thoughts on children's books...

Everyone loves children's books.

They are fun, joyful, colorful and educational.

They are also a challenge to write and illustrate! Children's books may be easy to read--but it's a lot of work to make them that way.

Kids are harsh critics. Upon reading a book, a child can yawn and proclaim "I'm BORED!" and all dreams of the writer are dashed in that moment. The book is tossed in a corner of their bedroom, forgotten forever. Thrown in the donation box. Gone.

Conversely, a kid can turn and touch the pages with wide-eyed wonderment. All is quiet except for the faint rustle of little fingers on paper. Aha--gotcha, kid. You will not forget this book.

That is when the writer knows they wrote a book that can stay in that child's heart for a lifetime.

I still remember the treasured books of my childhood. They were my comfort, my joy--they also lit a fire. I wanted to write and draw all day, everyday. I wanted to be Marguerite Henry AND Wesley Dennis.

I remember the names of the writers and the illustrators. I remember curling up with my big Richard Scarry books when I stayed home from school, banished to bed with a head cold. I would wrap the blankets around me and let Mr. Scarry's funny stories and delightful illustrations warm my insides.

I remember studying and absorbing King of the Wind. Justin Morgan Had a Horse. Misty of Chincoteague. Sea Star.

Black Beauty. Billy and Blaze.

Charlotte's Web. The House at Pooh Corner.

Little House on the Prairie. Farmer Boy.

The Great Red Horse is a work from my heart, and the text and outline are pretty much finished. Now, the real fun part: illustrating.

I start with preliminary pencil sketches, and once I decide on a final composition, I transfer the drawing via light table to watercolor paper, give it a pen outline, and finish it with a watercolor wash.

I like to draw on cold, rainy days- I sit in my favorite easy chair with a pad in my lap and I draw like I am a kid again. I let my imagination run free and allow my pencil to fly.

I do these preliminary drawings with no rules, boundaries or restrictions. Loose, expressive, quick. I rein in and tighten the sketch only after my imagination is allowed to escape. I kick up my heels a bit, and I think this helps the final drawing convey a sense of real playfulness.

UC Ringmaster is my friend, my muse. My hope is to create a worthy tribute to this noble chestnut horse. I want him to be remembered for generations. He deserves it.

above illustration: UC Ringmaster as a foal, by Helen Scanlon. copyright 2010.