#93 of 1001 · November 1, 2020

Though my personal taste clearly tends toward worlds of make-believe, occasionally a nonfiction volume grabs my fancy. Here, then, is Anno’s Medieval World by Mitsumasa Anno, adapted from the translation by Ursula Synge. The author lays out a broad and engaging history of the Middle Ages, relating the incremental advance of human knowledge through the centuries. Anno focuses particularly on the influence of folk belief on everyday life and the struggle of science to overcome superstition. His illustrations depict technological achievements in architecture, industry, and transportation, all rendered in an appealing two-dimensional perspective that honors the aesthetic of medieval art while subtly emphasizing the shift in common understanding of the shape of our planet from a flat earth to a globe. #mitsumasaanno #middleages #medieval #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #classicchildrensbooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks