A Crow of His Own

Illustrator David Hyde Costello's watercolor illustrations are beautiful, meaningful, and woven so delicately around the text by author Megan Dowd Lambert. His art offers an opportunity to discuss the choices around the use of double spreads, full bleeds, vignettes, and speech bubbles.  In one vignette the isolated feeling rooster stands behind a rock wall, back to the viewer, and staring at the wandering away farm animals with the text, "The animals' words left Clyde in a state of speechless distress." And later when that scrawny rooster finds himself facing a tangerine dawn sun rise with confidence,  followed by the loudest COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! that could fit on two pages, we investigate the use of double-spread full bleeds.  I have to add, the farm animals have the sweetest faces, with grins to match their humor and wit. These characters are developed and their eyes and experiences invite the reader in for an interaction. I hope to see them all again. #charlesbridge