“Paradiesfibel” cover
Well known for its collection of children’s books, the Cooper Hewitt Library holds a rare 19th century illustrated German nursery rhyme children’s book titled Paradiesfibel, written and illustrated to teach sign language.
It features color illustrations by Richard Seewald (1889-1976) a German visual artist. With highly stylized animals, this fairy tale includes humorous animals in human situations, such as singing frogs and playing monkeys. (Click illustration below to learn more about this book on the Cooper Hewitt’s blog!)
Singing frogs from “Paradiesfibel”
