The title notwithstanding, Koscielniak (The Story of the Incredible Orchestra) offers not so much a history of the printing press as a history of the book itself. Less than half the pages are devoted to Gutenberg, about whom little is known, and who died in 1468. Koscielniak camouflages this gap with imaginative evocations of the printing pioneer's workrooms and by emphasizing his technological innovations: an easier way to make metal type, better ink and a press that applied pressure evenly. A long background section explains printing and paper development, beginning in second-century China (passages such as "Pi Sheng, a Chinese printer, had the idea to use separate, coin-thin, fired-clay characters, which were pasted with tree resin and wax in rows on an iron plate" may confuse younger readers, despite abundant illustrations). The book's own blocks of print are surrounded by a wealth of spirited, loosely drawn ink-and-watercolor spot illustrations, colored with pleasingly muted shades and accompanied by enthusiastic explanatory notes ("A willow or other stick cut with a flat tip can be used with ink to produce Gothic-style writing. Try it!"). The discussion of the specifics of book-making, from compositing type to sewing together signatures, may be too densely detailed for some, but motivated readers will come away with an understanding of the general process and with an appreciation for the man saluted at the end as "Mr. G." Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
