Bruno Munari was born in Milan in 1907. He exhibited with the second generation of Italian Futurists early in his career and was a cofounder of the Concrete Art movement. Throughout his life he worked as a graphic and product designer, and devoted progressively more energy to products for children. Numerous awards, including the Andersen prize for Best Children's Author, the Lego prize, the Japan Design Foundation prize, recognize his contributions to a myriad of cultural fields. Munari died in Milan in 1998.

ABOUT WORKSHOP The books in the new workshop series describe different methods of learning, from educational activities to explanatory pamphlets to poetic play. The illuminating, gentle genius of Bruno Munari offers basic instructions and plenty of stimuli, suggestions, and illustrative pictures to get adults and children, teachers and students working together. These three books, the first in the series, are classics from the hand of a magician.

When drawing a tree, always remember that every branch is more slender than the one that came before. Also note that the trunk splits into two branches, then those branches split in two, then those in two, and so on, and so on, until you have a full tree, be it straight, squiggly, curved up, curved down, or bent sideways by the wind.