Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

THE ART OF TROLLS SHOWCASES HUNDREDS OF PIECES OF CONCEPT AND PRODUCTION ART

The Art of Trolls
by Jerry Schmitz
Cameron + Company
2016, 160 pages, 11.2 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches, Hardcover

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Trolls, in their various incarnations, have been collectible for decades. The most popular era for Trolls was undoubtedly the 1990s, when Russ brought them into the limelight again. The Troll theme was so popular that they even found their way to crossovers with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the popular Burger King Kids Club characters. Full disclosure, my wife and I collect Trolls, so we’re kinda particular about the subject, so keep that in mind.

The book begins by giving a little history of DreamWorks Trolls, which came out in November 2016, and then goes into little bios about several of the main characters, along with a ton of development art and character expressions for each. Then, the book moves on to explore everything from the lighting, modeling and effects to the various backrounds and settings created for the film. The book is a ton of fun. I managed to read through it without any spoilers and the fantastic artwork is definitely worth checking out. This book is not just a detailed and attractive full-color hardback coffee table book, but it also includes a special fold-out poster in the back that details all the characters of the film.

– Matt MacNabb

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QUITE POSSIBLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SCRIPT THAT’S EVER BEEN PRODUCED

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
by J.K. Rowling
Arthur A. Levine Books
2016, 304 pages, 5.9 x 1.2 x 8.7 inches, Hardcover

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There are more readers and writers today thanks to J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter books instilled a love of reading in kids and adults. The movies brought Rowling’s characters to life, spreading the joy of the series worldwide. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay has the power to introduce people to reading and appreciating screenplays.

Make no mistake, this is a script. It’s formatted like a script, which could be a bit odd to unfamiliar readers, but what’s wrong with odd? It has jump cuts, high wides, and montages. I’d argue that this is quite possibly the most beautiful script that’s ever been produced. Each page has ornate 1920’s style detailing, and scene breaks have little ink illustrations between the pages. This book about magicians feels magical. There’s also a handy little guide that explains the film terminology you will find throughout.

Don’t read this before watching the film. See the movie, appreciate that for what it is, then read the script. Then for the full experience see the movie again, to see how the script translated onto film. I think that this book can help demystify screenwriting, and possibly inspire a generation of young screenwriters to take a stab at writing something of their own. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, or a budding screenwriter, you’re going to want this book.

– JP LeRoux

01/14/25