Matt Schu – illustratör

Long before Walt Disney, a young woman revolutionized the landscape of animation using light, a pair of scissors, and her imagination. From acclaimed author C. E. Winters and debut illustrator Matt Schu, STEM meets the arts in this engaging nonfiction picture book biography about Lotte Reiniger. Cut! is an exceptional choice for classrooms and for fans of Hidden Figures, I Dissent, and the Questioneers books. 

In the 1920s, when young women had limited opportunities, Lotte Reiniger used her curiosity and ingenuity to change the landscape of animation forever. Inspired by the films of her youth, and encouraged by teachers and mentors working in film at the time, Lotte Reiniger honed her skills in cutting out paper silhouettes to use in stop-motion animation.

Eventually, her talent and her drive led her to invent the multiplane camera, which allowed her to give her animation depth of field. With her small team, Lotte designed and directed the oldest full-length animated film in existence.

Acclaimed author C. E. Winters and debut artist Matt Schu expertly introduce young readers to Lotte Reiniger, a remarkable and often overshadowed historical figure. Balancing biographical information with a compelling story, Cut! follows Lotte Reiniger from childhood to her first groundbreaking accomplishments. Matt Schu’s dynamic illustrations draw inspiration from Reiniger’s own artistry and are full of detail, color, and light. Cut! is an excellent nonfiction picture book perfect for classrooms and family sharing.

Features extensive backmatter, including a timeline of Lotte Reiniger’s life, an author’s note, and sources. 

From award-winning author Deborah Blumenthal and illustrator Matt Schu comes the true story of Adolfo Kaminsky-a young man who would become the Forger of Paris, using his pen and his irrepressible sense of justice to save thousands of lives during World War II. As a boy, Adolfo Kaminsky was fascinated by pen and ink on paper. When WWII began, he saw the Nazis use those same tools to destroy Jewish lives. Drawing on his love of chemistry, Adolfo discovered a way to erase indelible ink, and with it, the danger . . .He was breaking the law,but he knew doing wrongis sometimes doing right.Recruited by the French Resistance, young Adolfo became a master forger-working day and night to create papers that saved thousands of lives during the war, most of them children. This is the true story of one boy's extraordinary courage and the power of knowledge transformed into hope. Perfect for fans of My Lost Freedom, I Dissent, and Counting on Katherine, The Boy Who Saved Lives with a Pen is an inspiring, fast-paced story that remained untold for decades.