My Children’s Book Is Coming to Life

There have been a lot of exciting moments in this process, but this one feels different.

Benny’s Tummy Monster is starting to look like a real book!

As a first-time children’s book author, one of the things I’m learning is just how many steps happen between writing the words and holding a finished book in your hands. I certainly didn’t know what all of those steps were when I started.

After completing the storyboard, we moved into color concepts. This is an early stage where color is added to the storyboard—not as finished artwork, but as a way to begin establishing the colors, mood, and overall feel of the book.

And wow, what a difference color makes!

For months, I’ve had this story and these characters living in my imagination. Then I saw the storyboard and was able to watch the scenes take shape. But adding color brought an entirely different kind of energy to Benny’s world.

For the first time, I could step back and see how the book might feel as a whole.

I’m sharing two of those color concepts here, including a look at the storyboard and the early concept for the front and back cover. These are not the finished illustrations—there is still plenty of work ahead—but I love being able to share a little bit of what happens behind the scenes.

One thing I’m realizing about writing a children’s book is that there isn’t just one big moment when your book suddenly becomes real. There are lots of little moments.

Finishing the manuscript was one.

Seeing the first sketches was another.

And now, seeing Benny’s world in color is definitely one more.

There is still a ways to go before I get to hold the finished book in my hands, but with every new step, Benny’s Tummy Monster feels a little less like an idea I once had and a little more like the book I hoped it could become.

And I have to admit... seeing that little green monster in color for the first time was pretty exciting.

On to the next step!