Ton is intended for children ages three and up. The book visually represents weight through objects children are familiar (and often fascinated) with, moving progressively from smaller objects—gravel, milk cartons, bricks—to massive objects—trucks, train cars, a freighter. A dramatic gatefold spread and a brief explanation of different measurement systems complete the picture as this unique book makes learning about weight absolutely effortless.

Ton was originally published in Italy in 2004 by Maurizio Corraini. Its strong graphic aesthetic and clever visual interpretation of the content made it a perfect fit for the Chronicle list. While the original cover design was stylistically striking, we chose to strengthen it by using a more active image and configuring the type from top to bottom (rather than across, as on the original) to emphasize the concept of weight.

Author Taro Miura is an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer. He lives in Japan.

Simple and straightforward, but with enough attention to detail to make this a sensitive, poetic piece.