In this sequel to Alfred Jarry’s best-known play, <a href="https://www.artic.edu/artworks/241626"Ubu roi, the beloved and bumbling king considers how to address his wife’s infidelity. Through a series of phallus-based puns and slapstick violence, King Ubu’s world comes alive. Mary Reynolds bound this version of the play and harnessed the story’s momentum through daring design choices.

From left to right, every element of the book cover spells out the title, Ubu cocu, which translates to “Ubu cuckold.” Reynolds nestled the title’s letters into the bright yellow C’s. The b of UbU appears lowercased, perhaps reflecting the theme of emasculation that runs throughout the story. The author’s name is also miniscule, nestled underneath the b at the bottom of the spine.