B IS FOR BIBLIOPHILE

A novel attempt to grow young book nerds from scratch.

“Budding bibliophiles,” as the book so aptly names them, get a front-row seat to both the rote definitions and sheer physicality of those volumes that fall into their hands. In this eclectic abecedarian imagining, a brown-skinned avatar with a commalike head leads readers through a plethora of bibliographic words and terms. This deep dive begins with B (for bibliophile, naturally) and ends with A (appropriate, considering that’s where the appendix goes). It quickly becomes clear that this work may, in spite of its picture-book trappings, be better suited to bibliophiles of all ages and stripes. Zelmanovich discusses colophons, imprints, justified text, kerning, quartos, and more, accompanied by images in a muted palette from Berke. In an effort to encompass book lovers of every stripe, the author even takes a laissez-faire attitude toward the concept of dog-earing pages. Admittedly, the text does, at times, grow a bit pedantic, as when explanations of what constitutes “endpapers” touch on a book’s provenance, followed quickly by a definition of “fore-edge.” Meanwhile, the tiny type will prove daunting to some eyeballs, regardless of age. The result often feels selective, meant for a rarefied few, though the spirit is strong—and worthy.

Ideal fare for those who would like to know their verso from their xylographica.