I don’t have kids. I don’t even think about kids very often. But this year I have some kids in the periphery of my life who are now sentient enough to appreciate books. And to be honest, I actually do enjoy an excuse to spend some time with children’s books, and, well, it is that time of year.
I’m particularly fussy about the books I give to kids: not so much the message (provided it’s not religious, or commercial, or sexist, or too sentimental …), but the graphics and the design. Sifting the gems from the dross—from a designer’s perspective—is easier than it used to be, I think, and I’m always delighted by some new find, and equally delighted to have some excuse to buy it.
I went down to my local bookstore the other day and had a quick look in the Children’s section. I’m really drawn to books that are a little bit odd: bold and/or quirky illustrations, interesting typography and humour. These tend to be in the 3–7 age range. Nicely designed or illustrated books for older kids are more rare; books for babies are just boring. I took some photos, but as I’ve become increasingly paranoid about getting “caught” taking photos of merchandise, I had to supplement my research online.
The first book that caught my eye was …
The Gift of the Magi/The Purple Dress
by O. Henry
Illustrated by Chris Raschka
The cover has a lovely belly-band over a gorgeous black and white watercolour illustration, all containing an equally enticing interior which gives way to free swashes of colour. I picked it up five times but in the end I didn’t buy it because … well, I hate the story of The Gift of the Magi (I’ve aways found it incredibly depressing). But visually it was a stunner, so if you like the story, this is the edition to get.
The illustrations were enough for me to check Chris Raschka out online, and I was very happy to find …
John Coltrane’s Giant Steps
Remixed by Chris Raschka
“It’s John Coltrane’s marvelous and tricky composition “Giant Steps” performed for you by a box, a snowflake, some raindrops and a kitten.”
With a description like that, well … who could possibly resist? This has more watercolours, which are loose and simple and—dare I say—jazzy. (Jazz and design, they just kindof go together, no?) I’ve got a thing about simplicity and abstraction in children’s books: I really go for graphics that are imaginative over literal, unexpected over traditional, and weird-funny.
Also illustrated by Chris Raschka, I found
little tree
by e.e. cummings
I only have the cover to go on, but it seems to have a kind of modernist/cubist feel. And any poem by e.e. cummings … well(!)
More Chris Raschka led me to
Table Manners
by Vladimir Radunsky
Illustrated by Chris Raschka
I am a sucker for the use of collage, I don’t know why. Maybe because it’s tactile and childishly clumsy. Or maybe because the results are often charmingly weird, unexpected and—there you have it—imaginative, as they do seem to be in this book.
This time I decided to follow the author, and found
Ten and One
by Vladimir Radunsky
How could a designer ever resist covers that look like that? The back cover of One says “A nice story about an awful braggart” and has the words “#1 bar code” written below the bar code. On Amazon, if you look at the copyright page for Ten—well, be still our beating hearts! Designer’s books if ever I saw any. And besides, they feature a cast of funny-looking armadilloes, which sounds great to me.
Following this author led me back to poetry:
Discovery
by Joseph Brodsky
with pictures by Vladimir Radunsky
I highly approve of real poetry for kids (as opposed to “kid’s poetry”). Check out that cover! If you’re a designer, you have to buy that book.
Also An Edward Lear Alphabet!
Does the typography on the cover not just beckon you?
Back at the bookstore, I was captivated by a book which had a series title stamped in the cloth binding: “Visions in Poetry”, of which this was an edition of
The Raven
by Edgar Allen Poe
Illustrated, gorgeously, and darkly by Ryan Price. This would be for a slightly older child: a little, budding Goth, perhaps. Checking out the series online I discovered promising looking editions of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky illustrated by Stephane Jorisch; Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott, illustrated by Genevieve Cote; and The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes, illustrated by Murray Kimber.
It’s with much less certainty that I suggest
Illustrated Fairy Tales from 1001 Nights
The illustrations, by a variety of artists, are all contemporary and computer-based or -influenced. But while some are quite nice, others I found a little … tacky. It really depends on your taste. I think younger designers more influenced by Japanese manga, rave culture and superflat would love this book. Me … I gave it a pass after some initial intrigue.
Now here’s a book whose spine design caused me to pick it out of the bookshelf, whose cover caused me to open it, and whose design throughout kinda … uh … blew my mind.
Pick Me Up
by Jeremy Leslie & David Roberts
It has a lenticular pixel-art cover and a completely different design for every single page in the book. It’s the ultimate ADD book, with every page a madhouse of charts, diagrams and desperate grabs for attention. That didn’t work? Next page, try this! The Amazon site describes it as a “compendium of interesting facts [that] combines elements of an almanac, a trivia book, and the Internet with playful touches of humor” and I was close … very, very close to buying this for my 8-yr-old niece, but she’s a very thoughtful and intelligent child and somehow I just felt that the mania of this book might be insulting to her. However, in a way, it’s really a compendium of design tricks and styles! Every designer should have one in their library, or handy at their desk for those times they’re a little stumped as to how to represent the pie chart this time. As a designer I was intrigued. Besides, any book for kids that has a description of 4-colour printing …
Now setting aside the omnipotent brilliance of Maira Kalman, any book—any book—with a cover like this, gets my vote:
Chicken Soup, Boots
by Maira Kalman
I don’t care what it’s about. I don’t care what’s inside. It’s called Chicken Soup, Boots, and it has chicken soup and boots on the cover … with a comma!!! And judging by the “look insides”s, any of her other books would be equally as charming. Try What Pete Ate, any of the “Max” books, or whatever else you might find by Maira.
One of the things I really love in a kid’s book is play in typography.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs!
By A. Wolf
as told to Jon Scieszka
illustrated by Lane Smith
This, as seen above, has typography in spades. A brilliant book for budding designers. Actually I have to recommend anything by this author/illustrator combo. Including Math Curse, Science Verse, Squids will be Squids (which looks brilliant and also uses some terrific typography), and of course The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales. Oh, THAT Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith! You knew you recognized the names.
Speaking of the blindingly obvious, every designer loves J. Otto Seibold. (And if you don’t know who he is, get thee to a children’s bookstore!) His books (some with Vivian Walsh, some not) are obsessively illustrated in a completely mad, weirdo style and, better than anything, are fuckin’ hilarious. If the kids don’t like them, who cares? Hell, I’ll read them over and over at bedtime.
Just out in October, 2006 is
Quincy, the Hobby Photographer
The Complete Guide to Do-It-Yourself Dog Photography
which looks terrific. J. Otto Seibold, photography, dogs, D.I.Y. … what more could you possibly want? Then, if the kids don’t already have them, they need to be given Free Lunch, Mr. Lunch Takes a Plane Ride, Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe, or, really, probably anything else by J. Otto Seibold. Rock on.
For a much younger child, and for the parent with a little more patience than I, there’s
Black? White! Day? Night! A Book of Opposites
by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
This book has bold colours, ho-hum illustrations and a designerly use of diecuts to show different views of the same thing. On the left, above, “tiny”. When the diecut flap is lifted, “huge.” The very young, presumably, enjoy things like this, but then the very young also greatly enjoy tearing these things to shreds. Like I say, if you have the patience …
And finally, the one I actually bought, when I went to the store; the one I felt I couldn’t live without … or, rather, er, the one I felt the little ones shouldn’t live without was
Bed, Bed, Bed
a songbook, with CD by They Might Be Giants
Illustrated by Marcel Dzama
Which has quirky Victorian typography, weird little drawings, lyrics such as “I’m a long-haired hippie kitten, I’m on a secret mission …” and I hope—I hope—tunes that won’t drive the parents completely nuts on repeated playing.
So will the children enjoy these designerly books? I don’t know. Kids are unpredictable and have weird taste. All you can do is send some fine graphic material in their direction and hope for the best. Do like the advertisers … get them when they’re young.
I’m sure there are many fine designerly childrens’ books I’ve missed; if so, I wanna know about them, ’cause I’m still shopping …
I don't recall it too clearly, but I have a vague impression that the They Might be Giants CD with that book is horrid.
Send Michael Gagné all your money. Start with Insanely Twisted Rabbits.
The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sís gets a few points for his non-sappy(bordering on creepy) illustration style. Also different by being based in Czech folklore, which isn't something you see often.
Abstract Alphabet is nothing but a bunch of animal names "spelled" out with shapes. I was convince it was some kind of existential joke on toddlers(which I have to admit held a certain appeal for me) until I found the key hidden in a flap on the first page. And partially on the cover. Which made me feel pretty stupid.
The Wolves in the Walls was written by Neil Gaiman, which is usually good, and illustrated by Dave McKean, also usually good. Unfortunately, it was also typeset by McKean. Which is pretty much always bad.
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is pretty much exactly what it sounds like.
Giraffes? Giraffes! is fun even if a fair amount of the absurdity is over the kids' heads. Probably in the 10+ range, but they'll only appreciate it more as they approach their "ironic" teens.
If you can find it, Nella Notte Buia(In the Darkness of the Night) by Bruno Munari is classic. Amazon doesn't seem to carry it(I think they have a French version?), but they do have his ABC book, which I haven't seen. He's generally fun, though.
Ultimately, though, I think every child should be issued a set of the Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Learning the rules of Calvinball is essential to proper development.
(This comment makes me realize I have more childrens' books than I can readily explain.)
On Dec.15.2006 at 01:09 AM