Today I finished an alphabet book project that has kept me occupied for two years. A,B,Cbooks are examples of children's concept books -well-told stories intended to teach basic knowledge. Creating this book re-taught some valuable lessons - patience, deliberation, and research.
I've sometimes balked at illustrating narrative picture-books, because I found the job of drawing the same figures over and over unappealing. An alphabet book gives me the opportunity to tell twenty-six different stories in words and pictures. Humor also became a way to keep the writing from becoming didactic. Laughter can be a great learning tool.
A is for Anteater has been through many edits and drawing revisions, and my goal is to make it look as simple as A-B-C.
