Book-A-Day 2014 #37: We Are Indie Toys! by Louis Bou

I tend to think of toys as things with moving parts, suitable for vigorous activities -- that's the boy in me, I'm sure. But there are a lot of toys that are basically figurines or still, solid objects: from dollhouse furniture to the vinyl and resin "collectibles" cluttering up the world today. (I'm looking at you, Disney.) And these days, with implements that are suitable to the home even if not in every home already, anybody can make that kind of toy.

Louis Bou, who did the joyful We Are Paper Toys! a few years back, returns with a look at a similar, related world of small-scale artists and artisans, crafting little creatures in their basements and garages and lofts and studios, and then sending their toys out into the world, as one-offs or limited editions or a few manufactured pieces. This time, We Are Indie Toys!, and we're mostly made of resin.

Look, I have hands made up entirely of thumbs, so I can't tell you if Bou's careful instructions -- and the hints and tips from thirty top indie-toy designers from around the world -- will work. But I expect they will, and that Bou's enthusiasm and energy will prove infectious to anyone more mechanically and artistically oriented than I am.

We Are Indie Toys! has nearly two hundred pages of pictures of neat little objects, each one hand-crafted by an artist, along with their thoughts and thumbnail sketches on their careers. Even if you don't think you're going to make this stuff, it's still a really nice package.

Book-A-Day 2014 Introduction and Index