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Crescendo

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( 69 ratings, 13 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Crescendo is a visual and poetic celebration of motherhood, featuring a poem by Paola Quintavalle alongside stunning watercolor illustrations by Alessandro Sanna. The book elegantly traces the transformation of a mother’s shape throughout pregnancy, using imagery drawn from nature such as the seagull’s wingspan, a whale’s tail, and moonlit hills. This evocative journey culminates in a tender depiction of mother and newborn, capturing the joy and reverence of this profound experience.
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Format: Hardback
$3499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This beautifully illustrated and poetic book is ideal for expectant mothers, parents, and those who appreciate tender reflections on nature and the journey of motherhood.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A visual and poetic celebration of the transition to motherhood, depicting the maternal body as a most ultimate source of creativity and strength.

Social media sharing and promotion on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Newsletter featuring interviews with poet and illustrator, glimpses at the creative process and an excerpt from the book (poem + corresponding illustration) Sending review copies to appropriate blogs, illustrators, and reviewers—especially those run by mothers Promoting the book to doula organizations, motherhood scholars, hospitals (gift shops, parent education programs, etc.) Releasing the book before Mothers Day 2018 and promoting it as a holiday gift book Bringing Alessandro to the US to promote the book—painting workshops with pregnant mothers (as Alessandro has done in Italy) at childbirth education organizations, stores that offer products and classes for new mothers and babies, bookstores, libraries, etc.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Crescendo is a visual and poetic celebration of the transition to motherhood, featuring gorgeous watercolour illustrations from Alessandro Sanna that follow the transformation of a mother’s shape throughout her pregnancy. These are artfully and gracefully delineated not only by images of a mother’s profile, but by rich, sweeping scenes from nature.

The curved wingspan of a seagull in flight, the arc of a whale’s tail as she swims with her calves, the peaks of verdant, moonlit hills, among others, illustrate this journey. At last, there is an image of a mother embracing her newborn child, a vision of joy and rest at the culmination of an incredible inward journey that is both lilting and reverent.

Quintavalle's poem, written as a response to Sanna’s illustrations, weaves delicately throughout the book. An ode to mothers everywhere, Crescendo is a book to share and to treasure.

Also from Alessandro Sanna, published by Enchanted Lion Books: The River and Pinocchio: An Origin Story.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781592702558

Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 May 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Enchanted Lion Books

Illustration: 47 watercolor illustrations, plus illustrated endpapers

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 199.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 412g

Pages: 104

About the Author

Paola Quintavalle was born in Rome, Italy. She has worked with kids and in the world of books in a variety of contexts. She has held classroom workshops based on Bruno Munari's methods and ideas on book construction. In 2003, she joined Orecchio Acerbo Editore, a prestigious Italian publisher specialized in illustrated books. There, she learned most of what she knows about children's books and illustration. In 2010 she moved with her husband and their two children to New York, where she opened an agency representing illustrators and children's book authors. Crescendo is her first book.
Born in 1975, Alessandro Sanna is considered one of Italy's leading contemporary illustrators. He has earned wide recognition across Europe as an illustrator and author, and his work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review and The New Yorker. He is a prolific and popular creator of illustrated books for children and readers of all ages and has received many awards and had many exhibitions. He lives and works in Mantua, Italy.

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