THE MYSTERY OF THE GOLDEN WONDERFLOWER BY BENJAMIN FLOUW

Today we propose you a very special trip to Marseille, where we will speak with French author and illustrator Benjamin Flouw about his book “The Mystery of the Golden Wonderflower”, recently published by Little Gestalten.

 

“The Mystery of the Golden Wonderflower” is a charming story that celebrates so many great things: nature, friendship, beauty, hiking, forests, the art of observation, reading, drawing, outdoor adventures…

It is truly a wonderful picture book that ends with a powerful message, more important than ever, about the impact of leaving nature untouched.

 

It is a great pleasure to talk with Benjamin Flouw about his creative background, favorite books, and work. He grew up in the sunny south of France, and after graduating from CG animation school he moved to London and Paris where he collaborated as a color artist on the film The Little Prince and on the brand new version of the TV show Noddy.

 

World Kids: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Benjamin Flouw: I’m an illustrator based in Marseille in the south of France. I’m doing illustrations for commercials, magazines, and children literature.

 

 

What are you working now on? Can you tell us a little bit of your next project? 

I’m writing and illustrating a new book about trees: huge trees, tiny trees, old trees… Through the description of each one of them, I try to tell the story of how they are connected to their environment, to the soil, to animals…

 

Where do you find inspiration in your daily life? 

I find a lot of inspiration walking in the woods or on the seafront. It’s quite a meditative thing to do and it’s often on these occasions where I find sceneries, landscapes or lights that I want to recreate later.

 

 

Your best trip ever. 

Probably to the USA a few years ago. we visited a few National Parks from the west side (Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Arches) and I was completely struck by the scale of these places. You could stare as far as you can and your eye is not going to meet a house or any human thing, it’s something you rarely see. I also ate a “breakfast burrito” which is one of the coolest thing ever.

 

 

Did you have a favorite book in your childhood? 

I really enjoyed reading Roald Dahl and Rudyard Kipling as a child, their stories were so inventive, with a lot of made-up elements (I’m thinking of  The BFG  and  Just so Stories in particular) but in a very real context. I also really enjoyed looking at The Best Book Ever by Richard Scary, this one was a lot of fun!

 

What book are you currently reading? 

I just finished a book by Francis Hallé, who is a famous French botanist and biologist titled  Plaidoyer pour l’arbre (which can translate to  Advocacy for the trees I guess ). It’s a fascinating science popularization book explaining some founds in the botanic field about how a tree grows, evolves and how humans interact with it.

 

Images and illustrations credits by Benjamin Flouw, 2016.

 

In this article, you will find Amazon affiliate links. Don’t worry, it won’t cost you anything extra, but if you purchase something through these links World Kids gets a small – really really small- amount to buy more books for review. Thank you!