THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN, Gavin Bishop

This board book for toddlers is based on a traditional nursery rhyme, illustrated by Gavin Bishop.

The book’s construction is typical for books aimed at this demographic: square, chunky, small enough for the toddler to turn the thick pages without help, durable enough to withstand enthusiastic gnawing. The corners not attached to the spine are rounded, preventing their use as eye-poking devices and reducing the risk of them becoming worn and frayed over time. 

Note the spine's fold lines, which protect it from wear from creasing

The spine is not attached to the book block, meaning that when the book is open, the case bends along demarcated lines rather than creasing anew with each page-turn.

However, a simple design feature differentiates There was an Old Woman from similar board books. The book opens from the bottom, with the spine along the top, like a flip note-book. This allows the interior pages to be designed as a series of portrait spreads well suited to illustrating the Old Woman’s vertical journey.

Three vertical spreads from the book

Bishop’s illustrations are a beautiful accompaniment to the traditional text, and he uses the format to great effect. The three-shade background – earth, sky, and space – is repeated throughout the book. Each illustration has a thick black border, which combined with the rich colours gives the spreads a stained-glass look. The border also provides space for the book to be held without covering much of the illustrations.

The pastel illustrations have an organic look and the colour’s extension past the borders of each spread give the whole a slightly grubby feel – perhaps pre-grubbied, given the usual effects of sticky fingers on books.

The text is hand-written. This adds to the rough/organic aesthetic, but is also more difficult to read than a regular typeface. However, the book is not intended to be read by the child, but to the child, so the font choice does not negatively impact on the book’s purpose and readership.

Overall I think this book has been put together beautifully, with a design that shows inventiveness within the confines of necessary construction elements.

Samples collected: 29 June 2012