Little Otsu sent over the first four volumes from their newest series Living Things and I’m smitten. In each mini-book, an artist explores a different theme centered around the loose idea of “living things”. Lizzy Stewart, Vol 1, filled her pages with intricately drawn animals and called it “A Guide to Eastern European Wildlife.” Jo Dery, Vol 2, explains in a painterly comic form how some animals use pheromones. Hannah Waldron focused on urban life for her book, Vol 3. Using watercolor and collage she made a series of vibrating patterns and little scenes. And, possibly my favorite of the bunch, Lilli Carre created a series about shadows. In her clever illustrations, the shadows that get cast are quite amusing, taking on lives of their own. Since I loved this little series so much I’ve included a bunch of images from each of the books below. You can pick up the whole set for only $23.00! And individual copies for only $6.95.

© Julia Rothman 2007