Your head’s not the Place to store Problems in

Your Head’s Not the Place to Store Problems In was an excellent text for an illustrator. Characters and colours weren’t described, and the story’s message was all about the thinks that you think in a very Dr. Suess way. Josh’s words gave me an infinite play space. My first drawing was roughly what you’ll find on the first title page: three little dog characters with hats. One of the dogs is tipping his hat, and abstract objects (thoughts) are spilling out. 

You’ll notice subtle illustrator shifts throughout the book, colours to control moods, and the objects (thoughts) being more tangible to begin with (fish bones and boots, etc.). Then, as you turn the pages, you’ll notice them becoming more abstract. The intention was for the reader’s focus to change from the objects to the characters and their emotions. 

My wife Trish and my children tell me the last page is a portrait of Josh and me letting loose.

I’m a giant fan of Josh Pyke’s music. The book is dedicated to him and a period of time when his lyrics were stuck in our heads, forever on play when we drove to the beach. I worked 100% in the digital world for this book as it gave me all the Dr. Suess options I could ever want. Love it.