Emer and Clover

Emer wants to set up the perfect date for their partner, Clover. But the date's not turning out how Emer imagined it should be. Emer is terrified of making a mistake in front of Clover! Emer and Clover is a children's book about the mistakes we make and how they're not as big as they feel in our head. It is illustrated with practical effects, using photographed, handmade scenes as opposed to traditional art. Some methods for creating the set elements include felting, paper mache, and sculpted clay, all crafted with love! After they are set up just right, we make some final adjustments in Adobe Photoshop, and format each page in InDesign. Emer represents people who have dealt with explosive and toxic reactions to their mistakes, making the smallest messes panic-inducing. For children who can relate to Emer, we wanted to model a healthy way of dealing with mistakes, especially through Clover's calm and reassuring support for Emer. By making and publishing Emer and Clover, the team also wants to contribute to the normalization of queer couples in children's literature.