An animation-inspired children's book of animals, full of funny characters, humorous poems and engaging and educating puzzles...
Please help make this beautifully illustrated fully-coloured, 60 page children's adventure book of Animals come to life. Jolly Jim needs you!
WHO'S THIS OLD GUY?
Think of Merlin (Sword in the Stone), Edgar (The Aristocats), Mr Magoo, Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther)... and recently Carl Fredricksen (UP). There’s something inherently familiar about an ‘out-of-touch/ out of key/ out of kilter.... and often totally inept’ elder attempting something beyond their grasp, and I don’t think there is someone who finds an old guy (no disrespect intended!) making a fool of themselves more than a young child: Falling off chairs, unintentionally exploding the neighbours shed and accidentally hammering your own thumb (- I’ll let you reminisce.....) are what comedy gold is made of. It’s actually funny just watching a kid laugh their head off, when an octogenarian dances, prances or just glances at them (yes – warning, ok - this book does contain poems...:)
Enter Jolly Jim! Jim’s an explorer who adventures around the world, seeing the sights and sounds and in this book, relaying them and his encounters with a whole bunch of entertaining animals. These critters are of a similar cartoonish, exaggerated style and personality and actually initiate the basis of the book activity (and participation on the children’s behalf).... Each animal has stolen/borrowed an item of Jim’s exploration equipment! It is the readers job to find the object for each animal/letter of the alphabet, identify what country Jim saw this animal in (from unscrambling the letters on each page) and place the relevant sticker on the corresponding location/country of the middle page map spread.
'B for Beaver' - second of page spread
'C for Camel' - first of page spread
Along the way are other interesting pictures/ sketches/ information/ jokes etc. which should entertain and educate children at the same time. The principal of this book is to teach children about the animals of the world, through entertaining characters and their expressions and animation-inspired caricatures/designs which exaggerate, yet express and amplify the facts and reality. See more images here:
I'm a big animation fan, so all the characters are that way inclined. I love creating crazy gestures, distorting faces and hence, all the creatures in this book are hopefully very‘alive’! Jim, is 3D-designed; the animals are hand- drawn and digitally painted. I embraced the option to include my most two favourite art forms: 2D/drawn illustrations and three-dimensional detailed visuals together alongside one another.
REWARDS!
As a sign of my HUMUNGOUS thanks, every backer’s name will be printed on the last acknowledgement page of the book, because, without all your support, I wouldn't be doing this. It would be totally wicked, if Jim could explore even more! More books, a dedicated educational website for kids, games, animations.... and maybe even an actual cartoon - who knows...?!)
The biggest problems that can occur with this kind of product are usually associated with the final printing: the paper, the cover, the layout, the trim, the finish/gloss etc... Fortunately, I have been in discussions with a printer for about a month and have got down to the nitty-gritty of all the different options of how this book could look and hnce, will come to arrive at the best result and a beautiful book to hold in your hands. The majority of this budget will be allocated to the printing and setting up of the lithographic process, Arrangements for the sticker sheet and ISBN allocation have also been arranged to prevent production delays and problems. If the funding goes well, I will be aiming to reach stretch goals which will allow me to complete this book in the fashion that I really would like to see: principally cover-related including a spot UV of Jim and the animals; foiling the ‘Amazing Animals’ and embossing the title and Jim..... all to add that extra impression.... and of course, to be able to include the fundamental sticker sheet which forms the basis of the activity (otherwise, the kids will just have to write on the map!)
No comments:
Post a Comment