Ede Goes Out! book project

I suddenly decided sometime in the beginning of November 2010 that it would be mindbogglingly awesome to create a children's book as a x-mas present for my niece. The following month and a half was a frantic tornado of creating, painting, engineering, printing and constructing. I must have been out of my mind to think of doing such a thing.

I present to you: Ede Goes Out

The cover of the 7x7 inch pop-up/activity book is screen printed on muslin fabric. The character in the yellow represents my niece, Ede. She is the protagonist of this journey story through imagination.

In regards to the image on the cover: No, that isn't a rat. She is ridding about on one of the Australian possums because they are so much more handsome than the American kind. And Ede lives in Australia. It makes sense to me. Does it make sense to you?

The interior papers inside the front and back covers are a somewhat skewed artistic representation of Australia and America. There is a subplot in the papers. The armadillos are making a mass migration to the land down under. They must navigate various horrors in the deep oceans to get there. Including: sea serpents, whirlpools, giant whales, and wandering reefs.

Whoops. I forgot about a title page! I'll be sure to include one of those in version 2.0 of the book, but otherwise the story begins when Ede goes outside to the Deck. She collects some lovely flowers. Can you see that fish back there?

There is a turning wheel and a opening flap where all the flowers are laid out to be counted.

Fish revels himself! Ede and Fish have a conversation. The grass turns into water where fish is because all fish need water, correct?



Fish is actually extremely fuzzy and likes to be caressed.












Some blackbirds come along and want to join the party. They decide that Fish is lame and take Ede elsewhere.



Pull the white tab and the blackbirds wings flap!











The Blackbirds deposit Ede at a Tea Party! Any resemblance to other more well known kangaroos and pigs is just a coincidence. Really.



Little Kangaroo can go in and out of Mamma's suede pouch, though he is still attached to his parent with a red string umbilical cord. Blackbirds are all impressed with the fancy tea.











Ede heads around the bushes after she's done with tea and finds a window with some pies cooling on the sill. Beware! Those pies are being carefully watched.



Pull the white tab to reveal the masked rabbit behind the blinds. There is also a piece that can be pulled out of the pie. Looks like cherry or perhaps rhubarb.




Ede takes the prized slice of pie away to relish it. Then along comes a Tiger who is also interested in said prize.



Don't all tigers have fuzzy noses? Also, there is a flap which reveals what previous prizes that Tiger has eaten.




Ede moves along to visit a family of Talkative Lizards. Tiger is still lurking about evidenced by the striped tail in the brush.



Turn the wheel to reveal what Lizard has to say: Walkabout? - Meow - CAW! - bugs - howdy - ssssss - &@#*! - bonjour - ROAR!


Next, Ede witnesses an alien Spaceship Capsule float down by parachute. Of course, no adventure is complete without bizarre spaceship appearances!



Open the door of the Spaceship Capsule and see the Magenta Space Cat. Pull the white tab and see Magenta Space Cat dance.


Ede and Magenta Space Cat journey along a mysterious cobblestone wall until they come to a door with a key. Ede then decides to open the locked door.


Pop out monkey!


Inside the garden there are a couple of unicorns. Ede takes a break and feeds them. Monkey hangs out and Blackbirds make another appearance.



The unicorns are fuzzy as well. Though they are a different texture than Tiger's nose and Fuzzy Fish.


Further into the Garden, Ede finds a village of tiny mud houses.



Pull up on the chimneys to reveal slices of life of the gnomes living therein.




On the other side of the Garden and Gnome Village there is a Hen Yard. Ede, Rooster and some Gnomes suspect something about one certain chicken.



Turns out that one of the Chickens was really a Fox in chicken's clothing. Close call.


At Journey's End, Ede and some mysterious people relax with a little acoustic guitar music and dancing.



Pull the white tab to move the arm to strum the guitar strings. Open the flap to reveal Ede taking a nap after having some many exciting adventures.




Here is the inside paper on the back cover. The armadillos are certainly enterprising. There is a hurricane on the way and for some reason the armadillos in the Gulf of Mexico are all covered in a black substance.