Huzzah for Summer!

THE KING OF BOOKS comes out in just five weeks! So it’s time for part two of a behind-the-scenes peek into how the book was made.

Last time I shared my writing and character design journey. Today I will share a few key tools I use when working on a book. First is the color story. I like to see the whole book on one sheet so I can plan out the use of color and picture it more like a film.

Second is my palette. I work digitally, using a “brush” that requires two color values, hence the two circles for most of the elements. This helps maintain a consistent look from start to finish. The King’s nose always looks the same, as well as the coconuts! And by limiting the number of book colors it feels more uniform.

Third is my progress sheet. I hang this next to me so I can keep on schedule and boy is it satisfying to scribble each finished page off when done!

Now I want to talk about the books. Oh, all the books. My deadline was very tight so during my first pass, I left the book covers blank.

Thankfully, I had time at the end to go back and add simple drawings to the covers. I enjoyed putting little easter eggs throughout: my other book covers, fairy tales, my doodle mail mouse, and of course my favorite gag - duplicating what is happening in the art. Do you recognize my hippo drawing sheet here?

And finally, the cover. When I worked on the dummy I had drawn several sample covers.

But the publisher wanted to create a comp, with sales approval, that I would then take to final. At first, I was thrown off, but I’m glad I leaned into their expertise. My designer for the book was Mike Burroughs. He did an AMAZING job with the hand-lettered type and couldn’t be happier.

I had also talked to Mike and my editor, Anna Roberto, about an old (bad) idea I had when working on the story that involved a cannon. I shared some sketches and (minus the cannon) we used the idea on the jacket flap. It’s one of my favorite things to draw - a close whisper in the ear, “psst” moment and I love that it made its way into the book after all. I also put a mini-author portrait on the book he’s holding.

My first three bookstore events have been scheduled. Starting at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, NH on July 15th at 10:30am. Then to my home bookstore, Water Street Bookstore on July 17th at 11am (look for a KING-themed window display the week before!) And then up to Portland, Maine to Back Cove Books on July 20th at 11am. I am also thrilled to share that I will be at the Warwick Children’s Book Festival in Warwick, NY on October 12th.

I also would LOVE any support you could offer as I approach KING’s release day. You can read the digital F&G here, leave reviews, request at your library, or reach out for an author interview or event. I truly appreciate each and every bit of support - thank you!

This month’s drawing sheet was inspired by a recent post on Bluesky, asking if anyone knew what kind of bird was in their backyard. I shared the photo and it was quickly identified as a Lady Amherst Pheasant. Could you imagine finding this colorful and regal bird wandering around your flower beds? It seemed like the perfect animal to share for Pride Month, with its absolute rainbow of colors. I also found a great short video where you can see how spectacular it looks when moving and ruffling its feathers and tail. It is much harder but might be a fun challenge for your older or more advanced artists.

Adding to my busy life, we are taking a family trip to Switzerland later this month! We are spending time in Lucerne, Zermot, Grindelwald, Murren, and Lauterbruennen. If you have any recommendations (bookstores???) or advice I would love to hear them. Next month look for some amazing photos from the trip, and a KING giveaway!