33-35_Books to Cards.qxp_Grid 03/12/2025 12:31 Page 2
TAKE THREE: BOOKS TO CARDS
THE PLOT THiCKENS Inset: Some great stories of book illustrators/authors are also turning their talents to greeting cards.
Just as the UK leads the world in greeting card design, so too are our nation’s book illustrators held in very high global esteem. Put the two together and you have a winning story to tell. PG got chapter and verse from Catherine Rayner, Janet King-Chai and Emma Randall about how their illustrations have jumped from book pages onto greeting cards.
EARNiNG HER SPOTS Sharon King-Chai is on a publishing roll. She has won the Kate Greenaway Shadower’s Choice Award (voted for by children) for Starbird the most recent picture book that she wrote and illustrated, has an Academy of British Cover Design award, is currently working on her fourth book with Julia Donaldson, on the back of their previous books having received international recognition while her card publishing business is also in expansion mode. Bookish origins: “When I first moved to
London from Australia, I started as a designer at a book publisher. I wanted to illustrate more, so I left to do album covers at Stylorouge (a design studio famed for collaborations with Blur, David Bowie, Rolling Stones and The Cure among others), but as music went digital, I returned to books. Surrounded by editors and art directors, I became drawn to creating my
Above: Sharon King-Chai (right) with Julia Donaldson at a signing of their Colours Colours Everywhere book.
own project. One sleepless night, an idea struck - a ladybird with no spots. That tiny spark became my first published book, Lucy Ladybird.” Move into greeting cards: “After having
my first daughter, I wanted a maternity project. I’ve always loved cards as they’re standalone pieces of artwork. With my time divided into tiny chunks (around nappy changes, feeding and naps!), designing cards in those little time windows felt manageable. I started selling to shops, but when I returned from maternity leave books took over again. Now, with two girls at two different schools, I left my design job to focus on card publishing properly.” Similarities and differences: “I love thinking about the product as a whole - front, back, and everything in between. Books have extra surfaces to play with: back covers, endpapers, even hidden images under the jacket. With cards, I enjoy designing the back as much as the front. Eg - for my Retro Rad card range based on rectangular objects - I use both sides to emulate the object itself.” Your greeting card next chapter: “I’m expanding my Vinyl card collection with new
Above: One of the card designs in Sharon’s Retro Rad collection. Left: Some of the cards in Sharon’s Holofoil collection.
fluorescent colours and fresh designs. I’m also developing die-cut cards and holofoil editions expanding my best-selling ranges. I also currently licence some of my designs to Woodmansterne for John Lewis.” On the bookish horizon: “I’m currently working on the tenth and final book in my Mirror Magic board book series. Five titles were published this year and the remaining five will come out next year. I’ve been invited to the Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai to perform sensory storytelling sessions for babies (based on the Mirror Magic series) - and running art workshops.” Book choice: “The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base is an Australian picture book classic from the 1980s. It’s not just a story, it’s a riddle filled with hidden details and clever clues. The world is so rich that I could spend an entire day exploring it as a child, completely immersed in one picture book.” PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE 33