RILLA ALEXANDER
First and foremost, Rilla inspires me because the level of quality she brings to all of her work is incredibly high. Mostly though I am inspired by how her work appears to already be classic, which seems like an almost impossible feat to achieve while you are still in the prime of your career!

Her Idea
I love this book because it seems to be executed with such laser focus—it’s staggering! I love how simple and classic the story is, and I love that although it feels classic, it also feels brand new.

Absolut Visions
This illustration pops, and it is truly bold—it’s fantastic! It nods to mid-century design, but it doesn’t replicate it, and it also seems to be completely contemporary at the same time.

Rilla Alexander is inspired by …

CHRIS HAUGHTON
Chris is a master of seemingly effortless simplicity. His picture books demand to be read over and over, and his illustrations are vibrant, energetic and packed with emotion. I am not just inspired by what he does and how he does it, but who he does it for and why.

Oh No, George
This picture book is the follow up to Chris’s first book,  A Bit Lost. Both stories are circular and lead you on an endless loop. George is a cake-eating, cat-chasing, digging dog with a conscience—but not much discipline! I have a dog who once ate an entire cake, so I could love this book for that reason alone…except that there are so many other reasons to love it. Just look at those intense colors and those graphic compositions!

Rugs Made by Node
Before Chris started making books, he did a lot of work for fair trade groups and spent time in Nepal working directly with the people crafting products there. Together they are now making gorgeous handmade toys based on the characters from his books. You should see the George toy that is filled with masses of rice.

Chris is also making high quality rugs from his (and other people’s) designs. In a world of mass production and digitally printed products, it is inspiring that he is producing beautiful things that are meant to be loved and to last—made by talented people who benefit directly from the commission.

Chris Haughton is inspired by …

BEATRICE ALEMAGNA
I first came across Beatrice’s books in a bookshop in Bologna during the Children’s Book fair. The bookstores in France and Italy are very inspiring to me. There are so many beautiful books and artwork not be published in the UK or Ireland. Beatrice’s books were the most inspiring of all of them. Her drawings are some of the most expressive I have seen, and her books are beautiful objects with very personal themes and stories.

Un Lion á Paris
This is the story of a lion that is bored of life in the Jungle and decides to go to Paris. He takes a train and arrives without a suitcase at the main station. He meets many of the Parisian landmarks, but he settles in la place Denfert-Rochereau, because that is where he feels happiest. The story is also semi-autobiographical, as Beatrice herself moved to Paris from Bologna.

Jo Singe Garçon
This is about a boy who decides he would rather be a monkey than a human, so he runs away from home and lives with the monkeys in the zoo. Life with the monkeys is not exactly as he imagined it to be, and so he eventually returns. These are some of the best monkey drawings I have ever seen, and it’s a very sweet story.

Tune in next week to see who else inspires Chris Haughton.

Take a look at the complete chain any time.

Emily Potts has been a contributor to Felt & Wire since 2010, reporting on design news, new books and people she loves. Her day job is senior acquisitions editor at Rockport Publishers.