Before & After

Graphic artist Jean Jullien insightfully and comically depicts a set of clever and surprising before-and-after two-frame narratives, each progressed by a page turn. From pale skin to sunburned skin, dirty to clean, long hair to short hair (to long again), Jullien masterfully builds anticipation and a satisfying resolution with each pairing. Striking the perfect balance of predictability and unexpectedness, this book will leave readers in wonder as they flip back and forth.

“Reviews for This is Not A Book: "[A] tour-de-force of visual transformation." -Publishers Weekly - Starred review "A fabulous board book designed to challenge younger readers to think creatively about objects in their everyday lives. Really unique." -Angels & Urchins "This is Not A Book. It's not. It's a fridge full of food, a laptop, a piano. It's an attempt to get kids to play with the world around them, and it's created by Jean Jullien, the designer and satirist behind the 'Peace for Paris' symbol." -The Observer Magazine "It can used as a pretend piano, and there's a monster lurking on one page. Look out for the twist at the end - it folds out to become a house." -Evening Standard "Every page brings a new surprise... Won't fail to spark your child's imagination and inspire them to create artworks of their own. Especially when they discover this book's hidden secret, which will leave them wondering... Is it really a book at all?" -Smallish”

"Forget the "before" and "after" scenarios you've seen in books, because I guarantee you the situations we see in Jean Jullien's Before & After are funnier, more colorful, and waaaaay more satisfying." —Let's Talk Picture Books

"A sweet addition to baby's bookshelf. Before & After features bold graphics to make learning playful and imaginative" —Baby London

"A charming board book for young children with and art- and design-conscious parents. Witty and bold graphics depict various situations in their "before" and "after" states."—Illustration

"Visual goodness in a sturdy board book format for younger fingers to tackle... Insightful and humorous."—PictureBookBlogger

"Little hands can cause big damage to traditional tomes, which is why board books are so fabulous... Jullien's This is Not a Book is still a favourite with Alfie (nearly eight) and Kitty (four and a half). His illustrations are so engaging and entertaining they have been known to make them laugh out loud. His latest work looks at the concept of before and after, with a surprise reveal on every page turn, plus a bonus gatefold. It explores dirty then clean, long hair then short and bump then baby, plus more advanced ideas such as egg then chicken (or chicken then egg?) through bold, striking images on colourful glossy pages."—BambinoGoodies.co.uk

"Deviously playful... Rewarding, thought-provoking."—Publishers Weekly

"An imaginative and playful board book... Using bold graphics on thick sturdy coloured pages Jullien takes a simple learning concept adding some novel examples which is what makes Before & After an ideal book to share with a young child."—OutsideInWorld.org.uk

"I would be remiss in not mentioning that Before & After by Jean Jullien is also a highly creative title in the same vein, and also very funny indeed."—School Library Journal - FuseEight blog

"Bold colors and witty contrasts give appeal to Before & After."—The Wall Street Journal

"The before-and-after pair pattern continues in creative ways, and occasionally it breaks, entertainingly, to incorporate additional time spans... Witty."—Horn Book

"A brilliant conversation book for even the tiniest toddlers, this book is another example of why Jean Jullien is one of the most exciting illustrators around."—BookTrust.org

"A pretty book with charming illustrations which also happens to be quite sturdy - and will survive repeated attacks by pre-schoolers."—Absolutely Mama

"Whimsical illustrations challenge young readers to go beyond the obvious... Should spark interesting conversations between children and their adult readers. Older preschoolers maturing from concrete thinking to more abstract thought will find this a hoot."—Kirkus Reviews

"A unique and successful concept book for early learning and social emotional learning classrooms."—School Library Journal

"...A delightful children's board book... Offers a teaching opportunity through which a young child will learn about chronology, creativity, and outcomes. The direct experience of Jean Jullien's artistry is critical to one's appreciation of it... A uniquely engaging children's book that is guaranteed to amuse parent and child alike."—New York Journal of Books

"From the man who brought you a butt in a book [This Is Not A Book] comes one of the cleverest opposite-related board books of the year. I just adore this."—Betsy Bird, School Library Journal, "2017 Board Books Worth Noting"

"[A] book I'd be happy to read over and over. And over. And over."—Columbus Dispatch

"Innovative... Bold graphics beautifully complement the clever and sometimes unexpected revelations [...] and allow children to narrate the story themselves."—Early Years Childcare Magazine

"Vivid, full-page illustrations marked with the words before or after help teach the concept of time." —Fit Pregnancy & Baby

"[Jean Jullien's] best work." —Fuse8 blog

"Unique and playful." —LondonMumsMagazine.com

"This isn't your average baby board book. Master storyteller and illustrator, Jean Jullien creates scenarios that are witty and humorous, depicting sophisticated concepts in a tangible way. Equally fun to reader and audience." —Baltimore's Child

Jean Jullien is a French graphic designer whose practice ranges from illustration, to photography and video, to costumes, installations, books, posters, and clothing. His clients include: The New Yorker, The New York Times, the Guardian, Tate, Channel 4, Nike, BMW, Colette, Byron Burger, and Carluccio's. He lives with his wife in London

Graphic artist Jean Jullien insightfully and comically depicts a set of clever and surprising before-and-after two-frame narratives, each progressed by a page turn. From pale skin to sunburned skin, dirty to clean, long hair to short hair (to long again), Jullien masterfully builds anticipation and a satisfying resolution with each pairing. Striking the perfect balance of predictability and unexpectedness, this book will leave readers in wonder as they flip back and forth.

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