Two Children’s Books by Famous Graphic Designers

Two children’s books by Paula Scher, of Pentagram, and Seymour Chwast, of Pushpin, are back in print.

Chwast illustrated “The Pancake King” back in 1971 but it’s been out of print since the early 1980s. Princeton Architectural Press has brought it back, complete with a kid-friendly pancake recipe (with a new Chwast illustration) addendum. It’s as vibrant and lovely as ever, and is a wonderful showcase of Chwast’s signature, era-defining style.

“The Pancake King” Illustrated by Seymour Chwast
“The Pancake King” Illustrated by Seymour Chwast
“The Pancake King” Illustrated by Seymour Chwast

Paula Scher wrote (but did not illustrate) “The Brownstone” back in 1973. It’s a very New York-centric story of six families (cats, kangaroos, owls, mice, pigs, bears, and an owl as the landlord) living in a single browstone and what it takes for them to coexist. Most of the story is illustrated in a cutaway style that shows the tenants moving around the building.

“The Brownstone” by Paula Scher
“The Brownstone” by Paula Scher
“The Brownstone” by Paula Scher

My kids have been enjoying both books, but for several nights running they kept asking for me to re-read “The Brownstone,” sometimes repeatedly, if that tells you anything.

More on “The Pancake King” at papress.com; it’s available now at amazon.com. More on “The Brownstone” in this post at blog.papress.com; it’s available now at amazon.com.

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