If you remember, we recently shared with you Robert Pizzo’s unique illustrated children’s book The Amazing Animal Alphabet of Twenty-Six Tongue Twisters. It seems he’s been attracting the attention of folks int he illustration and arts world: he was recently interviewed on Pomegranate.com, the publisher of his book.
Here are some highlights from the interview.
Think Like an Illustrator, not a Author
Pizzo says he has a unique approach to his book because he doesn’t consider himself an author. As an illustrator, he approached the book from a different angle:
“I’m a well-established illustrator, with a bold and vibrant style that happens to appeal to kids, too. The book isn’t at all linear like a traditional story. It’s more like a crazy random-access list in the mode of Dr. Seuss books like One Fish, Two Fish. Seuss began as an illustrator, too. If it was good enough for him….”
How He Wrote the Book
His approach to writing and illustrating involves first writing the sentences, then determining how each sentence would be illustrated, like in an illustration assignment:
“I like to handle every page like a little poster that can stand on its own. I also wanted the type design to support the art and not simply be dropped into an open space as an afterthought. Once the eye-catching, graphic cover grabs you, I think you could flip to any page in this book at random and instantly get what it’s all about.”
Not Just for Children
While children love the simple, bright drawings in the book, Pizzo says they’re not the only audience:
“I also think the book would be great for teachers because it deals with language in a fun way that kids won’t even realize they’re learning. I always loved the way Mad Libs was such a hit with children and as a bonus, they learned about nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.”
What’s Next
Judging from the interview, this might not be Pizzo’s last book. He has also agreed to create a sticker calendar, jigsaw puzzle, and coloring book for Pomegranate by 2015.
