Clara was a celebrated rhinoceros who lived in the 1740s and toured Europe as an attraction. This book tells about her life in the form of a scrapbook/travel journal told from the viewpoint of her owner, a Dutch sea captain. Clara inspired artists wherever she visited, so the actual paintings, sculptures, medals, posters, beaded tapestry and clock are collaged in and reproduced with the main illustrations. The illustrator used two styles: flat line with texture and watercolor; texts are handwritten and typeset. This added to the variety of visual styles and enhanced the scrapbook feel of the overall book. The author was very helpful in the design process as we took the manuscript and broke it down into the sequence of spreads. She came back with details that could be incorporated into the scenes to give them additional humor. This project was a collaboration not only with the author but also with the illustrator, staff editor, print production coordinator and staff designer. 

An appealing, accessible story integrating various media.