Poil de Carotte

by Jules Renard, illustrations by Félix Vallotton
David R. Godine, Publisher

David Godine was always on the lookout for unusual books as potential Nonpareil reprints. This rollicking collection of farcical vignettes centers on a small, red-headed boy and his contentious relationships with his family and the world at large. Given a rather traditional layout, I wanted to soften things a bit a subtly decorative typographic program, and so used Joshua Darden’s Corundum types – based on Monotype Barbou – with Laura Worthington’s Charcuterie Block for the display. Vallotton’s illustrations deflty capture the manic energy and sly humor of these short episodes of French provincial life without a wasted stroke.

Softcover, 5.5 × 8.5"