It won't be on sale until July, but here's a sneak preview of How to Start Kindergarten; a fun little reader I illustrated for Penguin Random House. I'll be starting sketches for the next in the series, How NOT to Start First Grade, continuing the antics of Steve as he negotiates, manipulates, and charms his way through school, ultimately learning some lessons in the process.
On the first few days of kindergarten, Steve deals with his emotions and boundaries as he realizes he is being copied in every deed by his new friend, the very same friend he encouraged to " just do what I do:" Ahhh.... imitation; the sincerest form of flattery. But in this case, it becomes the most annoying thing that could ever happen to a kid. Here are a few of the illustrations from last spring.
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| first cover design sketch |
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| "Walk this way!" |
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When doing a beginning reader, the illustrator is often dealing with the rule of text on a white background, for the sake of easier readability. But for scenes with backgrounds it can be a challenge. As much as I understand the need for the white space, I always have the desire to complete the scene.
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| " Wait a minute, that's looking like MY tower". |
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| The teacher has something to announce, but Steve isn't interested. |
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| Steve tells his older brother Will all about his problem and Will listens intently. |
I am definitely going to complete these backgrounds just for my own satisfaction! There are many more illustrations to accompany this adventure, but I'm going to wait until the book release before I post any more. In the meantime, I'm going to reminisce about the matching dresses my Mom used to sew for my girlfriend and me.
