How we illustrate your child by hand

People sometimes ask if the illustrations are made by a machine. They are not. Every book is drawn by a real artist, and I am one of them. Here is how a child finds their way onto the page.

It starts with a few details

You tell us a little about your child. Their name, their hair color, the animal they love most, and a few things that make them, them. It does not take long, and it does not need to be perfect. A handful of true details is enough to begin.

Then we draw

I sketch the child first, lightly, the way you might hum a tune before you know the words. I am looking for the feeling of them more than an exact likeness: the way a four year old stands, the particular joy of a kid who just learned to jump.

From there the story takes shape around them. If the favorite animal is a fox, the fox shows up on more pages than you would expect. Small choices like that are what make a book feel personal rather than printed.

The goal is not a portrait. The goal is a child who looks at the page and says, that is me.

Color, and a lot of patience

Once the drawing feels right, we add color by hand. Warm light for the cozy pages, deeper tones for the brave ones. We check the details you gave us one more time, because the curls and the freckles are the parts a child notices first.

Before it prints

Nothing goes to print until you have seen it. We send a full preview, and you can ask for changes. Maybe the jacket should be green, or the rabbit needs to be a little smaller. We are glad to adjust. It is your child, and it should look like them.

When the hardcover finally arrives, it has fingerprints of real work in it. That is the part we are proud of, and the part we hope you feel when you turn the first page.