The Beatrice Letters manuscript was, at first glance, simply a collection of correspondence. But an examination of its 13 letters revealed a complex plot, ripe with signature Lemony Snicket secrets, codes, and revelations, offering its designer boundless opportunities and a chance to add a new format to an established, successful series design. It also offered an important challenge: the design must lead the reader through the narrative as well as define the voices of multiple letter writers. Perceiving then decoding the different layers of meaning in the work is critical. On the cover, the word “Letters” is die-cut, offering one clue and revealing a second: file folders inside the book, also labeled “Letters.” From one folder, the reader takes a bound manuscript and begins to read, coming upon the next “letter” a few pages in—a punch-out letter of the alphabet. Twelve such letters form an anagram, yet another clue.

The reading experience needed to be tactile, to suggest the treasures of a long-forgotten trunk in a dusty old attic. Rare bookshops, antique shops and flea markets provided inspiration and authenticity.

“Ah, Lemony Snicket. This is a teaser to Book the Thirteenth but delightful all the same. Part mystery, part artist’s book for kids (of all ages). Fun and artfully done.”