GO BACK TO YOUR CLASS, says the mini-machine.
The brightly moving thing flutters into Arno's hand. It feels warm. Attached to a foot is a label, reading: BIRD.
Two hundred years in the future, Arno's pre-programmed, machine-controlled day takes an unexpected turn when nature intercedes. Arno wakes each morning when his personalized "mini-machine" tells him it's time. The mini-machine squawks at him all day: "Eat your Instant Mealtime," "Wait for the school jet," "Go to your electric tuba lesson," "Do not step off the Power Path"..... But Arno's curiosity and a little yellow bird lead Arno off his pre-programmed track. "Go Back to Your Class!" squawks the mini-machine with increasing alarm. Arno's mischievousness will delight young readers. And Seymour Chwast's illustrations, including his Seuss-like mechanical inventions, are both charmingly old-fashioned and presciently futuristic. A gentle corrective to our infatuation with electronics, Arno and the Mini-Machine is a sweet reminder of the joy of nature and following one's own path.
SEYMOUR CHWAST is an American graphic designer known for his diverse body of work, and lasting influence on visual culture. Born in 1931, in New York City, Chwast attended the Cooper Union, and was a founding partner with Milton Glaser of the celebrated Push Pin Studios, where he remains the director.
His designs and illustrations have graced posters, record covers, advertisements, and animated films, as well as corporate and environmental graphics. They have been exhibited in major galleries and museums around the world including the Louvre and his posters reside in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and others. He is the author of over 30 children's books including Arno and the Mini-Machine, four graphic novels, and several typefaces, and many monographs of his work have been published. His work At War with War is an illustrated timeline of 5000 years of conflict. The complete collection of Chwast's posters were acquired by the Washington University's Modern Graphic History Library.
Chwast is a recipient of the AIGA Medal and holds several honorary degrees. He lives in New York City with his wife, the artist Paula Scher.
