Handmade Books
For A Healthy Planet
Online

Chapter Links

Here are links for further information about the book forms and cultures for each chapter.

Name Scroll

Name Translator
Write your name in hieroglyphs.

Wish Scroll

Art That Heals
An exhibit of Ethiopian healing scrolls at the Medical Museum at the University of Iowa.

Ethiopian Healing Scrolls
Images of three scrolls from Ethiopia for inspiration.

Zulu Beadwork

Eloquent Elegance
Beadwork in the Zulu tradition including information about the meaning of colors and shapes and photos of beadwork.

Adinkra Cloth

Adinkra Symbols and Meanings
An extensive guide to adinkra symbols, including some photos of the symbols in use.

Adinkra Stamps and Symbols
Picture of gourd stamp, a small guide to the symbols, and an activity to design your own adinkra cloth online.

How Adinkra is Made
Video of dying the cloth, making the dye, carving the stamps, and printing.

Winter Count

Lakota Winter Counts
Online exhibition from the Smithsonian.

Buffalo Hide Painting
More from the Smithsonian, this time for children. I had trouble getting the interactive you Be A Historian to work but there is lots of other worthwhile information including Activities for Teachers.

The Winter Count
Paper winter count made by Batiste Goodin about 1907 based on original records kept on hides from the Library of Congress.

Time Line Accordion

Mayan Glyphs
on ancientscripts.com.

The Dresden Codex
Pages from the 11th or 12th century Mayan accordion book, the Dresden codex, can be viewed in pdf form.

Comic Book

A Short History of American Comic Books

Curandero Book

Amate paper
Learn how amate paper is made from the bark of the fig tree.

Amate paper
Photos of the process of making amate paper.

Amate paper video
Amate paper is best known as the surface for colorful paintings. This short video shows the process of making the paper.

Palm Leaf Book

Palm Leaf Books
Learn how palm leaf books are made.

The Ramayana
Scroll down to find the Ramayana.

Math Slat Book

Chinese Calligraphy
Learn to write Chinese characters.

Seasons Accordion Book

Chinese Festivals
Learn about Chinese festivals through the seasons.

Book of Haiku

Japanese Papermaking
Short video of making washi (paper) in Japan.

Rune Stone

Convert Letters to Runes

Ancient Sweden
Information on the Vikings. Scroll down to see the Gripsholm-stenen or The Gripsholm Stone from the middle of the 11th century.

Pugillare

The Waxed Tablet Page
Randy Asplund explains how he makes authentic waxed tablets from wood and wax.

Newsbook

Woodcut from early book about Columbus' voyages

Book of Hours

Leaves of Gold
Learn how manuscripts were made.

Illuminations
A lesson in the art of Illuminated Letters, for children

Making Vellum
Making Vellum with Jesse Meyer in New York State on Dirty Jobs