Pinocchio book cover

Kate Eden 

Pinnochio is an adaptation of the original fairy tale into an illustrated children’s book. The front cover is an image of the doll, with emphasis placed on the wooden texture of his face and his fuzzy, green woolen hat. The inside features both color and black and white illustration. It is 11 x 8 inches. This object was made using hardcover book binding techniques in the United States in 1946, and it is made out of paper and cardboard. This object is meant to be read, and there are wear marks along the spine with some damage to the pages and front cover. The book is both utilitarian and symbolic, because it combines its function, to be read, with illustrative visual elements that were made to represent the meaning in the text. This story is culturally valued for its unique characters and message about honesty and doing the right thing. On the front cover, Pinocchio’s wooden face and button eyes are rendered in detail to show that he is a doll, whereas the inside illustrations make him look more lively. His face and nose are prominent in the composition to reinforce the imagery of his nose growing when he tells a lie, further pushing the book’s theme of honesty and integrity. The book itself is larger because there are more illustrations and less body copy, making the space more valuable for the images.