Growing Bookworms – illustrating children’s books #childrensfiction #growingbookworms #readingcommunity
Posted: July 10, 2024 Filed under: Animals, Birds, Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Illustrations, Writing | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Illustrations, Kid's Series, My Backyard Friends series, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read 47 Comments
I have always loved reading. I started reading at the age of four years old and have never stopped. I consume books like dinners. When I was a little girl, I used to read books from the library. I didn’t own many books myself. I loved books with bold and bright illustrations and I always think of Richard Scarry’s books first.
Richard Scarry used personification for the animals in his books. They all walk and talk like humans and they wear clothes. They are delightful, but they are not representative of the world of nature and the reality of nature. When I was little, I knew about animals. I was exposed to them and I knew that milk came from cows, eggs came from chickens, and other things about meat that I’ve always tried not to think about to much. As I grew older, I read other books that included the personification of animals. One of my favourite books in this genre is Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
Last year, when I discovered an aptitude for drawing and painting, I thought I would turn my hand to creating pictures of the animals and birds I love so much. I have now created several animal pictures which you can see on my art page here:
In June 2023, Kaye Lynne asked me if I would like to illustrate her My Backyard Friends books. I thought about it and decided to give it a go, even though I hadn’t ever tried to do drawn/painted illustrations before. I was busy at the time with creating the illustrations and story for my latest children’s book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe.
Before embarking on illustrating books for children, I reflected for some time on what the best type of illustration would be for modern children. Children who grow up in cities now don’t have much interaction with animals. They don’t know that milk comes from cows and eggs come from chickens. I decided it was necessary for them to see the reality of the animal world and not a fantasy, personified versions. Especially given the Sixth Mass Extinction our planet is currently facing with the endangerment of many of our animal species world wide. If believed it was better for children to be exposed to wildlife in a true and natural way. I hoped it would help to stimulate interest and passion for our animals. Afterall, our children are the next generation and will have to carry the torch for the salvation of what is left of the animal kingdom.
It is for these reasons that my drawings and paintings of wildlife and birds in my own children’s books and in Kaye Lynne’s children’s books are based off real photographs and are not personified or animated in any way. I am happy with how the illustrations have worked out and I hope that they will make a small difference towards saving our limited supply of remaining animals and birds.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
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This segment of “Growing Bookworms” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Pre-Oder Your Copy Now.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
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We read a lot of Richard Scarry books to our children. You started reading early. It really surrpised me that you discovered your aptitude for drawing and painting last year. I thought that is something you would have discovered earlier. Illustrating animals for children is a great way to use your talent.
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Hi Thomas, I love Richard Scarry and still have a pile of his books. I read them to my boys too. I was always artistic but never tried drawing until last year March.
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That is interesting
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Robbie, I like your philosophy of drawing realistic animals for children’s books (even as your animal drawings still have a great artistic flair). But those Richard Scarry books (with their “humanized” animals and much more amid the clutter) were indeed fun!
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Hi Dave, I love Richard Scarry so this wasn’t intended to detract from his creative genius. I was just explaining my approach aimed at modern children 🌞
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He was definitely a creative genius!
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🌹
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My boys and I used to read the Richard Scarry books. They were always fun, but I agree it’s also important for kids to see animals as they really are.
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Hi Teri, I love Richard Scarry. I just feel that the removal of city children from nature and animals in our current electronic necessitates a different approach.
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i am a huge fan of children’s books
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Me too, Beth 💝🌼
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I’m so glad you chose to show the animal illustrations in their natural habitat. Love the beaver!
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Thank you, Jennie. I think our children need to learn the reality of the animal kingdom.
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Yes! Best to you, Robbie.
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How blessed this world is, to have YOU, Robbie, sharing your time and talents! I so appreciate you.
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Thank you, Annette. Your comments always lift my spirits. 🤗💛
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I agree with depicting animals as realistically as possible Robbie. You are so talented and have no doubt you would be in great demand as an illustrator. xxx
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Hi Sally, thank you. I’m pleased you like my paintings.
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Are there no end to your talents, woman?! I also love being creative…but my various efforts at animals were abysmal beside my natural artist son’s creations… so I’m sticking to writing…Onwards and upwards.
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Hi Joy, I actually like drawing and painting more than I like writing. Except for poetry, which I write to pictures.
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Richard Scarry books were very popular when our children were growing up. I agree, book illustrations make or break a book, especially for children. Adults or children, you seem to have the talent to reach all ages.
One line I especially honed into: I consume books like dinners. So, do I. Last year I read 59 books according to Good Reads. Michelle Obama claims that her husband, the former President, “inhales books.” Ha!
I am SO sorry your aunt has had a relapse. Aging is hard for both the person involved and her relatives. Hugs! ((( )))
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Thank you, Marian. Illustrations on books are part of the learning process offered by that book 📕. I read a great deal. I survived Covid through reading and writing
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My little brother and I just about wore out our copy of Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy World. Hours of imaginative play inspired by that book! I’ll be interested in hearing how children respond to the realistic illustrations.
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Hi Liz, indeed, I also loved Richard Scarry. But I also know real animals and their behaviour which is the difference between them and I.
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You continue to amaze me Robbie. I like the stitched look of your beaver.
My children really liked Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad illustrations and also Garth Williams and Lillian Hoban’s illustrations for the Francis books. And of course EH Shephard’s Pooh. (K)
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Hi Kerfe, thank you that is wonderful to know I know Pooh but I’ll have to look up the other.
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Robbie, I am so pleased that you’ve chosen to share something about your newfound talent. I saw your artwork and immediately thought of my children’s series, just waiting for the right illustrator. And I can’t tell you how pleased I am with your illustrations for my books. You really brought my characters to life for young readers. For children’s books, illustrations seem to make the books, and certainly did with the My Backyard Friends series books. I think maybe young readers are more visual than adult readers. I can’t wait for the release and the tour next week to show the books and your illustrations off.
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My pleasure, Kaye. I forgot to add the purchase link so please feel free to add it. It’s been a mad house. I spent 8 hours in the ER on Tuesday night so I was a zombie yesterday 💞
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MBF sponsored the segment so I did add them with the sponsorship. 😚
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🌈💖
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Your illustrations are wonderful, Robbie. That’s a good idea to make the pictures realistic for today’s generation. 😊
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Thank you, Kay. I’m so pleased you like my illustrations.
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You’re welcome, Robbie. I pray your aunt recovers soon! 🙏
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Thank you 🌼
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I’m sorry to learn of your aunt’s relapse, Robbie, and I obviously hope she is well very soon.
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Thank you, Danny. She’s 89 so it’s really hard as she gets so scared 💕
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Shared both posts on Twitter for you, Robbie.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you, Pete
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WONDERFUL!
Congratulations to Kaye Lynne! You picked the perfect person to illustrate your books.
Robbie, you are a modern day hero. You already know that I have the utmost respect for your work. As a vegetarian since childhood, I realized early on where meat came from. I never liked it, but some of our meals when I was a child were either almost all meat, eggs or dairy.
I became a vegetarian at 17.
Hooray for the animals!
Cheers to both of you!
PS. Wind in the Willows was a fave of mine.
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Thank you, Resa. Robbie is the perfect person. She did a wonderful job illustrating characters that are from my neck of the woods and she has never seen, except in photos. I so enjoy the animals and birds which visit me. These stories are one way to share that enjoyment with others. 🙂
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Thank you, Kaye. I’m delighted you like the pictures.
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Hi Resa, you say the kindest things. Thank you. I am so pleased you like Wind in the Willow. I love that book and adore Badger 🌈
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🌈 Me too! 💨 Wind in a rainbow in the willow.
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😁🧡🎨
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xx
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Robbie, I think it’s wonderful that you are showing animals in realistic ways to educate the next generation. And how wonderful that you have teamed up with Kaye for this pursuit in books. I read The Wind in the Willows as a girl, but not the Richard Scarry books.
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Hi Christy, thank you. I’m glad you like the idea. Wind in the Willows is a delightful book.
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