It’s hard enough working on a book yourself, but collaborating with an illustrator can mean an additional level of difficulty, as it requires coordination and more planning before publication.
‘I have worked in librarianship and publishing for many years and can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people say that picture books must be “easy” to create, given the limited word count and child-friendly art. On the contrary, when you really stop to think about it, creating rich characters and emotionally impactful stories in a few hundred words is really tough. And illustrations in children’s books are not simply decorative; they carry the load of complementing and expanding the narrative, including dynamic visual literacy opportunities, as well as increasing engagement. Importantly, Australia’s best children’s illustrators are accomplished artists in their own rights, often exhibiting and working across a range of projects,’ says Gray.
