The Happy Half-Moon Girl
THE BOOK
My love for creativity and passion for books naturally led me to write my own story. The inspiration for "The Happy Half-Moon Girl" came when my newborn daughter had to wear a cast for hip dysplasia. The cast extended from her armpits to her ankles, but it never bothered her. Due to its half-moon shape, I affectionately called her my Happy Half Moon Girl. The name stuck, and a story quickly developed.
CHARACTER DESIGN
I aimed to create a strong female character for my book. I envisioned the Happy Half Moon Girl spreading happiness and positivity through dreams to all the sleeping children. I wanted her to be unique and stand out. After experimenting with several ideas and designs, the Happy Half Moon Girl underwent numerous changes and transformations. One of my earliest drawings depicted her with blue hair and wide eyes, resembling an electrocuted puppet. After countless sketches and failed attempts, I finally settled on an image I loved, dressing her in a blue space suit and helmet.
I wanted to keep the child character neutral and relatable. My goal is for every child who reads my book to be able to imagine themselves in each dream and feel like they are that child.
Storyboards
Once the characters were complete, I started putting my storyboards together and working on layouts and backgrounds. Initially, I kept my storyboards very rough to get a feel for the layout of the page and how the book would flow. I reworked the storyboards several times and made changes right up to the end, even adding two pages to the middle of the story.
What media to use
At first, I planned to create the book using watercolor pencils. I liked the sketchy and uneven yet smooth and warm look of the images in pencil. However, over time, I felt something was missing and was not completely happy with the finished look. I also experimented with watercolor paint and collage but ultimately decided to digitally illustrate each page. I scanned all my original drawings and reworked them in Adobe Illustrator, immediately knowing that this was the look I wanted for the finished book.
When the book was finished
My insecurity was ever-present, but through the encouragement of my husband and a nudge from some highly creative and talented people, I decided to push forward and bring my work out into the open. I did extensive research on publishers and read the "Children's Writers & Artists Yearbook 2020" from front to back. I sent my manuscript along with a query letter and some original sketches to all the relevant publishers and waited anxiously for a reply. I was thrilled the day I received an email from Olympia saying they loved the book and wanted to represent me. It has been a lot of hard work and dedication, especially with two small children taking up most of my time, not to mention a pandemic showing up out of nowhere! But it was also very enjoyable and rewarding, and I cannot wait to finish my second book and do it all again.
Testimonials
