If you thought books had to be rectangular, a trip to a gallery in Raanana will change your mind.
By GIL STERN STERN GOLDFINE
If you thought books had to be rectangular, a trip to the Municipal Art Gallery in Raanana will immediately change your mind. Entitled "Shaped Books," the exhibition is entertaining as well as fascinating. All a child's favorites are there, including Donald Duck, The Three Little Pigs, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, Dick
Wittington, Puss and Boots, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Say Cheese! and Play Ball to The Shel l Animal Jingle Book, This Old Man and This Is Number Eight represent a very small portion from the scores of shaped editions included in the world class collection of Raphael Gr nzweig.
Developed in the mid-19th century together with the invention of lithographic color printing, the shaped book has taken on a myriad of forms dedicated to subjects ranging from children's nursery rhymes and food to holiday greetings, the macabre, sports, Judaica and educational concepts.
Colorful, amusing, informative and infused with historical references, "Shaped Books" is a delight for the entire family. Captivating,
inventive pop-ups and numerous contoured die cuts, the presentations, dating from 1850 to the present, are from publishers in England,
Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, Israel and the United States and often enough will take Mom and Pop down memorabilia lane. See these treasures at the Municipal Art Gallery, Yad Lebanim, 147 Ahuza Street, Raanana. For information: Orna Fichman, Tel. 09-761-0564. Through April 23. Sun-Thur., 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri., to 12:30, Sat., 11 a.m.-1
p.m.. Free entrance.