About Two Squares, a truly revolutionary book for children by the Russian avant-garde artist El Lissitzky, will extend the boundaries of anyone’s imagination. Radically simple, and yet beautifully sophisticated, this book tells the story of two squares who take on the mission of rebuilding the world.

First published in 1922 in post-revolutionary Russia, About Two Squares was “constructed” using pure geometric forms and typographic elements as a means to disseminate the new order, with Lissitzky propelling the reader to build their own future and pointing them in a daringly modern direction. Inspired by Kazimir Malevich’s suprematist vision of a non-objective art, About Two Squares had an immediate impact on the European art world with its publication in Theo van Doesburg’s avant-garde art journal, De Stijl, and redefined what an illustrated book could be.

Left wonderfully open-ended, the book finishes with the simple words “and then…”, encouraging young readers to reinvent the world for themselves.

This Seminal artist’s book created by Russian avant-garde architect, artist and typographer with daring graphics inspire children to imagine a new visual language. Includes an afterword by Odile Belkeddar, expert on creatively inspiring books for children.

El Lissitzky (1890-1941) was a Russian painter, typographer, architect and designer whose radical innovations in typography and photomontage continue to influence artists and designers today. He worked as a professor at the Popular Art Institute created by Marc Chagall in Vitebsk, Russia, where he met and was inspired by suprematist artist Kazimir Malevich. He illustrated 16b ooks for children on Jewish culture before creating About Two Squares.

Odile Belkeddar is one of the cofounders of Les Trois Ourses (The Three Bears), a non-profit organisation which focuses on the artistic education of children by putting ‘the book at the centre’. She is also a successful writer and translator.