Movable Books

A forma como avaliamos a compreensão da leitura dos alunos, tal como discutido
por Maurício Canuto Rocha na sua tese Leitura e ensino: silenciamento de sentido
no livro didático (2006), demonstra que pretendemos apenas que estes descodifiquem
as pistas gramaticais, e não que interpretem e reflictam sobre o significado do texto.
A utilidade do livro como objecto físico, face ao livro digital e às novas tecnologias,
tem vindo a ser questionada nas últimas décadas, pelo que devemos voltar-nos para
outras formas de interpretar o livro e estimular a compreensão e o interesse pela leitura,
recriando a necessidade do livro como objecto físico.
O papel do leitor em relação ao livro é mais importante quando é activo, ou seja,
há uma interacção com o livro e este não existirá da mesma forma sem o leitor.
Os livros móveis, cuja aplicação inicial era a de facilitar a compreensão de mapas astrológicos,
astronómicos e conjugações matemáticas, possibilitam ao leitor, através
de mecanismos de papel, jogos ou intervenções gráficas, criar e interpretar a história
à sua imagem, facilitando assim a reflexão sobre o seu significado.
Propõe-se, com este relatório de projecto, a re-interpretação do livro Onde moram as
casas (Carla Maia de Almeida, 2012), integrado no programa Ler+, para crianças do
primeiro ciclo do ensino básico, através da utilização de dispositivos mecânicos
e móveis, de forma a estimular a interacção dos jovens leitores com o texto, o livro,
e a sua criatividade pessoal.

The paper analyzes the Cosmographicus liber (1524) of the German mathematician and cosmographer Petrus Apianus: an innovative work in the astronomical, geographical and cartographic studies of the sixteenth century, also due to the presence of some mobile devices consisting of volvelles. In addition to reconstructing the context of mathematical studies in which Apianus operated, the essay describes the para-textual function and the functioning of the astronomical instruments incorporated in the book.

This contribution reconstructs the history of volvelle in movable books; books created for a wide range of different purposes (teaching, mnemonics, play, divining, etc.) including mechanical or paratextual devices demanding or soliciting the interaction of the reader. The investigation runs from handwritten books, considering some specific editorial genres, including calendars, books of fate, anatomical flap books, navigation handbooks etc.

This contribution reconstructs the history of movable books, books created for a wide range of different purposes (teaching, mnemonics, play, divining, etc.) including mechanical or paratextual devices demanding or soliciting the interaction of the reader. The investigation runs from hand-written books to the most courageous paper-engineering experiments of the 20th century Avant-Garde, considering some specific editorial genres, including calendars, “libri di sorti”, anatomical books, navigation handbooks etc., and animated children's books. In particular, it demonstrates how the happy season for animated paper production and publishing of the 19th century would not have been possible without the scientific inheritance of optical studies and vision sciences, precursors a short time before the invention of the Lumière brothers (1895). The study also examines some literary works using combinatorial mechanisms, experimenting the semiotic potential of expressive codes and very different techniques and materials: the reference is to books of Futurism and Dadaism, the "artists' book", and other avant-garde texts from the second half of the 20th century.

This contribution reconstructs the history of movable books, books created for a wide range of different purposes (teaching, mnemonics, play, divining, etc.) including mechanical or paratextual devices demanding or soliciting the interaction of the reader. The investigation runs from hand-written books to the most courageous paper-engineering experiments of the 20th century Avant-Garde, considering some specific editorial genres, including calendars, “libri di sorti”, anatomical books, navigation handbooks etc., and animated children’s books. In particular, it demonstrates how the happy season for animated paper production and publishing of the 19th century would not have been possible without the scientific inheritance of optical studies and vision sciences, precursors a short time before the invention of the Lumière brothers (1895). The study also examines some literary works using combinatorial mechanisms, experimenting the semiotic potential of expressive codes and very different techniques and materials: the reference is to books of Futurism and Dadaism, the “artists’ book”, and other avant-garde texts from the second half of the 20th century.

This contribution reconstructs the history of volvelle in movable books; books created for a wide range of different purposes (teaching, mnemonics, play, divining, etc.) including mechanical or paratextual devices demanding or soliciting the interaction of the reader. The investigation runs from hand-written books, considering some specific editorial genres, including calendars, books of fate, anatomical flap books, navigation handbooks etc.