Michael Hall specializes in making the complicated simple.

It’s a talent he has been honing since he began his design identity career more than 20 years ago.

A recent re-invention of his theme will be seen in his first book for children — “My Heart is Like a Zoo” — to be unveiled this Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. in Marine on St. Croix. Tom Maakstead will be holding a book launch for Hall at the Arts in General studio located above the Marine General Store.

“I’m anxious for the public to see Michael’s finished work,” Maakstead said. “Yes, it’s a children’s book, but I believe it will engage adults, too.”

Hall and his wife Debra Kelley are principals in the design firm Hall Kelley, Inc. that operates from a renovated barn on their property in Marine. If you have noticed the logo representing the Minnesota Historical Society, the one appearing on the signage for the City of St. Paul, or the logo on the side of a LifeLink helicopter, you have seen some of Hall’s work.

“In my work I use shapes to express concepts,” Hall said. “In thinking about the work I was doing as a designer, I wondered if I could use simple shapes to tell a story.”

Unlike most authors and illustrators, Hall began his book with the images.

“I started with a collection of intriguing animals designed with multiple combinations of heart shapes,” he said.

He presented the work to HarperCollins and they agreed to publish it under their imprint, Willowbooks. In fact, he has a three-book contract, with the next one to be release a year from now.

“I wasn’t sure I was ready to jump into this,” Hall said.

But he did, and it has been another leap for a man who began his career as a biochemistry teacher.

In addition to the book launch, Hall will also have some of the “out takes” — animals that didn’t make the cut. From 50 contenders, he had to cut to 20 characters. An animated version of the characters can be found at greenwillowblog.com.