In Dinosaur Kisses, illustrated by David Ezra Stein, on pages six through seven, the protagonist is biting on some reeds. The colors of the scene and the shape and bright colors of the characters create feelings of playfulness. The theme of playfulness is also continued in the text present on the page. Type is an important aspect of picturebooks as the “basic desire [is] to connect with young readers in the most intimate way possible” (Leonard 43), but the type also shouldn’t distract from the images in the book. Dinosaur Kisses achieves this through its playful type that accompanies the themes of the image.

According to Marcus Leonard, “type is one of the major ingredients in the creation of a visual environment that is favorable to reading, and a book designer must always be thinking about how to achieve this result in a given situation” (Marcus 40). The type present in Dinosaur Kisses, according to the front matter, is “Stone Hinge” (Stein 35). The text is thick and uneven. It sits playfully on the page almost like a child drew it. The type is also very easy to read as each letter is outlined clearly and separated from the other letters. The uneven way the text falls across the page almost dances in a playful and lighthearted way.

Considering pages six through seven, the text is almost part of the image itself. It works in tandem with the image of the protagonist. In a quote by Laurent Linn regarding the description of the way some types interact with the action of the book, “‘the type goes from being outside of the action to being a part of the action, just as the reader does’” (Leonard 45). The type in Dinosaur Kisses becomes a part of the action as the protagonist is literally biting onto the reeds while the larger text reads “CHOMP” (Stein 6). The use of the word chomp is an onomatopoeia. The type becomes part of the action as it is large and stands out, almost depicting the playful sound of the protagonist biting down on the reeds.

Word Count: 350

Works Cited:

Marcus, Leonard S. “Give ’em Helvetica: Picture Book Type.” The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 88, no. 5, Sept. 2012, pp. 40-45. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.simmons.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsggo&AN=edsgcl.306972361&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Stein, David Ezra. Dinosaur Kisses. Candlewick, 2014.