Everything about Ruby. The Adventures of a Travel Bug is satisfying:
the shape, the satin feel, the cover image, and the colour.
On opening the book the delights continue
with the tale of Ruby (a ladybird) and her magnificent adventure. Such a seamless dance of design and text is
no accident; behind this publication are years of experience and a creative mind. Sean
Daniel Cox comes from a background in advertising, as both a graphic artist and
an award-winning copywriter. He has skillfully breathed life and attitude into
Ruby with particular care taken for her eyes and antennae, making it impossible
not to smile back at the little ladybird.
The illustrations fill the pages with
bold colour and light. You can see the shape of the brush and the texture of
the canvas. For children, who also love to paint Sean has described his process
on the imprint page. The artwork has been cropped but not tweaked in Photoshop and
the font cannily chosen to match the ‘hand made’ look of the book.
Ruby’s adventure is told in such a way that
any adult, who also loves to travel will relate. Who of us has not itched with
desire at the destination boards at the airport? The characters Ruby meets on
the way are visually alive with ‘voices’ that are enjoyable to read aloud. I
love Cassie the cheetah’s plain speaking “... I’m really fast” she tells Ruby. At the end
of her adventure Ruby pops into the gift shop at the airport in Tanzania and
buys herself something to help her remember her friends and her special day. And guess
what? There is a little gift for the reader as well. But I’m not telling you
what it is - that's a surprise.
Pictures tell stories and words paint
pictures and it’s not easy to bring the two together in a way that will satisfy
both a child and an adult. Ruby is a
book that achieves just that.
Children’s literature has a new heroine and
she’s a sweetie!
To purchase Ruby. The Adventures of a Travel Bug and to learn more about Sean visit their website HERE
And if you're wondering: yes we did eat the cake!
1 comment:
Dear Jackie
Thank you so much for the fantastic rave about Sean's new book and for applying your considerable talents as a storyteller to bringing Ruby to life at the recent launch! She is selling well and feedback from parents and teachers has been really positive. Wishing everyone a ruby-coloured, spotty festive season! Moya
Post a Comment