Before I can create anymore illustrations, I need to have finished my story so that I know what images can support the text.
I have completed a first draft for my story, trying to include rhyming and repetition which are two commonly used features of children’s books. I have also called the protagonist (giraffe) George as the double ‘G’ is alliteration which is also a common feature of children’s books.
Along with a colour scheme, any good children’s book will have a strong typeface to support it. This may include one typeface for the main title of the book and then a different, maybe contrasting, typeface for the content.
Here is my typeface trial:
I think I will use a handwritten style typeface for the title of my book and then possibly a rounded sans-serif font for the text in my book.
For now I am going with the title ‘What’s Wrong, George?’ which will be what all of the other Savannah animals ask George the giraffe when he is looking sad and walking about alone. Repeating content from the book as the title is a good way of using repetition in a children’s book, which is one of the key ways of a child acquiring language.
Before I can experiment any further with character creation and backgrounds, I need to create a colour scheme to base my work on.
For research, I have looked at photos of the Savannah (where my story will be set) and have pulled some key colours out from the photos.
I have discovered that the colour palate I choose will either be rich or pastel-y, depending on which looks best when I begin to create my characters and background. I might switch some colours around so that the sky is not blue and the grass is not green to subvert children’s stereotypes and add something different to my story.
I think I will go with the top right hand colour and possibly add a green for my own colour scheme…
Today I thought I would try out using a graphics tablet as I think that is how a lot of children’s books are illustrated now.
This was my first attempt…
Then I had a go at drawing a giraffe for my own story…
Which turned out better than expected. I may use these giraffes in my story so will save them for now. I have decided the one on the left is a beautiful girl giraffe and the one on the right is a male giraffe that has no markings.
I have also drawn a lion that looks a bit like Scar from the Lion King.
And am trying to figure out a landscape for my story.
The target audience of a children’s book is very important. In fact, it is probably more important than with an adult book as children develop their literacy skills so fast and change so quickly. You also want to challenge a child, so you would not give a 10 year old a picture book with single sentences. You also wouldn’t give a 4 year old a book that is text heavy. So this all has to be considered when creating a children’s book.
As I would like to make a book that focuses more on the images than on the text, I have decided to aim my book at pre school children (3-5 year olds). It will include 1 or 2 sentences on each page and will rely on the images to help the child tell the story and guess the vocabulary if they are struggling.
Now that I have determined my age group, I have decided to look at the best-selling books aimed at preschool children on the Waterstones website.
As Stick Man is the best-selling book,I have decided to look into it.
Stick Man was published in 2008 by the same lady who created The Gruffalo (Julia Donaldson). The book is about a stick that goes for a jog. A dog then picks up the stick and plays with it, children play poo-sticks with it, a swan makes a nest with it, a boy makes a mast for his sandcastle with it and an arm for a snowman with it, a family use him as firewood and then finally santa comes down the chimney on him and takes him back to his stick family.
The book personifies the stick, making him sound like a human so that children can feel empathy.
The book is beautifully rhymed which is something I could have a go at:
“Stick Man lives in the family tree,
With his stick lady love and their stick children 3.
One day he wakes early and goes for a jog.
Stick Man, oh, Stick Man, beware of the dog!”
The illustrations are fairly simple and easy to follow but they are effective and pleasing to the eye. I will admit that even I enjoyed looking at the Stick Man book which shows that children’s books can appeal to all ages.
Stick Man has been so successful that it was animated for Christmas Day last year on BBC One.
