This pretty Planet!

xin li

Me and my daughter read the lovely book This pretty planet illustrated by @Lee-White recently. When we reached the last spread of the book (see image attached ), my 3 years old daughter asked me "Where did the rabbit go?". We looked all around the spread. Then I pointed the open window on the spread, and said "I think the rabbit went outside for a walk."

My daughter was not satisfied with my interpretation. She thought for a bit, then she pointed the bear in the corner of the room, then said "I think the bear ate the rabbit." Then she made the sound effect for the bear eating rabbit.

This is exactly why I love making images. Unlike words, images open up all kinds of interpretations., different people see different things with the same image.

Nyrryl Cadiz

@xin-li that’s so funny and sweet ️

Lee White

haha! That is so great! Love to hear these conversations. : )

The real truth is that the rabbit was their guide for the journey. He comes in the window in the beginning and the room has some stuff in it, but not that much. Then he takes them on this fantastical journey and all the stuff from the journey ends up in the room. I wanted to keep it ambiguous on if it was a dream or if it really happened. So the open window was a way to suggest that. : )

It is a strange concept. A magical rabbit guide coming in your room and wisking you away. I can't believe they went for it! haha!

burvantill

@xin-li LOL! That's hilarious and awesome. =)x

Jade Yaert

@xin-li I love that! And it is so true. And something that doesn’t make sense or is viewed in some way by someone can be seen as a totally different thing by another person.

I also notice this when watching children draw. They come over and proudly show their drawing. And for me its just these vibrant and lively set of lines and scribbles. And then you ask what they drew, and they start telling this amazing story. Like ‘it’s the ocean. But this is a pirate and he took this frog against his will. But he’s climbing the ladder to escape...’
And it is just brilliant to see how they are conveying these stories and their own meaning in their drawing. Just like when they are interpreting other people drawings. Always full of surprises !

Heather Boyd

@xin-li Now I want this book for myself.

xin li

@Heather-Boyd Do it. I think it also makes a nice gift for another kid :-), if you need Christmas gift idea. The art is really fun. I had to translate to Chinese while reading for my daughter, that was a bit hard because the text is a poem, written in English. I ended up rely on images a lot when we read it together.

xin li

@Jade-Yaert My daughter is big in drawing rainbows and monsters these days - it is all about these lively vibrant lines and scribbles.