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Seven Stories Press

Works of Radical Imagination

Book cover for Arno and the Mini-Machine
Book cover for Arno and the Mini-MachineBook cover for Arno and the Mini-MachineBook cover for Arno and the Mini-MachineBook cover for Arno and the Mini-Machine

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.

Book cover for Arno and the Mini-Machine
Book cover for Arno and the Mini-MachineBook cover for Arno and the Mini-MachineBook cover for Arno and the Mini-MachineBook cover for Arno and the Mini-Machine

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“For over half a century, Seymour has been creating small graphic miracles. His skill in combining a unique drawing skill with brilliant typography is unique in our professional practice and a whole lot of fun to look at.”

“If there were more of Seymour Chwast's wit and humor in the world that we live in today the prospects for the future would be as bright and colorful as in Arno’s world 200 years from now.”

“Seymour Chwast is a master of drawing and storytelling, wryly observing our lives with humor and wisdom, reminding us, with the lightest touch, what is important in this world of ours.”

“This is more than a wonderfully illustratred children’s story about a boy who befriends a bird and prevails over the future electronic order. It is a most beautiful work of art for both young and old.”

“Stylized, highly entertaining cartoon artwork . . . . A cautionary tale for our automating times.”

Seymour Chwast

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.