Illustration Workshop Entries - Concept

Here we have the 3 entries for our children's book illustration challenge. The three entries are going to be developed and, with collaboration through the blog, we will help the illustrators work these concepts down to a finalized book in the fall, ready to print. Thank you for your continual interest, you guys make this fun for me and I hope you feel the same way. Let's get working! Leave a bunch of comment dialogue to begin this process.

Story Concept) Kristi G.


So here is my book idea. It is very rough - so don't expect a lot right now. I want to make a very girly book with lots of pink and glitter, but would also like to contrast that with boy-ish stuff too. There are a lot of girl specific and boy specific books out, but not many celebrating both together. I would like to show off both sides and also maybe show the wonderful differences between first, second, and third children. The idea is of a group of three little boys coming over for a play date to a house of three little girls. At first they are excited to see each other, but they can not agree on what to play together. Once it seems hopeless, they see a swing set in the background. Then they decide on lots of things they can play together. By the time they go, the girls are wearing some of the pirate gear the boys were wearing at the beginning of the book, and they boys have babies and wands in tote. I want the pictures to do most of the talking and would like it easy for beginning readers, so each page will have one to two words. Here are the words I have come up with for each page so far. 1.Playdate!! 2.Princess? 3.No, Pirates! 4.Karate? 5.No, Ballet! 6. Babies!Barbies! Cars!trains! 7.Bouquets! Mud! 8. (no words, just some frustrated faces and some looking hopefully at the swings) 9.Swing! 10.crafts! 11.Music! 12. books! 13. see you soon.

I am going to have to do some research on boys. I have found that while sketching some ideas, I did not know what boys wear, how to draw their hair, how to draw a car let alone how to draw a boy playing with it.


Story Concept) Scott W.

Well since Kristi and her girls liked the bubble girl so much (Becca said her name should be Heather) I realized I have a story here. Here are some ideas so far (feel free to add and remove any ideas): The moment she meets her bubble friend, a struggle begins: to save her friend from popping. She tries a leaf and her mom lends a fan...Wind also aids in sending them on a small chase through a field (past a windmill) and into a river. She finally catches the bubble in a jar with the fan underneath so the bubble friend can hover. But the bubble friend, excited to be reunited with his friend, tries to fly through the glass and "pop!" Devastated to lose her friend, the girl drifts down the river on her piece of wood until she hears something on the banks and sees a little boy chasing his own bubble friend, together they help preserve that bubble's life and then later build a house where bubble friends can live longer lives.

All comments desired...I'd especially love to hear all the bubble ideas Kristi and her girls came up with.


Story Concept) Nate S.

The story I’m working on currently is centered on a new fairy learning how to fit into the world around her. Her job is hard and not exactly what she would love to be doing so eventually she finds she needs to put her personality and vitality into what she does and badabing badaboom; there you have the true story of the Tooth Fairy and how she came to be. I really envision it being a magical journey for the young fairy and hope to dispel some misunderstandings that we humans have from the media. My inspiration for this story comes from the writing style and illustrations in the old classic Winnie the Pooh story. I love reading that book to my little girl and I want to make a book that I can read to her. I’m afraid I may be too vague but ask questions if you have some and I’ll gladly answer as long as I don’t give away the conclusion. Please let me know what you think.