35 CHRONICLE BOOKS
When you’re working with an illustrator as renowned as Istvan Banyai, the biggest design challenge becomes honoring his work and creative vision. His children’s book The Other Side explores the notion that everything has two perspectives—from either side of a stage curtain to the view from the inside and outside of a given window.

“This is a concept that brings us together beyond language,” says Sara Gillingham, design director of the Children’s department at Chronicle Books. “With someone who has his skills, I just wanted to see the artwork take center stage.” The Chronicle team thought of the book as an object throughout the design process, with Banyai sending miniature mock-ups to Gillingham. This allowed them to experience flipping the pages, and in the final design, this simple act often introduces you to an opposing perspective. At its heart, this children’s book is about wonder and discovery —a concept reinforced with thoughtful design details. The back of the dust jacket, for instance, is printed with the flip side of the front. As Banyai explains it, “We are locked into one location at one place in time in the world physically. [If] you want to see more, you have to move—or just turn the page.” by Michelle Taute