From Publishers Weekly
In July 1988, pop artist Haring (1958-1990) created an empty scrapbook for Nina Clemente, a friend's daughter, on the occasion of her seventh birthday. He intended Nina to build a miscellany of "little things" like lists, doodles and stickers. This facsimile extends the invitation to the artist's fans. Professionally bound like any coffee-table edition, this volume still carries a trace of its homemade aesthetic and its speedy, but affectionate, creation. Haring's playful comments are hand-printed in black or silver marker, and his signature icons of round-headed people and pointy-eared dogs dance on the margins of the matte white pages. Each spread comes with whimsical instructions. Spaces are reserved for "things I saw at the circus" and "little songs I learned." One page pictures a red umbrella and reads, adamantly, "Only use this page when it is raining! Drizzling and snow don't count! Rain only!" Haring titles another, covered with sloppy blotches of green, red and orange paint, "The little mess page. I made a mess. You finnish it. Try to turn my little mess into a story." His conspicuous misspelling just adds to the casual tone, and his witty assignment encourages genuine creativity. This album, worlds away from a standard coloring book or photo folio, might look too tidy to stuff full of cutouts and dried flowers. Yet it is an appealing repository for personal history--and a chance to "collaborate" with the enthusiastic artist. Simply cross out the Ninas and get to work. All ages. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
This book, which shows Haring at his imaginative, exuberant, and brilliant best, has established itself as bestseller the world over with 30,000 copies sold, and is now available once again.

From the Publisher
"Nina's Book of Little Things" is a complete copy of the original work presented to the daughter of an artist friend of Haring's on her 7th birthday. It consists of Haring's cartoon drawings and writings. The book is prefaced by a general set of instructions penned by Haring in which he calls on the reader to use the book. He goes on: "Don't be afraid to draw in the book. Glue, paste, staple, sew, hammer, etc., etc., etc., tape, stick, etc., etc." Each of the double pages that follow carry their own playful, wity, and surprising instructions, accompanied by Haring's unmistakeable drawings. Haring invistes young readers to complete the book by filling in the "little things" that are importants: "little things I accomplished", "little things I heard today", "little things a bird told me", "little things a rabbit found at the top of a ladder." The book is a delight not only to children who might want to follow the author's instructions, but also to adult Haring fans and bibliophiles.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly