The Anemone, the Clownfish and Dr. Song
This children’s book with a yellow linen binding, thick high-gloss paper and a brilliantly coloured banderol skilfully integrates scientific images into its design. The Dr. Song of the title, a Chinese marine biologist and co-author of the book, uses colourful underwater photography to explore how anemones and clownfish coexist. Single- or double-page images are accompanied by short sections of large-print text in English and Chinese, positioned either across the bottom of the page below the images or on a page of their own. Although the photographs are highly abstract and at times generic in their effect, the textual explanations offer an enthralling narrative that makes scientific facts accessible to children without detracting from the seriousness of the subject matter. The same is achieved in a supplementary black-and-white section containing both scientific and fantastical illustrations on coated paper. It is fascinating to observe how the design incorporates the photographic material and uses typography, illustration and the design of the banderol to create a coherent, unique and accessible work. The book ends on a charming note, with a full-page photograph of the grinning narrator in his diving gear and the jokey sign-off to his afterword: ‘Best fishes’.
