Paper engineers are amazing! They can transform normal looking pages into work of engineering marvels. From popups to moving mechanics, these artists create wonderful interactive pages that are perfect for children to engage in. I knew it was critical to find an artist who also has experience creating popup books and other paper-engineered projects.

Andreea, our illustrator and paper-engineer, fulfilled this role in flying colors. Here is in-depth look at some of the mechanics of Pip Heartwood and the Trials of Compassion, from conception to creation.

I wanted a page where the child can use the “reward” he or she has obtained from the previous page (based on the decision they made). If they had made the compassionate choice, they will be use the reward from that decision to unlock the correct path forward. On this spread, if the child has the “rock” from making the compassionate decision to help the old man, he or she can put it into the corresponding slot and spin the wheel it’s attached to, which will cause the dragon to fall off the cliff.

We worked out a few mechanics and prototypes. Being in different countries, we have to work through this process via emails and video attachments.

Here is her final design.