Princess Furball attends the royal festival adorned in her golden dress. 1921

Margaret Evans Price made this illustration of Princess Furball, and what stands out right away is the limited palette. It's like she gave herself some rules to play within; yellows, blacks and reds, and then just went to town with it. The texture of the original book page really comes through. It feels almost like a print, with flat, slightly opaque areas of color. There are some great details, like the little dots that make up the princess's frilly collar. Speaking of that collar, it's so fluffy and exaggerated. It's not quite realistic, but it's got this amazing cartoon-like quality, and it really contrasts with the long thin lines used to describe the fall of the skirt. It's like Price is setting up her own world of strange proportions. Price's illustrative style always makes me think a little bit of Kay Nielsen’s flat decorative aesthetic, but with a touch more humor. There’s something so playful and open-ended about this kind of illustration. It's not trying to tell you exactly what to think, it’s all about inviting you into a weird, wonderful story, don't you think?