A Parisian Adventure
[cont’d]
While I was waiting my turn with Arnaud and Camille, the signer next to them, Bernard Duisit, had a display of books I recognized: The Little Prince Deluxe Pop-up Book, 10 Little Penguins, andBorn in Dystopia (a door-stop of an exhibit catalog). It was my loss that I hadn’t matched Duisit’s name with my book list and brought them along. Duisit, young and efficient, was signing a stack of his books including the pop-up of the new Louis Vuitton Museum designed by Frank Gehry. (Again, our tight schedule never allowed us to get to the Museum in the Bois de Boulogne.) The paper engineering of his series for young children published by Helium have spot-on movables. He spoke no English, and I was unable to find out more about him.
I skipped over Philippe Huger [UG] because of his very, very long line and because I was so anxious to sit and talk with Anouck Boisrobert and Louis Riguad of Popville fame. Both were very young—everyone was younger than Harold and I!—and diligently drawing in the books presented to them. Since Popville and Wake up Sloth! were Meggendorfer Prize candidates, I wanted to learn how they came upon their unique formats.
Louis, whose English was quite good, was the first I met. He explained that he and Anouck were classmates.
For their senior project, they stumbled around looking for a medium and a subject. Someone suggested they investigate pop-up books about which, he admitted, he knew nothing. They were able to meet paper engineers who showed them the basics.
Louis told me he and Anouck collaborated 100% on this book and got very high marks for their project. As they’ve continued to work, Anouck does more of the illustrations, while Louis works on the pop-ups. He still sees their books as total collaboration.Interestingly, Wake Up Sloth! began with the movables and without illustrations. The text was adapted to the pop-ups. It was only then, he said, “that the pop-ups took on a life.”
While we talked, Louis fastidiously drew elaborate drawings and colorful decorations in each of my books using fine-pointed color markers. When done signing, he passed them to Anouck who added her signature. Wanting some drawings by Anouck, they seamlessly switched over. Her English was less polished, and I was unable to continue my conversation with them.
The team’s inventiveness in telling a story has continued with Océano. Building on their environmental themes, the pop-ups simultaneously show the ocean vessels and small islands above AND the giant whales, coral reefs, and schools of fishes below. The reader truly experiences the beauty of the water. It’s cautionary that there is much junk on the ocean floor.
