It just keeps getting better

I know I sound like I'm pushing our own barrow a bit at the moment. But it's been a really amazing week and really as a Book Designer, things just don't get much better than this.

There's the two shortlisted titles in the PANZ Book Design Awards and now I've just read the Booksellers Bestsellers List for 01/05/2010 and we've designed 3 books of the 10 books listed in this weeks top sellers.

Go Wonky Donkey, Friends of Snake and Lizard and the redesigned Little Yellow Digger.

TWICE shortlisted for the PANZ Book Design awards

Oh it's so exciting ... Anita has made the shortlist with her fantastic design for Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith and illustrations by Katz Cowley, published by Scholastic. This is an example where good design is subtle and doesn't always get noticed. She spent hours putting in textured backgrounds behind Katz's wonderful drawings to capture the country/earthy feel. With emphasis on the right words within the text it all helps this story to romp along to the beat.

Peter was the designer for our second title.  Year 9 Graphics - A course of work by Paul Bourdot. Published by Nelson Cengage Learning and New House. It's in the educational section where we gained a High Commended Award last year for Excellence in Biology III (also published by Cengage). The colours in this title are very non-intrusive and the pencil character is from Peter's own hand - the A5 booklet ties in nicely with the A3 worksheet pad. Plus there's an interactive CD.

We're busily ordering the other shortlisted books from the library at the moment as this is such a win-win situation. It's great to sit down and appreciate other well designed books and to see other designers work. All the best to everyone shortlisted.

So now we get to sit tight and wait to see what happens at the awards ceremony in Auckland on the 22 July. 

You can check out more about the awards at http://bpanz.org.nz/?p=334