#872 of 1001 · December 20, 2022

If the goal is perfection, what happens to those who cannot measure up? Flawed beings with bulges, blotches, and blemishes have as much intrinsic worth as anyone else—and this is the thesis of @thefanbrothers’ charming original tale The Barnabus Project. Deep under the city, below a shop that proudly advertises genetically engineered Perfect Pets, lies a secret laboratory where scientists conduct shadowy experiments to produce cuddly and appealing little animals. Failed Projects are stored in bell jars and left on shelves to gather dust. One of these discarded creatures is Barnabus, a half-mouse, half-elephant who dreams of seeing the world outside. After being marked for recycling, the unlikely hero breaks free of his prison, releases his friends, and mounts a daring escape…with the help of an eldritch beast from the facility’s nethermost sub-basement. @terryfanillustration and @ericfanillustration collaborate for the first time with their brother @devin.fan.art, and the resulting story is told with entertaining narrative voice and a rich, cinematic combination of graphite and digital art. #project #perfect #pet #pets #secret #underground #laboratory #science #experiment #escape #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks