Who are Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin giving their book to this Christmas?

The designer and photographer couple on their 2018 highs and lows and who’ll be getting a great gift

If you’re looking for fresh perspectives in 2019, you might want to turn to Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin. Though they've found considerable success independently – Jason as a photographer, and Tamara as an illustrator and graphic designer – the married, American couple also work well in a team, creating beautiful, thought provoking board books that engage young minds, and also delight older ones.

Their new one, A Pile of Leaves, encourages kids to dig through a colourful load of foliage, in a collage-inspired book with see-through pages. Read on to find out what got them thinking this year, and who they plan to give their new book to this Christmas

A Pile of Leaves

What inspired you most this year? Jason: Traveling to some places that had previously been off my radar - Latvia, Lithuania, Sardegna and Nepal - and meeting good people there. Tamara: The Parkland students' activism after the high school shooting and a video of Lucinda Childs performing Geranium - seen in the MoMA show, Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done.

What annoyed you most? Jason and Tamara: Politics

A Pile of Leaves

What was your personal highlight? Jason: Books — in addition to the new Phaidon titles, two books of my photographs were published: Clayton’s Ascent and The Medium is a Mess, and I edited the latest edition of Der Greif magazine. Tamara: The paperback release of my book, Arbitrary Stupid Goal.

What can we expect from you in 2019? Jason: More books, more photographs, and some teaching in various countries. Tamara: I’ll be helping my brother Zack and sister Melinda relocate our family restaurant Shopsins to Essex Crossing when Essex Street Market moves. Everything else is unknown.

A Pile of Leaves

To buy a copy of Tamara and Jason’s book, A Pile of Leaves go here.

A Pile of LeavesTamara Shopsin and Jason Fulford

Price AUD$24.95 Price CAD$24.95 Price £12.95 Price USD$18.95 Price T18.95

Dig through the leaf pile in this collage-inspired book with see-through pages

Readers explore the concept of layering and collage with this interactive exercise in composition. Each clear acetate page features a single element in the leaf pile, though some are not leaves at all! As readers turn the pages, the leaf pile is deconstructed piece by piece on the right side, and reconstructed on the left. Younger readers will enjoy the seek-and-find aspect of the hidden objects, while older readers might experiment by adding their own images between the pages. A key at the back provides the names of each kind of leaf shown. Inspired by the Whitney Museum's approach to looking at art, these books provide a new way to look at the world.

Colors are brighter than they appear - printed in pure Pantones.

Ages 2-4

Specifications:

Format: Board Book
Size: 191 × 191 mm (7 1/2 × 7 1/2 in)
Pages: 24 pp
Illustrations: 22 illustrations
ISBN: 9780714877204

Jason Fulford is a photographer, graphic designer, and cofounder of the nonprofit J&L Books. He is a contributing editor at Blind Spot and a frequent lecturer at universities. His monographs include Sunbird, Crushed, Raising Frogs for $$$, The Mushroom Collector and Hotel Oracle. He lives with his wife, Tamara Shopsin, in New York.

Tamara Shopsin is a graphic designer and illustrator whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Good, Time, The New Yorker, Wired and Newsweek. She is the author of several books including Mumbai New York Scranton: A Memoir and Arbitrary Stupid Goal, as well as the designer of 5 Year Diary. She is also a cook at her family's restaurant, Shopsin's, in New York.

"I'm not much of a fan of wordless picture books. A Pile of Leaves is an exception... My kids and I paged through the book once, silently. Then we started over and talked through it, discussing leaves and piles and missing objects. 'It's like digging through a toy basket for a missing piece', my son said."—The New York Times

"Say hello to the coming season with this beautiful new book... With stunning autumnal elements... Inviting young readers to dig through leaves of all shapes and sized to uncover surprises beneath."—Baby Magazine

"The striking design engages tactile and visual senses while inviting readers to observe colors, compare shapes, and learn new vocabulary."—Publishers Weekly

"Rising Board Book Superstars... Fulford & Shopsin have been producing consistently inventive books in that field... With bold striking colors and [an] infinitely cool design, I can't think of a better autumnal title to kick off today's list."—School Library Journal Online

"Fantastic and fascinating for pre-readers, this clever collage book features see-through acetate pages to create, quite literally, a pile of leaves. Delve through the layers to discover the creepy crawlies hiding underneath."—Absolutely Mama

"A lovely way to introduce young children to the art of collage."—5 Minutes for Mom

"Playfully designed to invite young readers to dig through a pile of laves and uncover the surprises throughout. The clever design also presents the opportunity for children to add their own images between the book's clear pages."—City Kids

"This clever book of collage features see-through acetate pages with beautiful autumnal elements, playfully designed... Young readers will enjoy the seek-and-find aspect... The clever design also presents the opportunity for children to add their own images between the book's clear pages."—Just imagine

"An interesting book that will get children excited about fall."—Imagination Soup

"Innovative, modern and incredibly fun."—Kids' Home Library

"If you love the countryside in autumn, and want to share woodland walks and nature with your little ones, you'll love this new book for pre-schoolers."—Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays

"What a wonderful way to invite children to explore not just this book, but also the world around them, where so many simple treasures hide in plain sight... This book is its own little work of art."—Kirkus Reviews - Starred review

"This board book is one that feels extra special the moment you open it... It's one of those books that makes you think "I can't believe no one has thought of this before!"—Book Nerd Mommy blog

"A sophisticated reprise of the old kindergarten activity of sealing fallen leaves between sheets of transparent wax paper... Turning the pages has the effect of emptying one pile (which, like a real leaf pile, includes the odd insect and lost mitten) and creating a new one."—The Wall Street Journal

"This innovative wordless book, created in partnership with the Whitney Museum of American Art, uses see-through pages to create a collage of beautifully coloured leaves... A clever idea that sparks conversation and encourages curiosity."—BooksWithBaby.com

"Published in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art, this book is its own little work of art."—Kirkus Reviews

"Just right for fall reading either one-on-one or with a small group, this board book offers a unique experience... Clever and a delight to explore, this board book is like breathing crisp fall air in book form."—Waking Brain Cell