BYU Students and Faculty Collaborate Across Colleges to Launch a Creative Outlet for Young Readers
Imagine a place where a single page can take you to the moon, teach you how to draw a dragon and make you laugh with a perfectly silly poem — in BYU’s new children’s magazine, anything is possible.
Across Brigham Young University, colleges are coming together to create safe, age-appropriate media for children ages 6–12. In the CFAC, the Department of Design is working with the College of Humanities to produce a magazine called “Whirligig.” Like the spinning pinwheel it’s named for, the publication is designed to delight and surprise young readers, with content that can shift from whimsical cartoons to thought-provoking poetry at the turn of a page.
The project began in the College of Humanities, where English professors Ann Dee Ellis and Chris Crowe noticed a growing interest in producing literature for children and middle-grade readers. They decided to form a children's magazine and open submissions to anyone (children included) around the world — no BYU enrollment or Utah address required.
Melissa Crowton from the Department of Design joined the project, guiding student illustrators in crafting visuals that enhance and deepen the storytelling. “A lot of my illustration and design students in particular seem to really connect to a younger audience,” Crowton said. “Maybe it is a harkening back to the nostalgia of their childhood and reconnecting with their own favorite books and movies.”
One of these students, Ella Martin who studies illustration at BYU, said that the experience has been life-changing. “I have gotten to know children's magazines from all over,” Martin said. By studying “The New York Times for Kids,” she learned strategies to entice young learners. “It has been so fun to find new techniques to get people excited about poetry, art and classic literature.”
“Whirligig” is offering these students a unique opportunity to present their artwork to children. “This magazine format provides a lot of opportunity for storytelling,” she said. “You can say a lot with pictures that you cannot say with words, and vice versa — they need each other in some ways.”
For Crowton, who often illustrates picture books, the magazine’s short-format assignments offered a refreshing change of pace. Instead of working on a single book for over a year, she could dive into a story, create a powerful standalone image, and move on to the next imaginative challenge.
The first issue of the magazine was printed in July and will continue to be released twice a year. In an era where screens seem to dominate, the “Whirligig” team hopes that giving children the tactile experience of turning physical pages will encourage a lifelong love of reading.
Martin is most excited for children to see the work done by others their age: “The kids had such entertaining work. Everything was so inspiring and funny and colorful.” She shared that she would have loved working with a magazine as a kid, or even just seeing the work of her peers get published. Even now, seeing these creatives submit their work helps Martin feel inspired.
“Creativity is really important to foster — not just when you're 2, but when you're 7 or 17 or 70,” Crowton explains. “It is a way for us to connect to ourselves and society, to develop empathy and learn about other people. Reading is a quick way to build those skills and grow creatively.” The “Whirligig” team hopes that they can be part of that journey — for readers young and old.