Pile of Leaves

Board book

Readers explore the concept of layering and collage with this interactive exercise in composition. Each acetate page depicts a single element in the leaf pile, though some are not leaves at all! As readers turn the pages, the leaf pile is deconstructed on the left. Younger readers will enjoy the seek-and-find aspects of hidden objects, while older readers might experiment by adding their own images between the pages. A key at the back provides the names of each kind of leaf shown. Inspired by the Whitney Museum's approach to looking at art, these books provide a new way to look at the world.

First, it's not a book made of paper, but of clear plastic:

- The pages are acetate (in board frames), which means you can see through them.

- The pantone colors are screen printed onto each page, creating a rich, slightly transparent look.

- And so:

Yes, it's a pile of leaves... but it's also a collage!

- A collage that is methodically deconstructed and reconstructed with each turn of the page.

- A collage that artfully hides a few surprises between the leaves

- A collage the invites readers to flip back and forth, to hold the book up to the light, consider the color overlap, the blending and the contrast, the shifting shapes...

- A collage with which readers can experiment by adding their own leaves or objects or colors between the pages

...I think we'd call that interactive, no? And artful. And also, nonfiction!

- The final spread features each leaf and object with its proper name

- Horse chestnut, cherry, birch... they're all stylized by factual, adding another dimension to this interdisciplinary book.