That’s Gross!

If it’s gross and disgusting it will capture the attention of children. The success of Sylvia Branzei’s 1995 children’s book Grossology is a testament to that. Developed to teach children about bodily functions in a fun and playful way, the book spawned a traveling exhibit and television series. At Kaboodles, a well-known toy store in Vancouver, the owners wanted to capitalize on the book’s success with a fun and imaginative window display. Here’s how we pulled it together.

STEP 1

INJECT COLOUR

Playful colours exude a child-like energy and tie the varied merchandise together. Strong colours, such as these, also attract attention from far away.

STEP 2

COLOUR CONTRAST We created interest by contrasting bold colours: pink, yellow and cobalt blue.

STEP 4

ADD TEXTURE

Slimy snakes, wiggly worms and a variety of creepy bugs added texture and created a sense of movement.

STEP 5

EMPHASIZE IT

Custom-printed signs emphasized the theme.

STEP 3

DIY PROPS

Next, we made large hinged boxes to hold the merchandise. We filled them with light-weight Styrofoam chips so they were easy to move around, and then topped with product. Shredded paper was used to fill in the gaps. The various body parts (eyes, ears, nose) were constructed from foam board.