Project Description

Picture books: “Il Commissario De Ghiris: alla ricerca degli ovetti perduti”

When Antonella Manganelli sent me this story set in autumn in the beautiful Hyde Park, I immediately felt it was perfect for me: autumn is my favourite season, and London is one of the cities I love the most.
I dove into researching references of the park’s most picturesque corners, discovering and rediscovering wonderful locations such as:

  • the Old Police House in Hyde Park, built in 1870 and still home to an operational police unit as well as the Royal Parks offices

  • the Serpentine Lake

  • the Serpentine Lido Café, with its distinctive retro architecture

In this charming setting, a lively cast of animals—those actually living in the park—becomes the protagonist of a gentle mystery for children, filled with warm and vibrant autumn colours.

I thoroughly enjoyed drawing the buildings (perhaps due to my background in architecture! 😊) and giving each animal its own personality and style: from Commissioner Dormouse to Officers Frog, Squirrel and Heron… all the way to poor Mother Swan, forgetful but loving.

For this book, originally commissioned privately and therefore without a publisher, I took care of the entire graphic project, including:

  • layout design

  • cover design

  • print management
    delivering a finished and ready-to-read product.

It was a long project, but also the realisation of a long-time dream for the author. And knowing that “a little piece of me” will end up in the hands of many children is truly heart-warming.

⭐ LATEST UPDATE — SEPTEMBER 2024

I’m thrilled to announce that the book has found a publisher!
“Il Commissario De Ghiris” is now published by Errekappa Edizioni and available in bookstores from September 2024. 🎉

If you’d like to explore the behind-the-scenes process of this project, have a look at the full article on my blog:
“Designing and Creating an Illustrated Children’s Book”

If you want to see more children’s books I’ve worked on: CHILDREN’S BOOKS – PORTFOLIO

If you like this project, also check the Children’s Illustration section of my portfolio.

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