This Christmas why not consider gifting the Puffin in Bloom Classics Collection – perfect for young readers! Including four beloved hardback classics, this collection is mesmerising and beautifully illustrated. Illustrator Anna Bond is on Instagram @annariflebond, where she shows the original artwork and the inspirations for them. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, then they are also sold separately, along with Bond’s edition of Alice in Wonderland that has over seventy illustrations!
Anna Bond is the co-founder and principal artist behind the global stationary brand Rifle Paper Co., as well as the illustrator behind the collection’s design. Anna was a freelance editor before the company was created in 2009, which now sells homeware and accessories on top of stationary. The Puffin in Bloom collection was published in 2015 as a keepsake box set – a perfect present for children who have never read classics before. Each illustrated cover has Anna’s recognisable bold colour palette and floral design, which brings to life the characters of each novel, and has a whimsical choice of flowers that are unique to each story. Each illustrated cover is incorporated from her gouache paintings – the perfect medium for a bold matte finish. Classics can seem daunting at first, but the charming creativity of each edition invites young readers to branch out their reading choices.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women was originally published in two volumes in 1868-9 and is a heartwarming coming of age novel. Anna Bond has chosen to depict the four March sisters on the front cover, as we explore each sister’s unique personality and life experiences from childhood to adult life. Most fitting is the array of bright green holly around their faces – a nod to the opening of the book since we are first introduced to the March sisters on Christmas day alongside harsh themes of illness and poverty. While Bond uses her signature colour palette in the bright leaves, the overall neutral tones of the girls’ clothes and the black background resonate with the struggles of the American Civil War. The gold foil lettering for the title reminds us this is a golden oldie and adds a special touch to this hardback edition.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables is a Canadian classic by Lucy Maud Montgomery, and this Puffin edition spares no expenses in exploring the rural landscape of the novel. Montgomery wrote the story at twilight while looking out at her rural community, Cavendish, which Bond illustrates in the vivid nature entwined on the sides of the cover. The central focus is main character Anne, isolated as an orphan and thrown into a new family. The feminine pinks and cursive lettering make this an inviting coming of age story for any teen. It’s important to note that all of these editions have detailed illustrated endpapers (including a place to write your name), like this one that highlights the farming environment.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Johanna Spyri’s well known Swiss classic Heidi is republished in vivid primary colours by Bond. Originally published in 1881, this children’s story follows the adventures of a young girl left in the care of her paternal grandfather – in the Alps! Heidi enjoys her life amongst the goats and the wildlife until she has to become a carer for a sickly girl down the mountain. Bond’s signature flowers compliment the Alps on the front cover, weaving round to the quote on the back for continuity. The bright yellow background compliments the other books in the collection, and the focus on abstract art will appeal to young readers. It’ll make a great addition to your bookshelf or coffee table!
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel, A Little Princess, was originally published in 1905 and is considered a classic piece of children’s literature. The cover captures the elaborate imagination of Sara Crewe, the novel’s protagonist, who entices all the other girls in the boarding school with her storytelling. The cover intertwines the novel’s most central characters with vivid illustration of vines and flowers. This combination demonstrates how her story telling flows from her childhood in India to her current friends in her British boarding school. Anna Bond has predominantly illustrated with pink to display femininity and has chosen a more abstract illustration style undertaken by many children’s book cover designers to demonstrate the importance of childhood in the novel. Furthermore, the warm background and festive green leaves make the cover perfect as a Christmas edition whilst maintaining key characters and themes in the novel. The novel is a heart-warming story about friendship and childhood imagination, and has remained a classic children’s novel for over a century. This edition would be a lovely, festive addition to any book lover’s collection.