Final Designs

These are the final concept designs I have come up with which represent all the ideas come together into one piece that children seem to like according to my surveys put out there.

Top Ten Foods To Forage

Top Ten Foods To Forage

I have looked at some of the best times to forage in the U.K. and ones of the best months to forage is september. This website is showing me what the top ten foods are to pick in britain for september.

This website also give you a little bit of information about each fruite and plants history, this is allowing me to understand why they are famous.They are mainly famous because they are easy to find and spot aswell as you are able to eat them.

http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/815671/top_10_foods_to_forage.html



 

Existing Books

These are some existing children’s books which I have looked at and found very helpful in what ideas have been given to me. Each of these designs is very different in their approaches, some with lots of colour and design compared to some with minimal design but with large affect. 

Getting inspiration from the minimal designed pieces has given me the idea of not having as much emphasis on over loading a child with information. 

Events For Foraging

Events For Foraging

This piece of research is based on what events that is around Britain which involves foraging. There are many over the country all year round and can be placed onto something extra in the book as I might be able to have information about them and give it to the parents.

These events are on specific days of the year every year, which is good but not the best way to encourage kids to go as they are not going to want to go there unless there is an incentive. So by designing something in the child’s book which might entice a child to some of these events, there will not be a point to advertising it.

I think this piece of research is useful but not to the extent I wanted as it might not help me in the long run as when the events are done they will still be in the book which isn’t going to work.

http://www.holidaychic.co.uk/short-breaks/2011/09/26/best-foraging-weekends-in-the-uk

Wayside Plants

Wayside Plants

This is a small article by Alys Fowler which is describing a few of her favourite choices of plants that you can find near the side of paths or larger bushes which you may sometimes miss and never think of. 

Her reasons for not forgetting these are written in her article and they are actually very persuasive. 

 I like the way that she is writing about the less known plants which are sometimes the best to forage for as they are not poisoners and are in abundance around Britain.

Below are just a few images which she has taken to show off the lands she is picking. Having this is a book about foraging I think is very important as if a child see an actual picture of what he/she isn’t/is meant to be picking then it will stick in there head and they will remember it. But if it’s a drawing they might not see the similarity.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/gardening/2011/08/foraging.shtml



   

Top Ten Foods

Top Ten Foods to Forage

This is an article written by Katy moses who is explaining what are the top ten foods to forage all year round and giving you reason why. 

Finding this was a huge step forward in my research as knowing what are they top food to forage in your town is something that a kid might want to know when reading a book.

These top ten are

1. Mushrooms
2. Wild Garlic
3. Elder
4. Seaweed
5. Dandelion
6. Nettles
7. Hawthorn
8. Berries
9. Nuts
10. Mallow

There is one difficulty with this piece of research and that’s the way it deals with foods which are found all over Britain. Looking at my Survey I have gathered information which says that I need to concentrate to one type of area. This is saying to make a book designed for the coast, forest, urban area and more. This will mean I could create activities for children to go away and do it in one area. 

There will also be a benefit as it I concentrate on one type of area I will be able to fit in mostly all the plant and bushes which grow there, instead of just doing 1-2. I can also place the 'what not to pick', in those area as I am concentrated on what to place in my book.

This website is giving good information on what the plants are used for when you have picked them but in an adult way. So I will need to change this so children will understand the information given to them information given to them.

http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/815671/top_10_foods_to_forage.html

Child's Interaction

Hands On

This is a widely used technique to get children to interact with a book in ways which would come natural to a growing child. There are many ways to do this like having crayons to colour in sections on a picture, using dots to dots to create images with an explanation. 

Designers do this so the child can interact with a book and make it fun for them so they are more likely to learn what they are looking at. 

The website I have chosen to get this point across is bumptybooks. This company creates books which gets kids involved in what they are read and learning. They mainly do early learning kids, so to the age ranges of 1-3. They have targeted there audience at that as they are a company which creates books which help kids to learn at a young age. 

I do like this as its getting children to interact with their learning so they can take it in easier. I might have to create an activity book when I come to designing my finals as this will get the children more interested in my book.

http://www.bumpybooks.com/whatis.php