Ema Malyauka V

 

'Christmas Cobwebs' written by Pippa Goodhart and illustrated by Ema Malyauka and published by the no longer operational Tiny Owl in 2023. If you are lucky you can still get copies of this beautiful book about an old bear holding a Christmas Party and getting upset about 'messy' spider webs.

Bears friends see the beauty of the spider web tree and make her realise how lovely it is. 

Seiichi Tabata

まちがいカレンダ 'Mistake Calendar' Written by Furuta Ashibi and illustrated by Seiichi Tabata (1931-2020) This vast book was published in 1970, this book is almost like a science fiction novel . A group of elementary school students discover the intentions of a fake Santa and enlist the help of the real Santa to save humanity.  

Seiichi had an interesting life, born in Osaka in1931 he lost his father at just 14, he studied while working part-time. In high school, he was head of the art club but he became interested in atomic physics and enrolled in the Faculty of Science at Kyoto University, during the Korean War he began to have doubts about atomic physics and gradually shifted his interest to puppet theatre . 

He dropped out of university and joined the puppet theater company PUK, later he became drawn to the world of picture books when he met and became close friends with Furuta Ashihi, who had moved to the same neighbourhood, they collaborated on many books.

Yuwen Wang II

 

I have been saving this second post of Yuwen Wang's work just for the crazy illustration of Santa in a potato car, with potato reindeer. Yuwen Wang is an illustrator based in Taipei, Taiwan who completed her masters in illustration at ECA this summer.

La Casa de Carlota Barcelona II

 

Joyful festive images from La Casa de Carlota Barcelona, one day I would dearly love to go and work with this studio, the energy and fun is just so joyful. 

Final day of Imagined Book Cover

Above: Sudden Strangeness

Above: Marina Henina

It’s a last day of #theimaginedbookcover2025 and the prompt is Becky Pinkerton's Bicycle'. What is wonderful about Monty's challenges is that you find so many wonderful illustrators and that it is an incredible supportive welcoming community. Please check out all of the artists links on their names and see what joy you can find in these marvellous portfolios. 

Above: Sarah Cathcart Anderson Below: Monty Lee

Above: Hazel Terry Below Nella Gatica

Above: Emilia Wharfe Below Mia Sedding

'Dodo's don't Eat Donuts'

Above: Ehud Neuhaus

Above: Kate Jenkins, Below: Monty Lee

Day 6 has dawned of 'The Imagined Book Cover 2025', with dodo's refusing their donuts, let us see the joys that emerge!

Above: Katya Tabakh Below: Sudden Strangeness, 

Above: Lisa Hagspiel Below: Sanne Duffet

Below: Mia Sedding

Day 5 of the Imagined Book Cover 2025

 

Above: Jacquie Hughes

Above: Monty Lee.

Starting the day with the host Monty Lee on the title 'Lillylou and Larry'. 

Above: a stillness in the whizz of life with Julie Zhang's tender cover, "“But darling, we are scattered and dim: dust too fine for planets to pull, raindrops dissolving into the crowd. All we have is us.”

Above and Below: Emilia Whafe

Above: Isobel Ross. Below Janneke Kelderman

Above: Hemapriya Chellappan Below: Anna Gkoutzouri

Above: Susanne Vosgerau