Bruno Munari is described as a prolific artist, designer, and inventor. Pablo Picasso called him “the Leonardo of our time.” Pierre Restany described him as “the Leonardo and the Peter Pan of Italian design.” And these are two characters parents know little preschool boys can relate to. During Munari’s lifetime (1907-1998),  he created a long list of children’s books (along with other “serious” art objects). You can find a few of his books in the USA, but the bookshelves I visited in Italy were lined with them.

At the children’s section of the Venice Biennale’s bookstore, I picked up a book by Munari that was originally published in 1960. It was in the children’s section, but it was for my enjoyment. We often talk about children’s books that adults can appreciate. But this book may be better described as an adult book that children can appreciate.

“The Square” by Bruno Munari is one in a set of three books (Circle & Triangle being the accompaniments). Each page engrosses the reader with historical, anthropological, or scientific information about the importance of the square. He covers games, rocks, fonts, churches, and art history (for starters). It is the combination of random and rich information that I love to absorb. The book works to steep a widespread and overlooked shape with meaning and does so without being pretentious or too serious to enjoy.

 

Squares may not be your thing, but shapes are definitely a heavy topic in preschool curriculum. Over the course of Munari’s career, he challenged the discourse on play, child development, and art. He drew new lines between the fascinations of preschoolers and the aesthetics of adults. I picked up another Munari book from the HangarBicocca that I will share soon. You can find a list of his most notable books along with theoretical commentary in Giorgio Maffei’s book “Munari’s Books.”