Synopsis
Through harmony and rhythm, resonance and pitch, Ann Rand inspires readers to listen to the tuneful play of her text as it sings off each page. Illustrated with graphic designer Paul Rand's colorful, witty artwork, Sparkle and Spin is a children's classic (now happily available again through Chronicle Books) that reveals to young readers the power and music in the words they use every day.
"Paul Rand did not set out to create classic children's books, he simply wanted to make pictures that were playful. Like the alchemist of old, he transformed unlikely abstract forms into icons that inspired children and adults and laid the foundation for two books that have indeed become children's classics."
Steven Heller, author of Paul Rand
Children's Literature
Originally published in 1957, the Rands' classic rhyming play with words has had some extra sparkle added to the jacket's appealing design. The Rands salute many kinds of words, those that name people, or tell how you feel, or what you can do. Words are big or small, and sometimes "sound exactly like what they're supposed to be." Some words sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. The delight in the magic of words is matched by inventive page designs, which integrate words with objects and, on occasion, people. The colors are flat, the shapes enlivened with black-line sketches; sometimes bits of collage like newspaper or photos of seashells appear amid the multiples of objects and designs. The fun with both words and visuals should loosen the reader's imagination along with the fun. Lift off the textured jacket to see the very different cover beneath.