The Grammarian’s Five Daughters (2006)

MCBA’s eighteenth Winter Book publication, The Grammarian’s Five Daughters, dotes lovingly on language through the story of a grammarian too poor to give her daughters a dowry. Instead, she sends each one into the world with a bag of words. Each daughter, embarking upon her life’s journey, soon discovers the winning ways of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions. Taking the reader through unusual twists and turns, the story reveals how having the right word for the occasion can lead to unexpected fortune.

The 2006 Winter Book is available in Deluxe, Standard and Chapbook Editions. The three editions were designed by MCBA Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel, Jana Pullman and Steve Pittelkow as a team. Jana Pullman also served as master letterpress printer for the project.

The Chapbook ($35), numbered 1 through 200, is a 5.5” x 12” landscape softcover volume. Text is printed on natural Domtar Solutions and bound into olive Fabriano Murillo paper with endsheets of lime Murano. Line art illustrations by Linda Koutsky are letterpress printed in plum. Chapbooks were bound under the direction of Jana Pullman.

The Standard Edition ($225), numbered 1 through 60 and signed by the author, is a 5.5” x 12” landscape volume featuring a quarter hardcover binding of chartreuse Asahi Japanese bookcloth and plum Japanese momigami paper. The book is protected by a slipcase constructed of black Fabriano Murillo and lavender textured papers. Text is printed in black, plum and celadon on mouldmade Johannot paper. Endsheets are handmade flax paper with complementary inclusions. A series of illustrations by Linda Koutsky accompany select passages. The Standard Edition was bound by Steve Pittelkow.

The Deluxe Edition ($550), lettered A through Z and signed by the author, illustrator, and mixed media artist, is a 5.5” x 12” landscape volume with an accordion binding opening to over 40 feet. The hardcover boards are wrapped in aubergine Japanese bookcloth with insets of brushed aluminum and amethyst cabochons. The book is housed in a box covered in handmade plum and pearl momigami papers. Text is printed in black, plum and celadon on French mouldmade Rives Heavyweight. Pages are backed and hinged with olive handmade Japanese mulberry paper. Tipped-in mixed media illustrations, designed by Lin Lacy based on the artwork of Linda Koutsky, complement the story. The Deluxe Edition was bound by the project design team.

Text by Eleanor Arnason
Illustrations designed by Lin Lacy based on the artwork of Linda Koutsky
Designed by Jeff Rathermel, Steve Pittlekow and Jana Pullman
Printed under the direction of Jana Pullman
Bindings executed by the project design team