Wondertime's mission is to help parents find inspiration in the everyday experience of raising kids and so our design, for starters, is crafted to be easy on the senses. Because when you're a crazy-busy parent, inspiration often comes as a result of reflection. To that purpose, we consciously use white space as a prominent element to give the reader some breathing room. We make sure that layout and typography are understated to allow the photographs to make the biggest impact. Smooth and soothing matte paper holds this mood. The reason for all this is we get, we really get, that parents need (and deserve) some peace to enjoy the luxury of perspective. And they've told us they're grateful for this scenic value: "I love the tone and the design of Wondertime," wrote one reader. "It seems to slow you down, visually, after your day of hectic primary colors and quick-changing pictures." Said another: "I have loved every issue. I cannot say that about any other magazine. The design is simple and inviting."

Another of Wondertime's missions is to stoke its readers' passion for gaining firsthand insight into a child's world. And in our imagery and design, we do just that, transporting readers to realms they'd like to explore with their kids, stirring up feelings prompted by life with their kids, and conjuring iconic memories from their own childhoods. We believe the stories in Wondertime are so strong they create their own visuals. And when deciding how to depict those stories, we try to find ways to surprise the reader with unique points of view. Our photographers pull this off with unusual compositions, unexpected angles, and different vantage points--through a child's eyes, a parent's eyes, a bird's eye; from over, under, up close, and far away.

And at all of our photo shoots, we let kids be kids--they lead and we follow their direction--since they provide the most unaffected and real solution to any situation.

We also try to vary our photographic styles: portrait, lifestyle, reportage, fine art, and photo illustration. Rather than try to literally illustrate Pete Nelson's funny story about why kids find "potty talk" irresistible, for instance, we chose JJ Sulin, a whimsical, ironic fine art photographer, to shoot a hypothetical scene from a '50s bathroom where the potty talk ran rampant behind closed doors ("Potty Talk," June, page 68). In "How to Bullyproof Your Child" (September, page 98), we got Claudia Goetzelmann, a fashion photographer, to portray the power of kids standing firm, superhero-style, against bullying--instead of a more trite approach of trotting out mean-faced bullies. This kind of fresh take--real, original, unpredictable photography--has won over our audience, as one reader attests: "The competition cannot touch your fresh and creative layouts and visuals." The images remind readers of their own kids, somehow. And along the way, our photographer's cameras become the parents' eyes gazing back, with love and understanding, at their children as they change and grow. As another reader wrote: "I'd buy it just for the photos."


Mission Statement:
Wondertime helps parents find inspiration in the everyday experience of raising kids. Provocative and original, the magazine goes beyond generic parenting advice, banking on its readers' intelligence, shared humor, and passion for gaining firsthand insight into a child's world. Offering a mix of compelling developmental information, playful learning activities, and insights into the highs and lows of parenting, Wondertime helps parents feel connected--to one another, to intriguing new thinking about the art and science of rearing kids, and, most important, to their children.


Reader Profile:
Wondertime's reader is a mom in her 30s, educated and education minded. She approaches raising her young children thoughtfully and confidently, and wants the insights into how they learn and grow to be informed by experts, but delivered by parents like herself (readers often tell us that their experience with Wondertime is like chatting with a group of friends over coffee). Among the many parenting titles she could turn to, our reader chooses Wondertime because it speaks so directly to her--with humor, candor, intelligence, and an appreciation for this transformative time in her life.