Page 2: They also have toes.
Artist: Ivey Shoemaker
Page description and purpose: The second page offers a chance to introduce more beings and species into the story and to include us humans, who most readers will be. I chose Ivey because her animal costume designs are spectacular, and her surname aligns so well with the page. For this page, Ivey has created handcrafted cutouts of animal feet, which were scanned to create the final art. This page dismantles "othering" by placing humans as just one species among many, instantly challenging our position as the default. It employs playful absurdity to reveal that our judgments of "normal" are arbitrary and often ridiculous. By focusing on a shared, functional trait (feet) and inviting interactive discovery and playful theatrical creation, it fosters curiosity and a sense of equality between us and other animals. I love the handmade, unpolished feel of this page — it's fun and natural and can inspire readers to design their own theatrical shoe or sock design. You can also play a guessing game with younger children to identify the animals by their feet.
Welcome to the project, Ivey. Your playful creativity is perfect for the second page, and thank you for including Modigliano's little turtle feet. Rose
Ivey Shoemaker is a costume designer and maker from Houston, Texas and is delighted to be part of this collaborative project and have the opportunity to step into the world of illustration, a pathway she has always been interested in. Graduating from Wimbledon College of Arts, she currently works as a trainee stitcher and has shown particular interest in creature design, her work including a ‘Czech Chicken’ and a ‘Louisiana Swamp Monster.’
