Page 1: 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, which 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 will produce a double-page spread featuring handcrafted cut-outs of animal feet, which will be scanned to create the final art (e.g., an elephant in high heels, a bird’s claw in flip-flops, a human foot in colourful socks), showcasing a variety of hooves, claws, paws, and webbed feet. Children can play a guessing game by identifying the animals by their feet. They can also be inspired to design their own theatrical shoe or sock designs. This page dismantles "othering" by placing humans as just one species among many, instantly challenging our position as the default. It employs playful absurdity—similar to the previous page—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 instead of fear.​
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Welcome to the project, Ivey. Your playful creativity is exactly what this page needs. Delighted to be collaborating with you. 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.’