We found this book at the library the other day. It's called Bembo's Zoo: An Animal ABC Book by art director [obviously] Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich [great name, even if it doesn't all fit on a credit card].
Bembo was a cardinal who got an awesome typeface named after him by the 15th century master printer Aldus Manutius. RdVdC used the elegant Bembo to create somewhat abstracted pictures of animals. The book is gorgeously produced and inventive, but it's a bit of a stunt. Or maybe a conceit. Or some other thing that indicates it's not quite working for tiny kids.
While it might enthrall a fellow designer [or inspire a future one], it didn't do anything at all for the kid, who is barely at the letter recognition stage and could care less about upper or lower case, much less serifs and ligatures.
File this one in the To Be Revisited column.
Buy Bembo's Zoo at Amazon starting at--wow--$33 [amazon]
See what I mean at the online version, bemboszoo.com haha, "you know what, the conceit works." - nyt. [thanks, meaghan]
"Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich"
What's up with the names this week?
[he's Brazilian, you'll have to take it up with them. The president's name is Lula. -ed.]
posted by: Terry at January 23, 2006 10:54 PMThere's an online version too - very cool. Too cool for my 1-year-old, but Daddy an I dig it. http://www.bemboszoo.com/
posted by: Meaghan at January 23, 2006 11:58 PMWe have that bookmarked, but for the older kid. Kindergarten was the perfect time for it for her. She totally got the conceit.
posted by: Chris at January 24, 2006 9:37 AMI bet my ten year old boy freaks over the online one. We like to marvel over how things are made this year and taking a word and turing it into a picture of that word...amazing. Thanks!
[I have to say, the online version is great; the animation makes it a completely different thing. -ed.]
posted by: marsha at January 24, 2006 6:26 PMMy 17 month old **LOVES** letters and the Bembo's Zoo website keeps her completely enthralled. I've got it bookmarked and revisit it frequently with her. I don't think that she's ready for the book version, but I'm sure that she'll love it when she's just a bit older.
posted by: Andi at January 24, 2006 10:48 PM