Books

Cut! How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation

Last year I got to work with Greenwillow Books to illustrate the picture book “CUT! How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation” written by C.E. Winters. It's out now, and you can buy it here.

I'm also happy to see that the book has received some good reviews, including starred reviews from The Horn Book and School Library Journal:

“With a refrain of ‘snip, snip, snip!’ the story introduces readers to German film pioneer Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981). Schu’s exquisite digital illustrations possess a strong sense of illumination and depth, often suggesting a tactile quality, as if constructed from paper.” — excerpt from The Horn Book's starred review

"This story shines a light on artist, moviemaker, inventor, and trailblazer Lotte Reiniger. Born in Germany, Reiniger loved using paper and scissors to make beautiful art. One day her grandmother took her to the theater to see a silent movie. The child thought it was magical and decided that she wanted to make movies, making characters cut from paper called silhouettes. Winters and Schu do an excellent job in telling the story of Reiniger, who created the first animated film and is indirectly responsible for all of the animated cartoons and movies audiences have enjoyed for generations. It is story of hope, rejection, and determination, and is inspiring to all artists.VERDICT A wonderful addition to public, school, and classroom collections." –Laura Ellis, School Library Journal

And here are some pictures of the book:

Dark Hour Books - New small press

I’ve started a small zine press, Dark Hour Books, and this is one of the first books I’m releasing: Pickpocket the Big Top, 26 prose poems by Ben Niespodziany. I did the art & design. You can pick this up on the Dark Hour Etsy shop.

I’ve been working on starting this press for a while and I’m excited to be releasing stuff! Follow the @darkhourbooks Instagram page for updates on this and future titles!