World of Worm. Shapes

Esther van den Berg (1982) studied illustration at the art academy in Kampen, where she also grew up. At the academy, she liked to stand with her fingers in the black ink of one of the printing presses. After a good turn, etchings, linocuts, and monotypes appeared on the other side of the printing press.After her graduation she left for the Randstad and worked as a designer. Only eight years after her graduation it started to itch again; she had to start drawing again! Under the name PUIKEPRENT, she tried new things as an illustrator.Nowadays Esther largely makes her illustrations digitally. Because of her artisanal education, she is always looking for the right texture and a hand-painted feeling. Her prints are atmospheric, with an eye for detail, often with a wink.

"“Time for morning gymnastics. That’s how Worm stays in good shape.” Emerging from beneath a book, a pink earthworm with a large round eyeball guides readers on a daylong shape-spotting excursion. To introduce each form, the flexible invertebrate contorts itself, twisting into a circle, square, triangle, heart, and bedtime-suitable star, while everyday examples of the shapes feature on the facing page (a sun and fried egg depict circles; dice and hopscotch represent squares, and so on). Associated queries prompt engagement (“All of these hearts are found in nature. Which do you like best?”), and a light seek-and-find effect emphasizing the shape in question enlivens jaunty scenes (a whale with a heart-shaped tail spouts cordiform spray). More workbook than story, this translation from the Dutch offers a bright-eyed view of geometric forms." - Publishers Weekly