Increasing digitalization has led to fears about paper books, and a reappraisal of the value of picture books. Unlike reading for information, picture books use their physical attributes to surprise or delight – turning the page is always a true experience. A single picture book draws on image and graphic design, visual direction and design, as well as the product design of covers, bookbinding and printing. It's a treasure trove of different designs to explore. Our presenters visit picture book authors and designers at work, and explore the charm and potential of picture books from a design perspective.
Do you remember any picture books from your childhood?
Today on "Design x Stories," we're exploring the world of picture books.
I have always been a big fan of picture books,
and I think we can all agree that a good picture book isn't just for children but for adults too.
And today, to dive deeper into the world of picture books,
I'm here to visit a Japanese book artist who has created some unique and interesting pieces throughout his career.
My first stop is this charming gallery of picture books.
One book catches my eye for its simplicity.
It's a cloud cutout on a blank white page.
"A cloud
carried by the wind."
"Little by little it keeps on changing shape."
"The destination is up to the wind."
This unique book follows a series of constantly changing clouds.
The cut-outs layer over one another to create all kinds of new shapes.
- Hello.
- Hello!
I'm Komagata Katsumi.
- It's a pleasure to meet you today.
- Thank you for coming!
Book artist and designer Komagata Katsumi has fans around the world.
His work explores the expressive power of paper.
This pop-up book follows the life cycle of a tree.
Komagata has created dozens of exquisite books
that highlight the colors and qualities of paper and how it can be shaped.
I was just reading this book, "A CLOUD".
I kept feeling that the story
was about families.
- Interesting.
- The cloud is myself.
And I change shape as
I'm blown here and there.
I meet other clouds, a partner,
and grow bigger.
We become a family.
That's very lovely.
Clouds are at the mercy of the wind.
I felt that was the nature of life.
I kept the text very short so
readers could find their own meaning.
Personally, the blank space is
the first thing I think about.
It's almost all blank space!
- That's true.
- Almost all of it!
As a young man, Komagata began his career in graphic design.
He went to the US when he was 23.
It was there that he fell in love with the versatility of paper, working a range of jobs like package design.
This was my very first job.
A basketball in the sky?
It's an invitation for
an NBA All Stars game.
I left my sketches on my desk one day.
A director came by and left a note.
'At this size it will need to be folded.'
So the basketball is the moon.
Open it to reveal the All Stars.
- I get it!
- They form the net.
- Surprise!
- Exactly.
It was a revelation to me.
The potential of paper!
Simply folding it can create
this kind of surprise.
That's so fun.
Where did you go from there?
At the time, I still wasn't
interested in picture books.
But I returned to Japan,
I married, and we had a baby.
At three months after birth,
a baby's sight is still pretty fuzzy.
So I made a set of cards
to test how much my girl could see.
She reacted immediately
to the black circle.
This is Komagata's first picture book.
Pretty stylish for a baby book.
It contains twelve cards.
Too young to distinguish color,
his daughter reacted to the black circles which looked like her mother's breast.
It was this discovery that led Komagata to create this book.
The sudden change in the space created by the paper catches a baby's attention.
So it came from a deep desire
for communication?
As a dad, I felt left out.
You're already communicating
with your baby.
- That's true.
- They hear your voice.
I thought that putting something between us
could help connect father and baby.
That's what inspired me to start creating.
And you opted to create books and cards.
That feels very much like something
a designer would do.
In New York, I saw all kinds of
cultural and linguistic barriers.
Problems always arise in communication.
Visual language can solve
some of those issues.
No star in the sky has a star shape.
It's a metaphor, one that's
understood around the world.
I feel picture books exist along
that same axis of thought.
Komagata continued to make new cards as his daughter grew, writing 10 different books.
Her reactions steered the shapes he created.
Are you two still close?
- We work together.
- Oh, really?
I can't work without her.
- Hello.
- Hi, nice to meet you.
It's a pleasure.
Your dad poured his love for you
into his books.
How do you feel about them now?
- It's a little embarrassing.
- Oh, is it?
I have two girls of my own.
I never dreamed I'd be reading these to them!
It's about asking what
they expect to see next.
The key is to wait for that response.
Allow the child to think and reply.
It's like training through play.
This is how Dad and I talked.
It's kind of like your blank spaces
from earlier.
- Yes, I agree.
- You have to wait.
So you've been your father's muse
for all these books.
Komagata was mesmerized by his daughter Ai.
After attending her birth, he took an interest in the biological process of childbirth.
He came across a theory that labor pains are caused by hormones sent from the baby to its mother.
Inspired by the idea of a baby's initiative, he created another book.
Childbirth, from the baby's perspective.
At the end of the brightening tunnel is the umbilical cord -
the same one through which the baby sends chemical signals to its mother.
That's really amazing!
Your own experiences prompted you
to do research.
And all of that eventually
led to the creation of this book.
- That's right.
- Wonderful.
All of it comes back to her!
This kind of expression
isn't made, it's born.
In 2001, Komagata received a commission from the Pompidou Centre in Paris.
A picture book that sighted and non-sighted readers could enjoy together.
Open the folded pages...
to reveal surprising shapes!
The changing shapes can be felt, not just seen.
Picture books are all about
imagination and revelation.
A group of blind folks in Paris
helped me with these ideas.
It's not easy for sighted people
to focus on other senses.
It's so different with my eyes closed.
It's so soft.
An unusual texture.
They were delighted by the prototype.
They told me the paper was beautiful!
- Your focus group?
- Yes.
They meant that it felt beautiful.
Sighted people often
don't pay attention to these things.
It's easy to assume it'll be hard
to explain verbally or through touch.
But this does it perfectly.
- We fall prey to stereotypes.
- Exactly.
The focus group gave me such
wonderful feedback. I learned so much.
I have a bit of a confession to make.
I have a dream of one day
working with picture books.
But it's not as easy as it looks.
- You can do it.
- Really?
You have a big opportunity
coming with your own baby.
Spend time with them
and see what you can make.
- Let it take shape.
- It's the perfect environment.
I guess so.
I feel inspired now!
- I wish you all the best.
- Thank you very much.
One, two, three!
Picture books provide all kinds of experiences.
The tree grew into the morning sky.
Upside down, it's a lightning flash!
This book seems perfectly ordinary. But its pages hold a special experience.
"A moonlit night."
"The short span of time it takes for a little boy to reach his grandfather's home."
"Creatures move in the quiet dark."
Turn the page, and enjoy the careful attention to these brief moments.
The spelled-out sounds emphasize the quiet of the night.
Prick up your ears as you turn the page.
It's a design that appeals to the senses, stretching out the beauty of a single moment.
Now I find myself today in Kanagawa Prefecture at the port city of Yokosuka.
I'm meeting the internationally acclaimed picture book creator, Arai Ryoji.
He's presently holding a major exhibition at the museum right here.
Bright colors, brimming with energy.
A limitless, creative world.
These are the work of award-winning picture book author and artist Arai Ryoji.
He's produced over a hundred picture books.
He's also worked on paintings, music, and even directed art festivals.
A whole world of Arai Ryoji.
So many books!
A Sound of Taiyo-Organ
This is what I know Arai Ryoji for.
The little road for the elephant bus.
And the waiting rabbit.
I imagined the bunny and bus
talking to each other.
The imagination of the young, I guess.
I'm always blown away by his work.
Hello.
- Hi, it's great to see you again!
- Likewise, hello!
It's been twelve years!
What's this?
Drafts of my picture books. Blueprints.
They're actually pretty important.
Arai begins all his picture books by writing the text.
Once that is complete, he very rarely changes it.
With the text in place, he begins sketching pictures at the scale of the final book.
What are you holding?
- A pen.
- Why?
- I get restless without one.
- Interesting! You always have one?
Always.
I was just working on something.
- Still working?
- Coming here makes me want to draw.
The art is over here.
Oh wow!
They're all here.
- " A Sound of Taiyo-Organ".
- I saw it!
I love your coloring. It feels
childlike, like it was done by kids.
- I'm better!
- Than kids?
Kids can't do this.
"A Sound of Taiyo-Organ" is about an elephant bus journeying under the protective gaze of the sun.
Kids and adults react differently.
Even to things like color.
Little kids listen to
the words being read aloud.
Their eyes are focused on the art.
On the line and color.
I love watching them as they read.
Seeing how they absorb the
energy of those lines and colors.
Adults turn everything into words,
into information.
Kids react instinctively to their
senses. They're in the moment.
Picture book art can't be too perfect.
- Too perfect?
- I always keep something missing.
So it feels a little lonely.
I want to put a boat in this.
It'd be a good picture, but I mustn't.
Why not?
Because its absence has to drive you
to turn the page.
A perfect picture is a stop sign.
It can slow the reader down until
they stop moving forward.
- That's how you build the story.
- It's by design.
- Story design.
- Exactly.
I need to always remember
to leave space for the text.
That's not an issue with regular paintings.
That's one key difference between
illustration and painting.
Arai shows me another fascinating work.
The original images for "It's Morning So I'll Open the Window."
This story's main character is the morning.
Children greet its arrival from different places around the world.
For me, picture books are a window.
Open the cover to see a totally new world.
Maybe you read it lying down, it's
read to you, or you're sick in bed.
Everyone gets to open that window.
Your style is different here.
Some critics said the same.
That you could make mature art!
My style is not having a fixed style.
I don't like the rigidity.
I make the images to fit the text
and the text to fit the images.
That's very much the case with this book.
You're opening a window in the morning
to see what scenery awaits.
It's not about fast-moving lines.
I felt this style works for this book.
- And this is the result.
- Yes.
Next, Arai shows me his newest 'picture book.'
What a fun room!
It's an experiment.
A room-sized picture book.
A picture book in three dimensions.
Look at this incredible collection.
The room is inspired by a painting on the wall.
It's Arai's 2010 work,
"Children On The Run."
Children in various vehicles are all traveling to escape something.
Arai and some friends made 3D versions of the children out of recycled materials.
There are boats.
And a house.
Faceless children ride the collection of unique vehicles.
This one sports vintage photos found at an antique market.
There's no narrative to this 3D picture book.
Visitors must create their own.
That's like an instrument.
Maybe playing it drives the engine?
It reminds me of my own experiences
as a child.
I had my own world that I would escape to.
It feels like these kids are escaping
to protect their own worlds.
Do you give these characters identities?
Sometimes I do.
And even though the figures
are faceless, people give them emotions.
Oh, they don't have faces!
I left them a blank slate hoping
people would make their own stories.
Nothing is put into words, but maybe
they decide this kid doesn't seem sad.
They have that in their minds as
they look at the next figure.
It's a giant picture book.
Oh, I love this!
It's a piano.
- Communal housing, right?
- On the side, yes!
- With windows.
- So there are.
What a wild imagination.
"I" think it's communal housing.
Nobody else has to!
The whole room reflects the fact
that picture books rely on readers.
Yes, I feel like I'm walking around
inside a picture book.
A reminder that we're all still
kids inside. 'Don't forget!'
I think that's true, very true.
I'm partly telling that to myself as well.
We have plenty of years under our belt.
But there are still moments where
I instantly feel like a child again.
I feel everyone has moments like these
several times a day.
Picture books are not just a juvenile indulgence.
They're part of being a person.
There are invisible boundaries
all around us.
We can shake them off if we try.
We just need to realize we can.
It makes life much easier.
That makes a lot of sense.
- Thank you for today.
- Thank you!
Picture books reflect who we are.
And they help us expand our imaginations.