‘The Small World of Paper Toys‘ by Gérard Lo Monaco is a paper engineered work of art.
The 3D pop-up, delicate paper models that grace each spread are an utter delight.
Little Gestalten are renowned for producing quality, highly designed books with a quirky edge and this meets all of those criteria.
LoMonaco brings back to life some of those classic, well-loved vintage toys, with a burst of colour, using a more contemporary, minimal style.
With a supporting jaunty, onomatopoeic text, this adds to the playfulness of each spread. Each toy has its own short storyline, read through the voice of the child who owns all of the toys.
Whilst clearly delicate objects, each pop-up is a sturdy creation and can take much of whatever smaller hands may have to throw at it.
Each ‘old school’ toy is crafted from simple shapes and the craftsmanship confined within each item is breathtaking.
It reminds us once again, of the charm of these classic toys with a fond nostalgia.
And here is the perfect ending for this book. This beautiful last spread features all of the toys, scattered across the floor, with the child promising to pick them up tomorrow…
We loved this book so much, we made our own video to try and show it off in a little more detail.
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