The Monster in the Turtle's Den

(N.p.: Michael Mar Press, 1977. Small quarto. (16)ff. One of twelve copies, hand-produced by jewelry designer Michael Dorsa and bookbinder Margaret Rhein. With twelve color illustrations. The text and images were both from an original work written and drawn in 1964 by Mike Dorsa and Tom Warner, age nine. In the story, the turtles Betty and Brickred defeat the deadly monster on Turtle Mountain, which is "said to be 6 feet tall and to shoot poisonrings that make you die for 66 years." After tossing the body in the lake, the turtles and their offspring celebrate accordingly with a picnic and fireworks. Corrections to the text have been marked in red pen, adding punctuation and fixing spelling, and providing an editorial eye to a work of youthful legendary genius.

This copy is inscribed in pencil to papermaker Douglas Howell: "The inspiration required to get this project together came from my meeting with you, Douglas Howell. Thank you, Michael Dorsa." Howell was instrumental in the revival of hand papermaking. His paper, which came in a wide variety of styles, weights, colors, and materials, was used by artists and printmakers and displayed in galleries throughout the world. Howell also taught workshops in his studio, and many of his students went on to establish papermaking departments in art schools and universities in the United States and Canada. Very fine, in full brown leather with an illustration of the monster blind-tooled to the upper cover.