Today’s picture book was originally published in Switzerland!
Rebecca Gugger and Simon Röthlisberger were both born in Switzerland and live together in Thun near forests, mountains, and fresh air. Rebecca is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer who studied at the HKB (Bern University of the Arts) and likes to have her head in the clouds. Simon is a trained graphic designer currently working as an art director and has been known to hoist a sail or two. Every now and then the two work together as a team, wielding pen and pencil side by side. You can learn more about Rebecca at her website or follow her on Instagram, OR follow them both on their joint Instagram account.
A CHEST FULL OF WORDS is an incredibly creative look at the power of words. Oscar is delighted to find a chest, imagining the treasures it might hold, until he manages to open it and discovers it’s full of nothing but words. In disappointment, he throws them away, but the unexpected results have him rushing back for more. What will other words do? He slaps one on a tree and flings another at a birdhouse. He attacks beetles and dogs and backhoes with glee until he runs out of words and has to find more. The illustrations had me giggling AND agog at the interpretations of a variety of adjectives. While I’ve seen books that play with words in a fantastical way before, I’ve never seen anything that comes quite close to this magical interplay of text and imagery. It’s glorious, stupendous, phantasmagorical!
Welcome Rebecca and Simon!
Me: Can you share about your artistic journeys? When did each of you start creating art and/or picture books? How did that bring you to where you are now as the authors and illustrators of this book?
Rebecca & Simon: It all started in our childhoods–creativity has always been our daily companion. Our first joint picture book, Ida and the Flying Whale, was published in 2018, followed by The Mountain. A Chest Full of Words is now our third book! We love creating stories and bringing them to life with illustrations. With every project, we learned, grew, and discovered new ways to connect words and images. Now, with A Chest Full of Words, we continue this adventure–excited to create, explore, and share more stories to come!
Me: As an author and illustrator myself, I love this creative insight into words. It is such a fun exploration of both text and imagery. Where did the idea for this story come from?
Rebecca & Simon: This book was inspired by a friend, a teacher who teaches German as a second language. In our conversations, she shared her experiences and observations, often encountering children who struggle to name even the simplest everyday things. Imagine how empowering it would be for them to realize how “rich” they become with a broader vocabulary!
Me: I love that! Both of you are artists AND writers. Both of you have collaborated on books before this one. How does that work? Does one of you write a bit and the other illustrate a bit? Do you work side-by-side the whole process, or do you allow space for the other to create on their own?
Rebecca & Simon: Our collaboration is unconventional–we both write and illustrate together. Often, we sit side by side, exchanging ideas and developing the story and illustrations in parallel. But there are also times when each of us needs space to let ideas grow. Still, the heart of our process is working together; that’s where the true magic happens for us.
Me: What media do either of you use to illustrate? Is one of you a traditional artist and the other a digital artist? Or do you use a blend of both? What did you use for this book?
Rebecca & Simon: Our primary focus is definitely pen and paper–all the sketches and illustrations are created by hand first. Once the drawings are on paper, we scan them in. The coloring is a mix of hand-painted elements, enhanced with digital tools. For all of our books, we’ve used this approach. Rebecca is usually the one with the pen, while Simon brings the finishing touches to life with digital tools!
Me: As this is your third picture book collaboration, do you find the process of working together to create a story easier now? Are there always challenges for you in creating?
Rebecca & Simon: From the very beginning, our collaboration has worked wonderfully. However, with each new project, we continue to learn–whether it’s finding the best way to structure the pages or seamlessly combining text and illustrations. And of course, every book comes with its own unique challenges. For this project, one of the biggest was choosing which words to include from a long list of many great options. It wasn’t easy to decide! But it’s precisely these challenges that make the creative process exciting and dynamic.
Me: What is one thing that surprised either of you in creating this book?
Rebecca & Simon: What surprised us the most was the search for new words. Language is incredible –an endless treasure of nuances and meanings. We loved playing with words, combining them in creative ways, and discovering new expressions. Words hold so many possibilities!
Me: Any advice for other aspiring picture book writers and/or illustrators?
Rebecca & Simon: Write and illustrate stories that truly inspire and move you. When you’re passionate about your topic, others can feel that energy. Children see the world through a unique lens, one that’s often very different from an adult’s. Embrace their perspective, listen closely, and let their imagination fuel your creativity.
I love that! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today Rebecca and Simon.
Dear readers, this book was just published yesterday. You’re going to have to trust me on this one: this is a book you simply have to read to understand the many ways these creators are playing with text and imagery together at the same time. It really is a magnificent thing to behold and I would bet that young readers love to read this book repeatedly as they will discover new things on each read. You won’t want to miss it!