"Maraldia - City of Orphans" children's book cover progression

I sent off a few articles for The Street newspaper last week and we will see if they use them. The air is changing and its hard to believe its October already! A year ago I had the pleasure of illustrating
"Maraldia - City of Orphans" for author Paul Schonschack, Amazon link here and what a treat it was. It is an amazing story full of hope and all profits go to the Zambia orphanage, Living Hope International (LHI).

I had my husband pose his hand holding a Christmas ornament for the cover of this children's book. Originally in natural colors as the story is set in a small village, think a shire like in The Hobbit,  I used vegetable dye and hand purposed colors of the forest.  He wanted a striped shirt, pirate style, and a golden carved ornament (the whole look of the book was to be  sketchy Alice in Wonderland styled pen and inks). It seemed a bit bland, so I did a second cover for the novel in crystalline primary colors to reflect the age group a bit more and have more shelf appeal.

 

The last was the final used on the cover of "Maraldia - City of Orphans" and I love it!

Dyann Joyce

Dyann Joyce : Writing Adventures of a Children's Book Author Illustrator 

Navigation through the world of Children's Book Publishing. This writing blog focuses on the writing aspect of Picture Books (PB), Chapter Books (CB), Middle Grade (MG), New Adult (NA) and Young Adult (YA) books and offers tips, insight, querying help, social media help, tax and business side, and advice as one author illustrator makes her way (as she waits for art projects to come to fruition while having queries out). Welcome and enjoy!

For more focus on the art side of Children's Books, fee free to visit my visual Children's Book art portfolio is Dyann Joyce Adventures of a Illustrator Author and my project-based blog is there with my current art projects and upcoming books I have illustrated.