Scholastic New Zealand Award
for Best Children’s Book 2022
Winner
Designer: Emily Joe
Title: My Cat Can See Ghosts
Publisher: Beatnik Publishing
Format: 290 x 205mm, 16pp, hardcover, section sewn, layflat binding. FSC paper.
Typography: The typography is all custom hand-drawn and typeset manually. The typography was all hand drawn in tandem with the illustrations, so that the final design feels totally integrated.
Judges’ comments My Cat Can See Ghosts is infectious. First to look at, the bright yellow cover is enticing and I’m immediately hypnotised and humoured by our main characters’ ghost eyes. Our cat activates on the end papers, giving us a taste of what’s to come.
The postures of a cat are captured – from the alert ears, the relaxed sleep to the clawed, outstretched limbs and prickly fur. Shadows and trails of ghost tails echo throughout the story.
The lettering is a character in itself! Getting larger as we read on. The hint of ghostly figures emerge from the shadows as the language gets bolder – zooms, skitters, charging, puffed! It sits nicely alongside the illustrations, bouncing off the cat’s animated form. We come to rest, as our cat has a quiet moment on the bed. Ghost chasing is over for another day.
The matte paper stock is nice to touch and suits the muted, mustard and blue tones.
There is an emotional quality throughout this book that captures the fluid and connected design.
