Wild Animals in Children's Literature

Pip Carter has sent us these interesting illustrations for us to show you. This is recent work that she made to illustrate an article titled 'Bears, Bunnies and Black Beauty - the Role of Animals in Children's Literature' 

The first page shows a boy dressing up as a lion with his face painted.

The page is turned to reveal a real lion eating a zebra. This contrasts the child's imagined world with the gruesome reality of a real lion. A die cut hole allows both images to have the same face and visual mirroring links the two images.

Pip says she enjoyed drawing a scene of gore in her sweet children's book style.

The article explores the roles of animals in children's literature: at a young age animals are seen by the child as having human characteristics or behaviours (anthropomorphic) and at an older age children can read more about the naturalistic view of animals.

Pip's illustrations remind us of 'Where the Wild things Are" by Maurice Sendak. He used wild animals as a metaphor for the powerful feelings being expressed by his main character Max - another way that animals are used in children's literature. 

These illustrations from Pip have got us thinking more about the role of animals within children's literature - thanks Pip! To see more examples of Pip's work please go to the Fabula Collective website.

Pip was commissioned by The Ideas House on behalf of Capital Generation Partners.  The concept and art direction was by Fenton + Partners. The article and illustration will feature in Capital Generation Partners annual magazine ‘Summer Notes 2016’ issued for select clients.