Van Dog

Van Dog is a hybrid of comic and seek-and-find picture book, written by Mikołaj Pa and illustrated by Gosia Herba, that explores art and the creative process. One day, the title character rides out to the countryside intending to paint a landscape.

Once he has set up his easel, mixed his paints, and settled in to take in the view, the scene begins to change in strange and charming ways. A snail nibbles on a mushroom, a line of ants gets to work, and a giant lizard monster sets off on a journey toward Tokyo. Robots, vampires, and every color of the rainbow appear throughout the playful illustrations.

As the countryside grows busier and busier, Van Dog finds it harder to finish his canvas. Readers are left to wonder whether the crowded scene has overwhelmed him, or whether its richness is exactly what inspires him.