If you’re talking about climate change and you need to explain it to children from the age of ten and above, you have to use all the resources at your disposal. That is what has happened here: waterless offset, biological inks (though the printer on the panel says that these days all inks used in the Netherlands are based on vegetable oils), accessible texts and interesting drawings, plus effective, pertinent design to keep things on the right track. The daily Trouw says this is a cheerful climate book, and it’s true. To explain this complex material to children the accessible, funny and informative texts have been augmented with illustrations that are both instructive and fun, as well as being used to good effect so that the book is cheerful and colourful without ever becoming chaotic. Every aspect of the production of this book has been well thought through and carefully executed, from the unusual almost-square format to the binding by Van Waarden bookbinders, with minimal overhang, though it’s a pity the glue chosen is the less flexible hot melt type. The beauty of this book is that the urgency of the subject and the tricky task of explaining it to kids have led to an ambition to create a book that is good on all scores: texts, illustrations, design, execution and production. Here the importance of the subject has been the inspiration underlying the entire design: this is how a mission can lead to a book.
Marc ter Horst
Palmen op de Noordpool
Het grote verhaal van klimaatverandering
Edition: 2018
Release date: reeds verschenen
Language: Dutch
Final editor: Silke Bouman
Picture editor: Marleen Louter
Illustrator: Wendy Panders
Publisher: Gottmer, Haarlem
Available through: Webshop, bookshop
Designer: Wendy Panders (Rotterdam)
Printer: Drukkerij Tienkamp, Groningen
Binder: Boekbinderij Van Waarden, Zaandam
DTP / typesetting: Wendy Panders, Rotterdam
Dimensions: 200 x 230 x 16
Amount of pages: 192
Number of copies: 4,000
Price: € 22.99
ISBN: 978 90 257 6817 1
Font and foundry: Orgon Slab (Hoftype)
Binding style: Sewn hardback with flat spine, thin boards with minimal square, the first and last pages are the endpapers
Paper interior: 120gsm Arcoprint Milk White 1.5, Fedrigoni
Paper end papers: 120gsm Arcoprint Milk White 1.5, Fedrigoni
Cover material: 120gsm Freelife Vellum White, Fedrigoni
Other technical features: Printed in waterless vegetable offset ink.