the playing fields

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'Toys', the result of more than ten years of travels round the world, with text by Jeremy Seabrook and poetry by Imme Dros, has been published in Dutch and English by Mets & Schilt in Amsterdam, and in German by Editions Braus in Heilderberg. It is distributed by Pluto Books in the UK and by the University of Michigan Press in the USA. You may order the book by following the above links depending on your territory.

Play is precious to children. Itis a time for growing and learning or just having fun.The toys children play with tellus much about their lives. Many poorer children can’t take them for granted.They may have to work, or fight a war, or they are refugees on the run. Yeteven in the worst situations you find children making do with wonderfullyimprovised toys made from tin cans, wire or wood, whatever they can lay theirhands on.As a photojournalist, I havecovered children’s issues for many years, and have witnessed a fair amount ofinjustice and poverty around the world.As a father, I became involvedwith my children’s fascination with toys and their ability to play as anintegral part of their life and education. It became my personal crusade to document the world oftoys and games, from the factory to the playground via the shopping mall, fromrich kids to humble shantytown and rural children.