Where the Story Begins •
Before picture books ever become fully illustrated, text-filled, polished pages, they start as thumbnails. Thumbnails are tiny, rough sketches that help me plan the whole story, page by page. With these little drawings, one can map out where the text will go, shape the illustrations to better tell the story, and build the rhythm of the book, including those exciting page turns that keep little ones reading.
Thumbnails get erased and redrawn so much that the paper is wears thin, but that’s okay. It means the story is getting clearer, stronger, and coming together in a way that feels right.
Here’s a thumbnail from a first picture book. It’s a great example of how tiny and rough these sketches are, and how much they help plan the story long before the illustrations begin.
It’s exciting to watch a picture book start small, like a thumbnail, and then grow into something big and wonderful for children. All the erasing and redrawing is just a natural part of that growth. The story will find its shape, one tiny sketch at a time.
Happy Reading!