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Alison Morris

Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists

March 4, 2009

Gareth and I found it quite a challenge to choose one favorite entry from among all those submitted to our name a bookish breakfast cereal challenge. We narrowed down the full list to a "short list" of favorites, which are as follows:

Cap'n Ahab Crunch (submitted by karenf and WouldBe)

Children of the Corn Flakes (submitted by Boni Ashburn)

Grape Nuts of Wrath (submitted by Erin McInnis, Nancy Mills, and John Hamilton)

Gravity's Rainbow Crunch (submitted by Mary Ann Rodman)

Othell O's (submitted by Karen Ruelle and Deborah Galarza)

Robert Frosted Flakes (submitted by sflax and WouldBe)

From this list we then chose two finalists, based on their high scores for both "cleverness" and "ease of concept" (because some of these are a lot easier to illustrate than others!).

The two finalists are Grape Nuts of Wrath and Robert Frosted Flakes.

Gareth has done concept sketches for both of these (with my design input) and will soon be doing a more "finished" illustration based on one of those sketches. Stay tuned to see the results!

In the meantime, you can watch this video featuring a cereal parody that's VERY similar (in concept) to one of our finalists:

For those of you unfamiliar with Czeslaw Milosz, you'll find a nice introduction to both the man and his poetry on the Poetry Foundation website. While you're there and we're on the subject of Polish poets (AND in honor of Darwin's recent 200th birthday anniversary), read the poem "Consolation" by Wislawa Szymborska. Like Frost and Milosz, she's a poet well worth knowing. Even if her name doesn't lend itself too well to cereal.

Posted by Alison Morris on March 4, 2009 | Comments (7)

Industries: Children's Books, Fiction Books, Trends In Books

March 4, 2009
In response to: Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists
Karen Ruelle commented:

I'm honored to be on your shortlist!
What fun!
Now we have to get someone to actually produce these cereals for public consumption. Maybe they could put little books in the boxes, kind of like the prizes in Crackerjacks. . . .

March 4, 2009
In response to: Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists
Boni Ashburn commented:

Yay for Children Of The Corn Flakes!! I'm honored. I can't wait to see what Gareth comes up with for the final winner :)

Thanks for the fun, Alison!

March 4, 2009
In response to: Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists
Erin McInnis commented:

Woot! Very exciting to be a finalist... and excellent company to be in... I just hope I don't get a swelled head... :)

March 4, 2009
In response to: Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists
mary ann rodman commented:

How cool to be included in such sophisticated company. This is even better than being a Newbery honor winner(OK almost better!)
Now that copy of GRAVITY'S RAINBOW that has been leering at me from my "to-read" bookshelf since the late 70's, can cut it out!

March 5, 2009
In response to: Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists
Torsten Adair commented:

Robert Frosted Flakes took me a few seconds to figure out. I think the Othell-Os more worthy (white and black oaty rings which turn milk grey), and with the Shakespeare angle on the box design, would really work.

Now...given the nature of this exercise, has anyone contacted Art Spiegelman, the originator and designer of Wacky Packages for his suggestions?

March 13, 2009
In response to: Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists
carterbham commented:

I gotta say Children of the Corn Flakes is hands-down my favorite. It has that perfect blend of kids, disturbing content, and great word-play. Boni's earned the crown for me!

April 7, 2009
In response to: Bookish Breakfast Cereal Finalists
Erin McInnis commented:

Was a winner ever announced? I'm all atwitter with anticipation...