"In the Beginning, The Story of Creation" by Roger Pilkington, illustrated by Piet Klaasse, published by Abingdon Press, New York. Second Edition 1966. [1st edition was published 1957]

Original dust jacket is protected in clear mylar cover [attached to the hard boards]; 5.3/4" x 8.3/4"; 59 pages, discarded library book with stamps, labels and pocket inside back cover [see photos]; good+/ very good condition.

"This book is a simple and dramatic retelling for young children of the favorite Old Testament story. It is beautifully illustrated. Share the story of creation with your children with this lovely book." [a private review]

Roger Windle Pilkington (1915-2003) was a British writer and research scientist at Cambridge. He has written a number of books on scientific philosophy and religion.

Piet Klaasse [1918-2001] was a Dutch illustrator, watercolorist, printmaker, graphic designer, lithographer, painter, draftsman and art teacher.

When he was eleven he was already acting as a quick draftsman; as the 'youngest cartoonist in the world', Klaasse made quick drawings during the children's performances in the Kurhaus.

In 1937, he started training as a drawing teacher at the Hague Academy of Visual Arts on the advice of Paul Citroen. He graduated in 1940.

In 1944, Klaasse was commissioned by the illegal magazine 'Vrij Nederland' to make a signed report of the occupation. This appeared in 1946 under the title 'We were witnesses'. It contains 30 drawings by Klaasse and poems by Theun de Vries.

After Montessori, Piet Klaasse taught at the Rietveld Academy for 34 years from 1947 to 1981.

At that time, both the form of education and the interaction between students and teachers changed, but Piet Klaasse continued to give drawing lessons based on the model. He calls himself 'a primitive believer in observation'. Movement drawing became his specialty.

In 1950, Klaasse, in addition to being a teacher at the predecessor of the Rietveld academy, was a board member of the Work Schuit, a foundation that aims to renew education with an emphasis on promoting creativity, including through the participation of artists in education and giving courses for teachers.
He describes his ideas for courses at the Werkschuit in 1952 as follows: 'Expression is first and foremost: discharge of the instinctive life; exercise of functions; make contact; confrontation with oneself; I can say this; to take out; processing and recording experiences; experience of beauty, emotion and liberation.'

He made an illustrated edition of the two-part Children's Bible (1959 and 1961). Klaase said about this; 'It was a great experience that those illustrations were appreciated in circles of colleagues...'
He received a Golden Pencil in 1980 for the illustrations of 'Sagas and Legends of the Low Countries' by Eelke de Jong.
In 1998, Klaasse created the picture book 'Two ears to hear, two eyes to see' for the Children's Book Week.

In 1964, Piet Klaasse had his first one-man exhibition in Utrecht with the subjects of bulls, horses and judo, after which many more followed. Besides presentations in exhibitions, he also presented his own works in books. Well-known works include his book about horses; 'Piet Klaasse draws horses' and in the field of music he made the book about Jazz musicians:
Piet Klaasse went to jazz concerts with a fishing bag. The suitcase contained his crayons, arranged in a fixed order so that he never missed a concert in the semi-darkness. He drew thousands of jazz musicians in action.
His loose, striking portraits of stars such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and BB King were collected in the 1984 book 'Jam Session', with an introduction by J. Bernlef. The English edition established his name as a jazz artist in America.

US: Priority (c.2-4 days) --------- $12.50
Canada: 1st Class (c.2-4 weeks) -- $28.50
World: 1st Class (c.2-5 weeks) --- $42.50