Nonna's Printables: Historical Picture Book with Aladdin

Did you know that the story of Aladdin comes from a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales called 1001 Nights? In the tales, Scheherazade (commonly pronounced SHUH-air-uh-ZAH-dee), a wife of the region's ruler, is the storyteller. As the story goes, when she ran out of tales, her husband would kill her. She would start a story, but stop mid story every night for 1001 nights hence the title of the original tale. 1001 Nights is still hailed as a storytelling work of art with many new interpretations and translations to this day.

In 1911, Edward Dulac illustrated a version of 1001 Nights called Stories from Arabian Nights including the tale of Aladdin. This printable mini picture book version is period appropriate for your Samantha, Nellie and Rebecca dolls to enjoy. It’s perfect for all your dolly readers!

Use white American letter sized cardstock for this PDF. Remember to update your printer setting to cardstock for best image quality when printing. 

Cut out the images as shown. Leave a white tail on the left side in the lowest section of images to provide a gluing surface and fold per the dots noted. Remember, to get the smoothest folds in minis, use a straight edge to crease your fold before folding tightly (refer to cookie box tutorial for pictures).
 

To join the first section of pages to the second, glue or tape the last page of section one over the white tab that begins section 2 (as shown).

Glue interior backs of pages together as indicated by dots on pdf.

Center and glue pages inside cover. The cover on this book is designed to be slightly larger than the pages (as shown). You can trim the cover down if it that isn't want you want.

  
Nonna’s Pro Tip: I like to place finished books under a weight for a couple hours to allow the glue to set so the book sits nicely instead of popping open when at rest.

Often asked Reader question: 

Can I substitute paper for cardstock? 

Of course you can, but you should know what will happen. This pattern is designed for cardstock so it utilizes the thickness created with the interior pages being cardstock. If you use paper, the spine will seem too thick for the pages and you will have a gap. Additionally, depending on your paper, the ink may bleed through when it is glued because most glue sticks and glue used on paper are water soluble; cardstock reduces the permeation of the ink into the paper.  If stored in a humidity controlled environment, a ream of cardstock will last you for years of doll crafting and is well worth the investment. Copy shops can also print on cardstock for you for a small up change to their standard copying fee.