Something Old, Something New: Post-Victorian Children's Textbooks Republished in Digital Color
45th Parallel Concepts Limited announces the release of an educational publication for children in Pre-K to Grade 4, The American Schoolhouse Reader. Derived from reading textbooks used in American schoolhouses during the Post-Victorian era, the black and white illustrations from the original texts have been beautifully painted in digital color.
(PRWEB) August 27, 2004 -- The first of its kind, The American Schoolhouse
Reader is a newly released educational publication for children in Pre-K to
Grade 4. This hardcover set of three (3) books is an anthology of reading
textbooks used in American schoolhouses during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. What distinguishes this publication from other vintage reprints is
that the black and white woodcuts and line drawings from the original texts have
been beautifully painted in full digital color.
"We took the concept of
colorizing an old movie and applied it to vintage children's books," says editor
and graphic artist, Beverly Allie, who spent almost two years colorizing the
illustrations. "We wanted to bring back some of the educational classics of
yesteryear, but the black and white pictures just wouldn't appeal to today's
kids. Colorizing them brought the charm of Post-Victorian America to
life."
"As part of American history, we think it's important for children
to know something about how their great-grandparents lived, what school was like
for them, how they played, worked, spoke and thought," she says. "With The
American Schoolhouse Reader, children can relive the culture of that day without
having to read a dry history book."
While they can be enjoyed as
nostalgic picture books, the set is timelessly educational. Book I is a unique
pictorial alphabet book derived from a 1913 primer, presenting the sounds of the
letters through amusing and clever picture association. Book II is a charming
collection of reading exercises from turn-of-the-20th-century first readers. For
more advanced readers, Book III includes stories about nature and life in the
1910's and 1920's, along with some dramatic tales, selections on historic
figures and character-building stories. All three books are beautifully
illustrated in full color.
This three-book set (ISBN 0-9747615-0-8) is
available from online book retailers and directly from the publisher, 45th
Parallel Concepts Limited, Phone 506-325-9663, www.americanschoolhousereader.com. The set retails for $39.95
and includes free shipping anywhere in the Continental USA.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/8/prweb152671.htm