Opportunity for First-Timers 

Even experienced children’s authors & illustrators like these had to start somewhere.

( l-r Jen Mc Veity, Felicity Marshall, Krista Bell, (Hazel), Meredith Costain, Corinne Fenton, Susanne Gervay)

Photo credit: Meredith Fuller

Picture Book Opportunity for First-Timers

Schools set create-a-book projects and adults wish to design their own. Many ask Hazel for mentoring hints.

Most first-timers do not realise creating picture books is a BIG challenge.

So , as an inbetween step, Hazel offered her text (words) based on existing, unpublished  stories for students to use.

To encourage:

• beginners to explore techniques based on an existing manuscript
• appreciation of the time and skills needed in creating a work
• discussion of issues within the stories
• diversity of cross cultural stories & viewpoints

Picture Book Text for YOU to illustrate

A new story ‘Body Parts’ by Hazel has been added here so you can experiment with it as a picture book project.

(Rights remain of original text with Hazel Edwards)

Body Parts for Hazel Edwards’ Picture Book Exercise_.pdf

This is also suitable for teenagers and family historians to illustrate.

Hints

A picture book is usually 24 or 32 pages.

• Allow thinking/planning time.
• Look at lots of picture books for design ideas.
• Play with a storyboard,deciding where text and illustrations will go.
• Where will you make the page breaks? Allow for title page and endpapers.
• Design a cover so the title can be easily read and illustrations hint at the most important ideas in the story.
• Add names of author and illustrator(you).
• Or make a dummy book. Consider an app?
• Decide on the kind of illustrations: Photos? Cartoons? Collage? Pen and ink? Colour?
• Who will be your audience?  Age? Reading ability?
• Write a 2 line back cover blurb