West Bretton

Junior and Infant School

THE BRIEF

To design a welcoming and inspiring wall mural for the new school library, supported by a series of smaller die-cut designs placed around the space. Together, these elements should promote reading, imagination, and learning, creating a cohesive and engaging environment for students..

A JOURNEY ON THE WEST BRETTON WAY

We had loads of fun working with West Bretton Junior & Infant School on their newly improved library, designing a big, bold wall mural and a series of die-cut scenes.

Our illustrations turn the library into a colourful, welcoming space where children are encouraged to explore, discover new stories, and fall in love with reading!

The result is a vibrant library full of creativity and imagination — a place where stories don’t just live on the shelves, but climb the walls too.

DESIGN AND INSTALLATION

The main mural forms a cohesive illustrated landscape across the library wall, anchoring the space and setting the tone for reading and discovery.

When designing for children, it’s important that learning is encouraged in a playful way. Alongside the illustrations, we included the names of the planets along with a fun fact, and a ‘Look & Find’. This section included hidden details and visual clues inviting children to explore the mural closely, turning the library walls into an interactive storytelling experience.

3D die-cut characters and individual scene elements were produced and installed separately, allowing them to subtly stand proud from the wall and bring the stories to life in a more tactile, immersive way.

This layered approach adds movement and dimension, encouraging children to explore the artwork as they move through the library, discovering new details each time.

THE CONCEPT

At the heart of the design was the importance of storytelling. To ensure the artwork feels timeless rather than trend-led, we included subtle references to traditional tales such as 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑏𝑏𝑖𝑡, 𝐽𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ, 𝑆𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝐷𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑓𝑠, 𝐴𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑦 𝐷𝑎𝑦𝑠, 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝐿𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑛, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑝, and classic Ladybird books.

By weaving together classic narrative themes and familiar storybook moments, the mural creates a sense of timelessness while remaining accessible and engaging for today’s pupils.

VISION AND VALUES

The school’s Vision and Values - 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁, 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 - were central to the brief, and we worked to weave these ideas thoughtfully into the design.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
Traditional heroes and villains sit happily together around a campfire. Beneath the main tree, two dwarfs work away alongside the quote “Respect is the root of friendship.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
Storybook creatures drift beneath the ocean, with an octopus sharing a C.S. Lewis quote: “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Inspired by Treasure Island, a determined pirate sails the seas, guided by a lighthouse character bearing Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words: “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆
Heidi walks through the mountains with one of her animal companions. The landscape features a mix of flags hanging together in harmony and flows into a rainbow waterfall with the quote: “We are different colours, but together we make a rainbow.”

THE RESULT

The completed mural transforms the library into an imaginative, welcoming space that celebrates reading and discovery. By combining a large-scale installation, layered die-cut elements and an interactive look and find activity, the artwork invites children to engage with stories beyond the page — reinforcing the library as a place of learning, creativity and wonder.