Monsters! is an illustrated pop-up book highlighting three creatures traced to curiosities emerging from human-environment relationships.
My book was inspired by the stories I would read as a child and my fascination for fantastical horror content. I wanted to create a bestiary bridging the two subjects to investigate how fantastical creatures are used as a placeholder for human fears of the unknown.
Sifting through traditional and contemporary tales, the connection between natural elements and monstrous manifestations felt glaring. Although modernity makes human relationships with nature complex, many stories still stand as cautionary environmental tales.
Throughout the story, Explorer Peck examines the selected creatures in a way that exposes interesting facts about the environment they reside in. Monsters! approaches these stories in a tactile educational format.
Viewers are encouraged to get comfy and flip through the book. This space was crafted with childhood in mind. Please respect it as if it were a nook in your childhood home.
