{"id":2144,"date":"2011-05-29T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-29T06:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2144"},"modified":"2011-05-29T10:43:30","modified_gmt":"2011-05-29T16:43:30","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-221-featuring-simon-wild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2144","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #221: Featuring Simon Wild"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Having been inspired last weekend by hearing Robert Sabuda<\/a><\/strong> speak in person at Knoxville’s children’s reading festival<\/a><\/strong>, today I’m featuring a pop-up artist, UK illustrator Simon Wild<\/a><\/strong>. Don’t you just want to hop into that fantastical, most fabulous<\/em> flying machine up there? <\/p>\n

Wild graduated from Cambridge School of Art<\/a><\/strong> in 2007 with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration. He has previously worked as an animator, film maker, video editor, and street performer and currently teaches art foundation at Ipswich School of Art and works from his studio—with a white cat named Gert—in Suffolk. Simon’s latest title, written by Timothy Knapman<\/a><\/strong>, is Fantastical Flying Machines<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. The book follows two children named Sally and Jack on an air race filled with hot air balloons, flying ice lollies, and bubble gum rockets. I haven’t seen a copy myself, which was evidently released last Fall (Macmillan), but Simon tells me it features spinning, twirling, lift-the-flap pages, and a pop-up finale. <\/p>\n

Here’s a bit more from Simon about the book and his thoughts on the value of interactive books for children today. I thank him for stopping by… <\/p>\n

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“<\/strong><\/font>Fantastical Flying Machines<\/a><\/strong> is my first book for children and traverses the two genres of lift-the-flap books and pop-up books. It tells the story of two children who enter a crazy air race, pursued by the dastardly Baron Von Bang Bang, who aims to cheat his way to the finish line. I conceived the story for the book; then writer Timothy Knapman<\/a><\/strong> brought it to life with his vibrant rhyming text.<\/p>\n

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I have been fascinated for most of my life by the narrative structures of children\u2019s books. In particular, I am drawn to books that are interactive, books that use their physicality to expand the narrative of the stories they tell. When you are invited to engage physically with a book, you become part of the story, affecting its direction and outcomes. Being invited to apply an action to a page increases the chances of committing that story to memory — and enhancing user engagement.<\/p>\n

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In an accelerating world of digital innovation, I believe that \u2018interactive\u2019 books have never been more important to a child’s understanding of the physical world. Without books, cultural experiences remain virtual and untouchable.<\/p>\n

I have always been interested in things in the sky, more so the things that might exist above the clouds that you can\u2019t see. A world where the imagination can soar to new heights. A world where anything is possible.<\/em>“<\/strong><\/font> <\/p>\n


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FANTASTICAL FLYING MACHINES. Copyright \u00a9 2010 by Timothy Knapman. Illustration copyright \u00a9 2010 by Simon Wild. Published by Macmillan. All images reproduced by permission of the illustrator.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. <\/p>\n

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1)<\/strong><\/font> Sam Phillips<\/a><\/strong> + L.A. Street art = my favorite little short film \/ video of hers:<\/p>\n