Hokusai, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, Prestel Verlag, Munich, London, New York, 2019/2021

Accordion and its slipcase

A smart and compact reproduction of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai's (1760-1849) famous series of prints from the early 1830s. The brochure that accompanies the accordion has a text by Amelie Balcou in which she outlines the importance of this series, both formally, as well as the importance of Mount Fuji to the larger Japanese culture. She also includes brief comments on each individual print. 

Its interesting to me to ponder the issues involved in reproducing an artists' works in a format (accordion) that they were never originally presented in (to my knowledge anyway). Either way this is an original and economically priced introduction to this important artists' works.

91 single-sided pages, individually 6.25" x 9", and when fully open 47ft 4.75"

Two different views of the accordion

Pascale Estellon, ABÉCÉDAIRE, Editions des Grandes Personnes, Paris, 2016, 2nd edition

Cover of the book's wraparound cover

This is a really well designed abécédaire or alphabet book, with 2 page spreads for each letter coupled with many foldable and interactive elements inserted throughout. The book feels comfortable in one's hands and the paper is thick, with a firm quality, that I'm sure would bear up well in its interactions with very young people and their inquisitive hands and fingers!

26 double-sided pages, individually 11.75" x 8.25" and when fully opened 17ft 10.5".

Front page of the accordion

Reverse side of book

Back page of the accordion

Cover of the wraparound cover