PETRICHOR

Illustration & book design: Inga Krause
PETRICHOR
– A Bike Ride through the City

Silent Book

Prick your ears, open your eyes and nostrils, and dive into the mysterious, colorful world of the city! A frightening thunderstorm? Feel how beautifully the rain hits your skin, how the thunder roars in your ears! An annoying traffic jam? Cycle right past it! Where others see nothing but everyday gray, you get to enjoy what makes the city special. Like “Petrichor”, the smell of rain on dry earth.

Inga Krause’s picture book debut follows its protagonist, Isaak, on a bike ride through the metropolis. Eccentric but lovable city dwellers greet him from the curb, colorful facades sparkle next to gray asphalt…This wordless picture book gives a stage to the small, everyday moments that often go unnoticed. Its vivid visuals make readers feel like they can actually smell the “Petrichor” rising from its pages.

Inga Krause: “Creating PETRICHOR while I was still a student ended up having an enormous impact on my style. Using little real-life collages as sketches, I was so fascinated by the process of hastily cutting things out and discovering the huge range of textures pens and paper can have that I was determined to stick to this playful type of aesthetics. Also, the collage thing went great with the “city” subject because the different textures, the stark contrasts, and the way things come together symbolize the very nature of a city.”

“PETRICHOR! – I didn’t even know this fabulous word existed until Inga presented it to me with her wonderful picture book. There’s so many discoveries to make on every single one of its pages: tiny and gigantic ones, sometimes drawn in fine lines, sometimes in quiet ones, sometimes dressed in garish colors. I promise you, every time you join Inga’s heroes on their journey, you’ll be delighted to discover something new.” Cornelia Funke

• PETRICHOR is one of the 100 Outstanding Picturebooks 2025

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