ROBERT KLANTEN

Children see the world with different eyes. Through illustrated stories in children''s books they learn about the world in which they live. The best picture books for children not only feature wonderful stories, but also tell them in a visually appealing way. Children are very critical readers who simply cast aside books they deem boring, overzealous, pedantic, or visually unimaginative. Thankfully, a rich selection of contemporary children''s books is currently available. They deal with quite sophisticated topics and feature cuttingedge images. Despite, or because of, the ubiquity of televisions and computers, children''s books have remained popular with kids and parents. These books have also not lost their appeal for illustrators and publishing houses--not least because a hit children''s book can serve as the lucrative basis for TV programs, video games, toys, or other merchandising. Little Big Books showcases the best examples of illustration for children''s books and documents current trends in their design. Reflecting a broad range of styles, methods, and materials, the images and concepts featured here provide an insightful overview of the most important aesthetic developments over the last several years. An introductory text puts the current work into the historical context of classic illustrated books for children. Little Big Books is a valuable resource for illustrators, publishing houses, parents, grandparents, and anyone who is looking for compelling illustrated children''s books beyond teddy bears and kitty cats.

The work and methods of illustrators from around the world reveal the scope of this creative discipline. In recent years, illustration has evolved from a purely service-oriented trade to an expressive, poetic, and esteemed voice in contemporary visual culture. Today it continues to burgeon as a creative discipline--especially in its more artistic forms. Editorial design increasingly uses illustration in place of photography because it depicts and enriches content in a way that offers an expanded dimension of communication. Illustrators Unlimited presents the work of cutting-edge illustration talents scouted from around the world. They are working independently from fleeting trends and represent the best of the virtually inexhaustible possibilities of styles and techniques that are practiced today. The book is structured according to the featured illustrators. Each one is introduced with a variety of representative examples of his or her work plus a text portrait written by James Gaddy, a former editor at Print magazine. Whether created by established names or fresh talents, the work collected here has been chosen solely for its artistic merit. The lavish images covering page after page and insightful accompanying texts make Illustrators Unlimited a comprehensive overview of contemporary illustration. The book is a definitive reference for clients looking to commission work, for agencies, and anyone else who is interested in this multifaceted creative medium.

Poetic spaces, surreal structures and dramatic visions. The extraordinary career of Ricardo Bofill is collected in this monograph, which reveals his inspiring approach to architecture, and to life.Ricardo Bofill is one of the 20th centurys most unique architects and radical visionaries. His visions for urban and communal life challenged preconceived notions of shared space and proposed alternative styles of living. This monograph explores his revolutionary approach by profiling his greatest projects like La Fabrica, Walden 7, La Muralla Roja or Abraxas. Spectacular new photography by Salva Lopez, texts by experts like Nacho Alegre and Douglas Murphy as well as by Bofill himself are complemented with sketches and floor plans. Bofills fantastic creations satisfy a longing for originality, personality and progressive ideals.

A modernist take on Mediterranean aesthetics, this new movement in interior design embraces sumptuous minimalism through warm, earthy tones, and natural materials. A welcoming, new, down-to-earth minimalism is gaining momentum in home interiors, from California to Morocco, Portugal to Mexico. This trend combines folkloric influences with a rustic aesthetic, taking cues from arid landscapes to embrace warmth, light, and organic elements. Striking, sun-kissed interiors are replete with greenery to bring the