Sunrise Over Prague
Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard
This scene was painted for the dedication page of a picture book titled The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah (Wisdom Tales Press, 2018), written by Martha Seif Simpson. The story involves a somewhat bumbling toyshop owner, several children and their parents, and a mysterious peddler.
As the designer and illustrator of this book, I was able to suggest the setting of the story. Since Prague is known for its innovative carved and painted puppets and other toys, that is what immediately came to mind. I had to illustrate dozens of toys, and this this Bohemian city, so full of character and charm, was the perfect place to find inspiration. A century ago, Prague also had a thriving Jewish community. The author and editor agreed this was a good location for the story.
Architecture is the key to creating a visual sense of place. If you can convey the shape and scale of a city’s buildings, its spirit will shine through. The red-tiled rooftops and spires of Prague, together with its purple-grey stone combined to make this scene. Prague also has many bridges, with their characteristic arches and lampposts. So I gathered photos of the Vlatava River, the cathedrals and synagogues, the windows and doors and chimneys. This is not an actual scene of Prague, but an assemblage of parts of the city.
Front matter pages – endpapers, title page, dedication page, copyright page, etc – provide an opportunity to create a setting for a picture book. It’s like drawing the curtain back on a stage before the actors enter. Once the story began, there was no other chance to show a panorama of this evocative city. As the sun rises, we see the peddler coming into view on the left side, drawing his cart full of magical wares with its striped umbrella and raven perched on top. Already the child reader can begin to form a backstory in his or her mind: Where is the peddler coming from? Has he been walking all night? Indeed, in days of yore many peddlers of Eastern Europe were wandering nomads, traveling from town to town and gathering not only wares but wild tales.
The Hebrew word on the cart reads Eliyahu – for that is what the story implies: that this peddler is none other than the prophet Elijah himself, who appears in Jewish folklore in various guises, popping up at crossroads and causing odd twists of fate. Here he plays the role of a sort of wise trickster, who brings a dreidel to the shop that seems to have a mind of its own, as well as the power to transform.
I enjoyed illustrating this book, with its curious and clever toys, its funny characters, and most of all, its setting. Painting this cityscape as an imaginary scene based on the real Prague was both challenging and rewarding. I love a sunrise palette – lavender and peach, pale yellow and silvery grey. And like a child with building blocks, I love putting shapes together to make a city.
Martha and I went on to collaborate on another “toyshop tale” about a Jewish holiday in the same setting: Esther’s Gragger: A Toyshop Tale of Purim. Our third book together, A Ring for the King, will be published next year.
It’s a little early for Hanukkah, but you can order a signed copy of The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin here.
A good week to all –
D. Yael Bernhard
https://dyaelbernhard.com
