UNIQLO//GROTESK
SHUFFLEART
HOTEL FOX
Chris and I spoke and decided that we wanted to sue a Japanese book bind to create our children's book. The reasons for this were the fact that the book would be large and robust, we could fit quite a few pages in it, and if the book were manufactured properly then it will look very professional. Below I have been looking at a variety of different ways of binding the books and different front covers.
-- I think these books are beautifully done. The materials they use for the covers is magnificent, it gives not only a textured look but when you hold the book it makes it feel more personal then just a plain cover. I really like the thick use of ribbon used as the binder, again instead of hiding the binding it makes it part of the cover, so it all works together. 
-- I really love the covers for these books, they make them look so old school. It makes a nice change from just using a dust cover, the only problem is this is more for an adult then a child, as they wouldn't be able to get into the buckles easily, and they will be quite heavy. Having said that I will try and make one of these one day, just to see how easy they are..or not as the case may be.
-- This is a normal bind with a twist, the artist here has clearly decided to use a different pattern instead of the basic in and out and across. I actually prefer this bind, the only problem i can see is that it may bind the book very tight, which we don;t want to do. I really love the symmetry that you can get when using a Japanese bind, it makes the book look so professional and slick. 
-- Again this is a variety of different Japanese bound books, but using a variety of different binding techniques. I really like the thick ribbon used, it adds a lovely texture to the books and gives them that extra visual. Each bind is individual and I think it is important to spend time on picking the right bind because they play such a key part to the book.
It is important for Chris and I to look at what illustrators produce when creating a book for children. Especially for young ages. The books need to be robust and weather well, as kids love to put things in their mouths and chuck them around. Chris and I already have ideas for what we want to do for the book, from the workshops we had previously done in book binding. However I thought I should research the sizes of children's books that are out today. For a previous project i had already looked at children's books and the pop-up capabilities and that was all primary research, so this time i was looking at secondary research. (All previous posts are on DC too).
-- All of these books that i have looked at are very bright and vibrant, with large and colourful illustrations plastered across the front. These are clearly there to entice the child into reading the book, generally when children go for a book they will go to the most eye catching. Each book is bound with cardboard, this makes them substantial enough to be thrown around, chewed and generally ripped. This is something Chris and I will have to bear in mind.
