two images from each side
back cover
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