ABOUT

When the Earth splits in two, Simeon’s best friend Frimpong is swept away into space.
So Simeon does what any best friend would do…
He builds a rocket.
His search carries him across strange handmade planets, through a gigantic wormhole and onto a mysterious grey Earth populated by mechanical monsters. But finding Frimpong is only the beginning. Together, they discover what can happen to a world when its inhabitants stop listening, helping and caring for the little piece in front of them.
FRIMPONG is a story about friendship, determination and environmental responsibility. Beneath its cosmic adventure is a simple message for young readers: we may not be able to repair the whole world by ourselves, but we can still care for the part within our reach.
The visual world is constructed from stitched fabrics, lace, handmade paper, found objects and miniature collage. Even the planets, rocket and stars feel sewn, assembled and lovingly imperfect.
Part of The Merry-Go-Round Series, FRIMPONG shows the moment Earth splits from Simeon’s perspective.
Three stories. One circle. Start anywhere.

Although the premise is fantastical, the intention isn’t “fairy tale.” The story is deliberately breezy and readable, but it carries a quieter weight underneath: a reflective thread about the consequences of human environmental plunder. The illustrations are designed with a dreamlike quality—less about literal realism, more about mood, symbolism, and emotion—so readers feel the scale of the rupture, the loneliness of space, and the tenderness of Simeon’s hope.

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The Brief
• Create an original Nordic fable that reads as an enjoyable adventure while holding a meaningful theme.
• Use a high-concept inciting incident (the Earth splitting) to express loss, grief, and determination without becoming heavy-handed.
• Build a visual world with a dreamlike atmosphere that supports the emotion and the environmental subtext.
• Deliver a cohesive set of illustrations that can carry both spectacle (cosmic travel, fractured Earth) and intimacy (Simeon’s bond with Frimpong).

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My Approach & Process
• Theme anchored in character: I started with Simeon’s emotional spine—shock → grief → resolve—so the environmental message emerges naturally through what he experiences rather than feeling like a lecture.
• Fable structure + pace: I kept the narrative brisk and accessible, using clear “turning points” (rupture, departure, encounters, pursuit) to maintain a light, adventurous flow while leaving space for reflection.
• Mood-led visual development: I explored compositions that prioritise scale and silence—small figure vs vast space, fractured horizons, drifting debris—paired with gentler moments to keep warmth and hope present.
• Dreamlike illustration language: Soft transitions, simplified forms, and symbolic imagery were used to evoke memory, yearning, and awe—illustrations that suggest as much as they show.
• Consistency pass: I refined the palette and atmospheric effects to keep the book visually unified—so each spread feels like a piece of the same emotional journey.