At first caricatures of new times were printed on separate graphic sheets, then in newspapers and magazines, and only later in cartoon books. In the world art a book has been a symbol of knowledge and wisdom for centuries. Caricaturists borrowed this symbol from painters and sculptors whose creations looked like caricatures sometimes. One of the posters of Stalin epoch showed Soviet people on the road to Communism. Every figure on that poster had some attributes of one's profession; a book symbolized the profession of a writer. Now it is widely known what a huge caricature of socialist realism was created because of some writers' loyal attempts.

Nevertheless a book itself is a very serious thing, though sometimes it turns into a caricature, e.g. a tiny book in the shape of a heart or a butter-fly. In 1916 in Moscow a book for children "Sonya in the village" was published; its cover looked like a figure of a fancy dressed little girl. There are books with mirror- and aquarium-covers amber inclusions. E. Grigo, an author of the book-aquarium was awarded a prize in Gabrovo, he also wrote a book "The Theory of Humour" with two backs. There are only four copies of this book. D. Prigov, a poet of the "new wave", published a book with only "See on the next page" words on every sheet. Moset, a French artist, made a book with a picture of a crowded Paris street. In the USA the publishers and artists created the Bible three metres high and 500 kilogrammes of weight. 16 people could lift it. Some "wordy caricatures", misprints are really funny (although some misprints caused great troubles in Stalin times).

Great Rabelais made a list of books which had been found in St. Victor Paris library by Pantagruel. Read it and you will laugh at abbots, widows, and stupidity.

A book is like a storage of unique, bright, and varied world of laughter of all the times and peoples. Let's thank books! In ancient times people drew and wrote God knows where: on their bodies, skins, leaves, and ceramics -so, humorous and funny ideas were difficult to render and keep for centuries. Nowadays everything is just the opposite - a book is the best gift, especially collections of caricatures. Although caricaturists themselves make fun of books (Y. Fedorov. Book-lover's corner. "Krokodil", 1963), but they banter.