(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay is a charming picture book set to one of the King of Soul’s™ greatest hits. The song was one of the last Redding recorded, and ranked number four on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 chart, going on to win two GRAMMYs and be certified triple-platinum.
Client
Akashic Books
Art Direction
Aaron Petrovich
Song Lyrics By
Otis Redding and Steve Cropper
Illustrative Storytelling
The only requirement was to include the song lyrics; beyond that, it was a totally blank canvas. The song has a bittersweet vibe to it, and I wanted to capture that in the story. Our main character seeks to catch a fish, but is struggling to do it on his own. However, with the help of a kind friend, he not only catches a fish but also finds a new home. Since this is for early readers, I used a minimal palette utilizing primary colors, and simple shapes so that kids would know where to focus.