Throughout the book, the scenes of the story take place inside frames; while outside of the frames, backgrounds made out of corresponding colors help emphasize the playfulness. In the image below, the protagonist and her mother are shown tending to their garden. The whimsical painted shapes create a lighthearted and beautiful atmosphere in the scene. Considering design, the frame on the page is shakily drawn, almost like a child drew it themself which continues the whimsical theme displayed in this page. Again, the whimsical feeling is conjured through the background of the page which is filled with a solid color with small shapes throughout. The background even transcends the gutter onto the next page.

The expert design of the images pairs well with the physical design of the book. The shape of the book, including the space left on the page, leaves enough room for someone to hold the book while reading it to someone else. The space also connects to the physical design of the text on the page. According to Marcus, “type is one of the major ingredients in the creation of a visual environment” (40). The text is large and easy to read. The text stays outside of the image creating a focus on the painted scene above. The sentences are clear and simple. All of these aspects of text design point to this book potentially being one a child may attempt to read by themself.

Overall, the design of the scene, the text, and the physical book work together to create an expert and whimsical design.

Word Count: 295

Works Cited:

Lin, Grace. The Ugly Vegetables. Charlesbridge, 2001.

Marcus, Leonard S. “Give ’em Helvetica: Picture Book Type.” The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 88, no. 5, Sept. 2012, p. 40. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsggo&AN=edsgcl.306972361&site=eds-live&scope=site.