Bog map

I tried to find a map of the trails in Burns Bog online. I thought there had to be one somewhere! But I found nothing.

Then today, when I went into the bog and found this map posting ten feet high on a tree at the entrance of one of the trails. It's not very clear or readable, but it's what I was looking for. I also appreciated the drawing of the crane. I don't know how accurate the map is... But I did notice that the tractor is drawn on it. I wonder why there's a skull and cross bones near the tractor?? Maybe that's where they found the criminal who stole the tractor's mummified body?

Kids books

I went to the kids section of Chapters and looked around. There are some cool books out there! A lot of them use really fancy printing techniques that I don't have the budget for - like sparkly bits, pop up elements (although I could do that if I wanted to...), glow in the dark stuff, dye cuts, dolls, puzzles, etc. But some are lacking good storytelling, which I feel is very important. Especially as a bedtime story, it needs to have a great story not just fun little sparkly things to play with.

The books that I loved were the ones I remember from my childhood like Dr Seuss, Fairy tales (even the Disney ones are good), Shel Silverstein, Robert Munsch and Roald Dahl. I noticed that the illustrations for Dr Seuss and Shel Silverstein are very simple (lots of white space) but fanciful and fun. I think that's the direction I want to go in (with a little bit of the Gothic fantasy woven into it). I didn't notice any books about the environment, but I'll have to look a bit more to find it...

More research, etc

So I've finished the story and now I'm working out the illustrations, in pencil for now. Then I'm going to buy some heavy paper and do the final illustrations in ink and paint. First though, I felt like I needed a bit more visual research.

I found some pictures of voles, mushrooms, hawks and great sandhill cranes. I sketched them a bit and created the different scenes in the story. There were a few things missing, like detailed images of specific points in the bog. Since I want kids to actually go to the bog and experience the places in the book, it has to be specific.

So that's what I did today. I went back to the bog and took pictures of the tractor stuck out of the mud and other areas. As I was walking, I realized that instead of placing markers into the bog myself, I could use something that is already there - the benches that line the boardwalk throughout the trails. I'm still thinking it through, but why don't I use the benches as "benchmarks" (hah) for the story. In the map I want to create, I could show the places of all of the benches, colour code them, maybe paint the benches or a part of the benches and have kids stop at each one to observe something or do something.

I feel like my idea for kids to go to the bog and experience it is why my project is unique, but I can't forget to put time into the story and book, or else it will fall flat. That's why, although I'd love to start working on the map and the markers, etc. I feel the need to finish the book and illustrations first. I hope that that's ok at this stage. (The markers are there to support the book. The book isn't there to support the markers.)

Story explanation

My story is about Leon the vole and Rudge the mushroom. Leon is running from a hawk when we meet him. His home has been turned into a human landfill and he's all alone. He doesn't have a family. He reached Burns Bog and meets Rudge, who is a mushroom living in a small group of mushrooms just under the boardwalk. Rudge wants some adventure and he has knowledge of the bog that Leon doesn't have.

When the hawk attacks, Leon hides in the mushrooms, and Rudge gets uprooted. This gives him the excuse (after the hawk has given up) to go with Leon to the centre of the bog, (ahem) I mean to find the other voles and a new safe place for Leon to live. All of the bog animals are going to the centre of the bog (which is an otherworldly place. It's very unique.) to see the Great Sandhill Crane, who only nests there once a year. When he arrives, he grants one wish. Rudge really wants the ability to go anywhere he wants, so he wants "feet."

Rudge and Leon become friends, so Rudge tells him about the Great Sandhill Crane and Leon thinks he'll ask for a home or a family. What they will both find out is that they don't need wishes to get what they want.

The hawk will appear later on to attack them again. There is an urgency to the story about when the crane will arrive. And farther and farther they go, the more animals will appear to them, some helpful and some not. They will make it to the centre and the Great Sandhill Crane will appear.

With the story, there's the idea of safety and home vs adventure. Kids would understand this. Most children are protected by their parents and live in isolated neighbourhoods, but they appreciate adventure and fun in fantasy stories. I chose to do a story about animals and plants because 1. I want kids to learn more about these two things. 2. They personify humans very well, but they don't have the restrictions that humans do, like conventional lives with families, parents, school etc. I didn't want to write a story about a kid in the bog, all alone, making friends with birds and things because the thought of someone alone and lost in the bog is a bit too terrifying. 3. Different animals and plants have their own personalities that are easily identified.

The characters and story comes from other sources that are swirling in my head. A little bit of Narnia, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, the Secret Garden, every Disney movie, Watership Down, etc. I don't want to be too cliche, but I know that good stories have similar topics and motifs. The idea of someone without a home, the outcast. The idea of friendship and family. The idea of making your dreams come true and getting the thing you want the most, whatever that is. Learning about survival. Learning about danger and the world around you.

And it all comes down to nature and how the world is full of interesting plants and animals that we need to appreciate and help. Also, that these things aren't far away. They are right in your back yard (Burns Bog is just one example).

First bit of story, unedited

What is this vole running from?
He seems scared.
Head for the trees buddy!
You'll be safe in Burns Bog, undercover
where it's very easy to get lost
but it's also easy to hide in.

In Burns Bog, the trees are thick
and there is plenty of cover
When you walk on the ground,
it's firm and squishy.
When you jump on it,
it jiggles like jello
but you have to pay close attention to see it.

All of the trees have needles
and get scraggly the farther into the bog you go
Some plants are smelly,
some are vine-like moss hanging from thin tree branches
Some plants you can make tea out of,
by boiling them in water and taking the leaves out.
Some plants you can eat while others are poisonous.

Most of the plants are unique to the bog,
and grow only in secret places.
To find them, you need to look very hard,
under and over things.

But the vole running into the bog doesn't care about plants.
He doesn't plan on making tea.
He's not thinking about food, poisonous or not,
because human beings have stolen his home.
They've built a landfill over it
without even asking him!

"They took my home.
I'm feeling so angry and sad
because I don't know where I will live now.
Where will I cook, sleep and play?
And now I'm also being chased by a hawk.
What else could go wrong?
At least I've reached the trees!
That will cover me and keep the hawk from finding me.

Up ahead, I see a group of mushrooms
that could hide me even better
than running on this wooden boardwalk."

The vole ran and hid in the mushrooms,
disturbing them from their sleep.
"Hey! Don't push us!" They yelled at the scared vole.
"This is our home!"
The vole apologized, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
but he didn't want to go out.
SCREECH
The hawk is close by.

One of the little mushrooms feels pity for the vole.
"It's okay, they're a little grumpy.
You can stay here until the hawk goes away, mouse,"
Said the little mushroom.
"I'm a vole and why are they grumpy?"
Whispered the vole who was calming down.
"They're stuck here just like I am
and they know that it they could just
get into the centre of the bog,
they could meet the Great Sandhill Crane,"
the mushroom said.
"Why would they want to do that?"
The vole asked.
"Don't tell him! Don't tell him" yelled the other mushrooms.
"I can't tell you," said the little mushroom.

SCREECH
The vole and mushrooms shrank into their hole,
because the hawk was closer than before
and obviously searching for the vole.
"My name is Rudge. What's yours, Mouse?"
whispered the mushroom.
"I'm a vole and my name is Leon."
"What's the difference?" asked the mushroom.
"A vole and a mouse are two different species of rodent,"
explained the vole quietly.
"Voles are unique. That's my problem. I can't find any other voles."
"So you're all alone?" The mushroom asked.

SCREECH
"I could't find other voles, so I lived alone.
And now that my home is full of garbage,
there's no going back now.
I want to find a safe place,
hopefully I'll find some more voles... a family,"
Leon whispered.
SCREECH

"Don't move, Leon," The mushroom warned.
"Why?"
"Because the hawk is right behind you!"
The vole froze.
"Run behind us!" the mushroom yelled.
The vole ran and hid in the farthest part of the hole as the hawk attacked.
It's beak landed in the dirt and uprooted the little mushroom.
It pecked around, but couldn't reach the vole
so after a few minutes, it flew away.

The vole came out of its hiding place,
worried about Rudge, the mushroom.
He found the mushroom lying on its side,
its roots in the air, helpless.
"Rudge!"
"Leon! I'm okay."
"I'm sorry I brought the hawk to your home!"
The other mushrooms were silent.
"It's alright. I don't like living here anyway.
I've always wanted to travel
and now I can!
You can take me to the centre of the bog!"
The mushroom said enthusiastically.
"What?" The vole asked confused.
"We can find a home for you with other voles
and I can see the world!" said Rudge.
"How? You're uprooted!" Leon exclaimed.
"Exactly! I'm not stuck to the ground anymore.
I'll just have to stay moist." Rudge explained.
"But it's dangerous!"
"Even in my home, It was dangerous," said Rudge.
Leon thought about it for a moment.
"You're right. Even my home wasn't safe from the human landfill.
Okay, let's go."

-

Carefully, Leon picked up Rudge by his long tail
and started to run along the boardwalk.
"We can't stay on the boardwalk," yelled Rudge as he bounced along.
"This is where the humans walk.
They'll step on us.
Besides, the path doesn't go to the centre of the bog.
We're going to have to go off the path."
"Why the centre?" Leon asked.
"Everyone is going there to meet the Great Sandhill Crane.
He only comes once a year.
The mushroom didn't want to tell you
because they didn't like to share with strangers,
but you're a friend now so I'll tell you.
...
The Great Sandhill Crane grants wishes.
One wish a year, exactly."
"Wow," Leon said.
"I'd wish for a family and a home,
what would you wish for, Rudge?"
"Feet," Rudge said.
"So I could go anywhere I wanted to."

-

The vole and the mushroom travelled for a day
through shrubs and over moss.
They became tired and hungry.
"I'm thirsty, Rudge."
"Me too. Stop. We can get water."
"How?"
"The ground is made of peat, a type of moss that is special.
The moss can hold water like a sponge,
and it filters bad things from it,
so if you grab some peat and squeeze,
fresh water will come out of it," Rudge explained.

Leon squeezed and drank.
"Wow, that's the freshest water I've ever tasted!"
Rudge bobbed its head,
"Have you noticed how fresh the air is?
The bog also filters pollution out of the air."
Leon breathed deeply.
He felt so mush more happier since he came to the bog.
The hawk did him a favour by chasing him here, he thought.

-

After a snack of bog cranberries and bog ---------
the vole and the mushroom noticed that the trees were thinning
There was space to run and jump,
but the vole was nervous
because there were less places to hide,
if the hawk came back.

What I got from the inspiration

So my inspiration seems a little scattered. If you don't understand where it comes from:

1. Illustration by Arthur Rakham. He was amazing! More specifically, he drew fantasy. Pen, ink and gouache. His scenes are spooky and creepy sometimes. The way that he draws trees, all spindly and curvy is really interesting. The colours he uses are earthy, because his images are of nature. He uses a lot of brown and black. He illustrated an edition of Alice of Wonderland and the animals are very detailed and playful.

2. "Gormenghast" by Mervyn Peake. A fantasy novel about a small kingdom enclosed in a castle where no one leaves the walls of the castle. Each person is born to a role, whether a kitchen boy or the future duke, and they stay in that role no matter what they want. The main character is Steerpike, a kitchen boy who is beaten and wants a better life so he schemes and flatters his way to power. He drives the current duke mad (the duke starts to believe he is an owl) and locks up two noblewomen after taking their power. Anyways, it's a gothic fantasy novel that was made into a Masterpeice theatre movie and has a lot of interesting gothic visuals, such as the wild girl, the castle itself, the room of cats...

3. Ruby Gloom is a kid's cartoon in the gothic style. It takes a housefull of odd characters, like "Poe" the raven, a ghost, a bat, a black cat, etc. and creates kid friendly stories about them. What I like is that it takes something scary and makes it friendly. There's an edge to it. It isn't the teletubbies.

4. Rudyard Kipling was an author and illustrator of "The Jungle Book." The way he drew animals were very decorative. (Black ink, mostly). It was sketchy. It was exotic. His short stories are really creative.

5. Tim Burton has an amazingly distinct style. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" entertains me as much now as it did when I was 7. It's attractive yet dark. It's heart warming but not sickeningly sweet.

6. Edward Gorey was an illustrator who also mixed cute and creepy. His images are bold. I really like the detail he put into his work.

7. "Alice in Wonderland". This story is messed up but it's entertaining. I want to design a story that also follows a journey into the unknown. (And you learn all about the bog at the same time).

What do they all have in common? They are fantasy and use gothic motifs.

I think kids can handle stories that are a little scary.

Why did I choose this aesthetic? I love anything gothic and fantasy, so it makes me more engaged in the project. I like it because it's emotional. It can give me the shivers. Fear is a powerful emotion. I'm not saying I'm going to frighten little kids because I still want them to want to go to the bog. I think a little suspense will make them more interested. I also think a happy ending contrasted with a harrowing story will create a greater impact. So my book is going to have illustrations that show the bog as being mysterious and unusual.

Inspiration