Paddington Bear. Reading those two words probably brought an image into your mind of a little bear wearing a blue jacket and a red hat. The timeless children’s book is loved both for the beautiful words of Michael Bond and the illustrations that capture the essence of Paddington and bring the book to life. After all, when you read the words “Paddington Bear”, you probably pictured a bear and his marmalade sandwiches before remembering a quote from the book. Just as this example shows, illustrations can transform a children's book, continue reading to find out how bespoke illustrations can enhance your self-published children’s book.

Looking for bespoke illustrations to bring your self-published children’s book to life? Find out more about our bespoke book illustration commissions here.

How bespoke illustrations bring clarity to your self-published children’s book 

When it comes to your self-published children’s book, one of the most important ways that bespoke illustrations can enhance your book is by making the concepts in your book easier for children to understand. Bespoke illustrations can be used to bring life to the main themes and key points in the book, helping your young readers to understand the most important parts of the plot.

Bespoke illustrations can provide extra information about characters and scenes which are not included in the text. Whilst children are learning to read, books can be confusing and so the illustrations support their reading, to help them understand the story. Being able to understand the story is vital for ensuring that children enjoy reading your self-published book.

How bespoke illustrations can help children to enjoy your self-published book

Illustrations can help to emphasise the tone of your self-published book and this can make the book more enjoyable to read. The book images are particularly important if your self-published book is aimed at young children who are likely to have the book read to them, as they can enjoy looking at the illustrations whilst listening to the story. The bespoke illustrations can therefore help to keep the children’s attention on storytime and help them to get lost in the book.

Bespoke illustrations are designed to capture the reader’s imagination, not show them the whole story. By having your characters illustrated, young readers are more aware of the characters and how they appear. The illustrations can therefore help make your book more interactive, with the illustrations sparking the imagination of young readers so they can imagine the story and visualise the different possibilities for the characters. 

How bespoke illustrations can help encourage people to purchase your self-published children’s book

The initial tone of your self-published book and how it is perceived will be judged by shoppers largely on the illustrations and title. As well as influencing the tone, the bespoke illustrations that you choose for your self-published book can help to make your book more attractive. The illustrations can also help shoppers to determine the age range that the book is aimed at and whether it is suitable for your young reader. Not only can bespoke illustrations enhance your self-published children’s book but they can also encourage people to purchase your book.

The importance of finding the best illustrator for your self-published children’s book

Bespoke illustrations can enhance your self-published children’s book and so it is vital that you find the right illustrator. When looking for the right illustrator for your children’s book, consider which illustration style would be best suited to your book. For example, my children’s book illustrations usually have watercolour backgrounds that I work on top of. Other important considerations when looking for an illustrator include the timescale you are working with and who the book is aimed at, for more information take a look at my article on how to find the best illustrator for your children’s book.

Enhancing your Self-Published Children’s Book with Bespoke Illustrations

Bespoke illustrations can enhance your children’s book by bringing the book to life whilst also helping the young reader to both understand and enjoy the story. On a more practical level, the illustrations that accompany your children’s book can draw people in and encourage shoppers to purchase your book.

Find out more about how I can bring your self-published children’s book to life with bespoke illustrations here.