#MovableMondays: Robinson Crusoe [Video]
In the original 鈥淩obison Crusoe鈥 (1719) story written by Daniel Defoe, many people assume Defoe based his story on the real-life experiences of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, who after an argument with the captain of the ship, is put ashore on an uninhabited island鈥攁t his own request鈥攂efore being rescued five years later.
In the Libraries鈥 highlighted version of 鈥溾 (1980s), this story is told through an early 19th century movable book format called a 鈥渉inge-book.鈥
According to Miriam Intrator, special collections librarian, 鈥淸this] late 19th century hinge-book, is one of the simplest of mechanical structures, and the earliest examples of mechanical books aimed at children.鈥
This 22-page pop-up book with color illustrations from Merrimack Publishing, depicts the story when each page, which is a full image in itself, begins to change as each corner lifts to reveal an entirely new scene once all four corners are 鈥渦p.鈥
鈥淭his reproduction represents exactly what 19th century hinge books looked like, and recreates the experience of reading and moving them, as people would have done at the time,鈥 said Intrator.
Beautifully engineered, the book is a celebration of the simplest structure of movable books geared specifically for children.
Please continue to follow the #MovableMondays series on the Libraries鈥 social media accounts: , , and .
Here is what you may have missed: 鈥Astronomicum Caesareum;鈥&苍产蝉辫;The Daily Express;鈥 鈥Mariners Compass Rectified;鈥 鈥A Series of Amusing Transformation Scenes; and 鈥淎 Pop-up Guide to North American Wildflowers.鈥