Author: patricia

MAKI:minimag_Libuse Niklova_gonfle_3

Splash!!! Cool Summer with Libuše Niklová

Published by patricia

It is finally summer! That is why I wanna show you this great bath toy – a seahorse –  by my toy designer hero Libuše Niklová. Fatra, the company she worked for, is still in business today, and they re-edited some of Niklová´s toys. Unfortunately not the sea horse… but other ones!!  And they approached contemporary Czech designers amongst which graphic designer Zuzana Lednická from Studio Najbrt, who re-interpreted the toys from the ’70s and created contemporary versions of them. Zuzana Lednická did some great beach balls.  Summer in Style! Have fun:)   Not for swimming but still very beautiful ad designed by Libuše Niklová: these baby toys! Like this:Like Loading…

MAKI:minimag_DOT. The happy mag for creative kids

DOT. kids magazine #2

Published by patricia

Here is the second of our series on creative kids magazines. The first one was the french magazine Georges. Today we travel to England, where DOT comes from. DOT is the new, quite lovely magazine by the publishers of the famous kids magazine Anorak (we will feature that one soon too – promised!:) It is designed for toddlers. DOT is not just the name of the magazine but also the name of its main character who carries in his head all that is needed to solve any problem. The magazine’s first issue, focusses on the theme of shapes and includes stories, games and activities, all written and edited by Cathy Olmedillas and beautifully illustrated by Anorak’s chief designer Anna Dunn. Guest illustrators include Jon Boam, Lauren Humphrey and Andres Lozano. You can buy a copy of the first issue of DOT magazine here. Like this:Like Loading…

MAKI:minimag_Die blaue 2_detail

Pop Up Art 2

Published by patricia

The book “Die blaue 2” is the follow up of “1 roter Punkt” (One red dot) by David A. Carter. This time it is a blue two that is hiding very elaborately in different architectural paper constructions. Again it is a true piece of artwork made of paper!!! Das Buch “Die blaue 2” ist das Nachfolgebuch von “1 roter Punkt” von David A. Carter. Dieses Mal ist es eine blaue Zwei die sich sehr kunstvoll in den verschiedenen architektonischen Papierkonstruktionen versteckt. Wieder ein echtes Kunstwerk aus Papier!!! Het boek “Die blaue 2” is de opvolger van “1 roter Punkt” (1 rode stip) van David A. Carter. Deze keer is het een blauwe twee die zich heel kunstvol in verschillende architectonische papierconstructies verstopt. Het is weer een echt kunstwerk gemaakt van papier!!!     Like this:Like Loading…

MAKI:minimag_Têtes, Bêtes, Lettres_Pepillo

“Têtes, Bêtes, Lettres” . game by Pepillo

Published by patricia

A happy girl, a mister wearing a moustache, a sun, a walking R…these and lots of more figures never looked more charming and fun than when assembled with the lovely iPad-app “Têtes, Bêtes, Lettres” by Pepillo. Illustrator Celine Vernier designed it as a follow-up to the book/game” Têtes, Bêtes, Lettres”, a sticker booklet edited by Helium. Simple graphic elements that can be combined to build little universes, plays of words, letter characters. Super original, super beautiful, super simple!        Like this:Like Loading…

MAKI:minimag_William Bee_Whatever

Whatever

Published by patricia

Whatever by William Bee is one of the funniest children books. Great illustrations, not a lot of words, And a great, hilarious ending… The original version had much more pages, if you want to see some pages that did not make it into the final version, check William Bee´s blog. “Whatever” says Billy. It doesn’t matter what Dad shows him – whether it’s the tallest giraffe or the smallest butterfly or the world’s curliest trumpet or the steamiest train. Even a trip to outer space yields the dismissive response, “Whatever”. Until, that is, Billy meets the world’s hungriest tiger and is promptly gobbled up. “I’m still in here Dad,” yells Billy. “Whatever,” says Dad! Like this:Like Loading…

The Play: Modernist toy exhibition in London

Published by patricia

London calling!!! The exhibition THE PLAY: Toys, Sets, Rules, organised by systems shows Modernist toys from the 1960ies with objects drawn from the personal archives of Roger Limbrick, Patrick Rylands, Fredun Shapur and Ken Garland. The four designers formed a loosely associated group that emerged in London in the 1960s. The doll house with open sides by Roger Limbrick won an Observer Design Award in 1969 and is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum collection.  Also on who’s is our beloved bath toy Duck by Patrick Rylands, produced in 1993 by AmbiToys, that works for any age – from 0 to 99. Furthermore there are toys by Fredun Shaper (like the Serpentino)  and Ken Garland (the Connect game and the Plytech Chair). Until July 4, 2015! Plytek Chair, Ken Garland + Associates c.1965, unrealised prototype Four-Way Blocks, Fredun Shapur 1972, Creative Playthings Connect, Ken Garland + Associates 1968, produced by James Galt Balancing Troupers, Fredun Shapur 1963, prototype (later realized by Kurt Naef) Serpentino, Fredun Shapur 1980, produced by Kurt Naef Joupii, Patrick Rylands 1970, produced by Il Leccio Open Side …

MAKI:minimag_ABC der Tiere_Piatti

ABC der Tiere – Animal ABC

Published by patricia

When I stood in the bookshop lately I saw a book. And I suddenly had this memory flashback: me, as a little kid, sitting on a small striped couch, book on the lap, watching these impressive drawings of animals… lots of black lines …strong colours… a kind of intensity and strangeness about them. I am talking about Celestino Piatti´s Animal ABC. What a picture book classic! I will try to find the original book at my parents house. But in the meantime I took some photographs of the new edition (Nord Süd, 2015) at the bookshop. Celestino Piatti (1922-1907) was a Swiss graphic designer, painter and book designer. He illustrated some very famous children’s book, as “The happy owls”. He achieved international success as a designer for the Deutsche Taschenbuch Verlag (DTV). The Animal’s ABC, with its colour intensive, black outline style dates from 1965. It was published just two years after Maurice Sendak´s children´s book classic “Where the wild things are”.         Like this:Like Loading…

Tactile poetry

Published by patricia

“Press Here”, that is a super imaginative and interactive children´s book by Hervé Tullet, published in 2011. The app is based on the book, but Herve Tullet did not want it to be a copy oft he book, but different and innovative, a kind of ‘tactile poetry’, as he called it. The app is designed for younger children up to the age of 10. It includes 15 tactile and creative activities with perfectly pitched colors, graphics, music and sound effects. It is all about brightly winking, blinking, multiplying, and colliding dots. Some activities are quite basic, as with the “Press Here” page, where you create and tilt dots and watch them spill. Others call for more critical thinking. And some, like the one where the dots eat one another, are pure fun. “Press Here”, das ist ein super einfallsreiches und interaktives Kinderbuch von Hervé Tullet, aus dem Jahr 2011. Die App hat das Buch als Ausgangspunkt, Tullet wollte aber bewusst keine Kopie machen, sondern etwas anderes, innovatives, eine Art „taktile Poesie“, wie er es nennt. Die …

MAKI:minimag_Daisy Hirst_The girl with the parrot...

The girl with the parrot on her head

Published by patricia

When I have been to Austria lately I spent hours in the children´s departement of my favourite book store. And there I found this sweet new title „The Girl with the Parrot on her Head“ by British writer and illustrator Daisy Hirst. It is about a little girl called Isabel who has to say goodbye to her best friend Simon because he is moving away. A truly frustrating experience for her, making her angry and lonely at the same time. She tries to cope by organizing her stuff in boxes and embracing loneliness – but nothing helps. Until she steps outside her little world and finds a new friend. The story that seems to be so simple is actually full of metaphors. The parrot represents her boundless imagination, her loneliness is embodied by an imaginary wolf, which she banishes with the support of her new friend. Daisy Hirst captures all these deep underlying themes in simple language and whimsical illustrations. If you want to know more about how she developed the story and artwork, please …

MAKI:minimag_vintage toy

HELLO! vintage toy #1

Published by patricia

Hello! Hallo! Hej! Just some in-between inspirational  flash. Have a lovely Sunday! Einfach nur ein Inspirations-Blitz zwischendurch. Und noch einen feinen Sonntag! Gewoon een  inspiratie-flits tussendoor. En nog een fijne zondag! Like this:Like Loading…