Taipinhas discovers its Town
Taipinhas Discovers Its Town • Children's Book
Project type: Children's Book Design, Illustration and Community Engagement
Sponsorship & Heritage partner: Cutipol
The Project
Taipinhas Discovers Its Town (originally Taipinhas Mostra a Sua Vila) is a community-driven children's book created to introduce young readers to the history, heritage and landmarks of Caldas das Taipas. Written and illustrated through a collaborative process with 3rd and 4th-grade students from Charneca School, the book combines an engaging children's story with an accessible cultural guide to the village, aimed at both residents and visitors.
Art Direction and Brand Integration
The book follows the adventures of Taipinhas, a charming character shaped like a spoon, conceived as a tribute to the village's historic cutlery industry.
Reflecting this local heritage, the project featured a partnership with Cutipol, the renowned Portuguese luxury cutlery manufacturer, which sponsored the book and produced custom-made spoons to accompany the special edition.
My role covered the entire creative and editorial process, from leading co-creation workshops with the children and developing the character's visual identity to creating the final illustrations, designing the book's layout and typography, and preparing the artwork for print.
Project Details
Edition, Pagination, and Publishing: 2019
Collaborators: 4th and 3rd-grade students of Charneca School
Sponsorship: Cutipol, in recognition of Caldas das Taipas' renowned cutlery industry
This book was a special one-off edition, created with and for the local community. It was only available locally - which makes it even more meaningful to those who were part of it.
Presentation at Escola Básica da Charneca and at the Taipas Volunteer Firefighters.
At the end, some of the students gave me small objects as a farewell - erasers, favourite pens and markers.
I also received a notebook created and written by the whole class, with messages about me and about the project we developed together.
It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced.