As a mother of two little ones, I spend a fair amount of time reading (and re-reading and re-reading) children's books. I admire many authors and illustrators and I have long planned a blog series on awesomely illustrated and designed children's books. Today it begins with
Mo Willems and his 3-book
Knuffle Bunny series. (For a funny and simultaneously academic look at
the danger of reading children's books be sure to check out my friend's hilarious, insightful, and intelligent
blog.)
The Knuffle Bunny books were a gift for my daughter from my brother and his wife. The
first book involves a pre-verbal Trixie losing her precious bunny at the laundromat - dramatics ensue. The
second book examines what happens when Trixie brings Knuffle Bunny to school and another girl has the exact same bunny - a crisis we can all relate to. The
series ends with an overseas trip to visit grandparents in Holland. I won't give anything away but I may or may not have gotten choked up at the ending.
These books are great. I truly don't mind reading them over and over and over and over again. Mostly because I'm totally absorbed in the illustrations while I read them. Mo Willems (author and illustrator) uses photography as a backdrop for his simple, colorful, and funny illustrations. I love the dynamic between the page background, the photographs, and the illustrated people. There is so much attention to detail - the photographs are manipulated to create a simple aesthetic for the background (no wires, no A/C units), shadows are added in under the illustrated characters, and the characters can walk right out of the frame of the photographs making them come to life.
Enjoy!
If you need a creative designer to improve your graphic identity, contact me for a consultation.
