Originally published in 1962, Henri’s Walk to Paris falls into that rare category of children’s books that never loses sight of its intended audience—children—but yet is so sophisticated and visually striking that adults will be tempted to keep it for themselves. This gem of a book, written by Leonore Klein and illustrated by Saul Bass, is the tale of a boy named Henri, who lives in Reboul, a small city outside of Paris. More than anything, Henri wishes he could see Paris. So one day, the boy decides to walk there with some food, a pencil, and a piece of paper (to draw pictures of the city for his friends). Along the way, he gets tired and hungry, so he stops under some trees to eat his lunch and take a nap. And because Henri is a smart boy, he comes up with a clever idea to use his pencil to remember the direction to Paris when he wakes from his nap. But while Henri is asleep, a bird, looking to fortify its nest, foils his plan and the boy ends up unknowingly retracing his steps. Kids will delight in being in on the joke as Henri, upon seeing all the familiar landmarks of his hometown, marvels at how much he feels at home in Paris.

Readers never see Henri’s face or that of any other character described in the story. Instead, Bass—a renowned graphic designer and filmmaker, perhaps best known for his work on title sequences for movies like Vertigo, North by Northwest, and The Man With the Golden Arm—cleverly incorporates the text into his artwork and uses ingenious design elements and contrasting saturated colors to fully engage the readers and hold their interest. It’s a pity that this is Bass’s only children’s book, but on the bright side, I’m glad Henri’s Walk to Paris is still in print so that generations more can appreciate its distinct charms.

Who is your favorite graphic designer turned children’s book creator?

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Sandra Lee Rella, mother of two budding bookworms, is a freelance editor and writer, and a former children’s book review editor.