Playtime

I’m so excited to share my latest project, which officially hits shelves today! My First Pickleball Paddle and My First Cowboy Boots were written by Daria Harper, illustrated by me, and published by Ten Speed Young Readers. And if that wasn’t exciting enough, I’m currently working on the next books in the series! This project was especially fun for two reasons: Anthropomorphic characters.

January felt like 10 years long, am I right? February, no comment. Oh, hello, March.

As the year wraps up and the holidays approach, I am sending out one last newsletter before it’s all over. I want to thank you for being part of my tiny world and for letting me show up in your inbox. This year has been the busiest, book-wise. I’ve had the pleasure of working on more books than I’ve ever worked on, and I don’t take that lightly. It’s the most incredible honor to be part of this world and to be asked to illustrate a book. I’m wholeheartedly grateful.

Before I dive into today’s topic, I want to take you back to where my board book journey began. In 2017, I received an unexpected email that turned into a four-book series; my very first board book project. These books completely shaped the direction of my career and my love for this format. Today, I’m sharing a peek into that first project, including old sketches (please send 2017 Denise some love) and how my process has stayed surprisingly consistent over the years.

Welcome friends, to the first episode of my interview series, where I sit down and chat with baby board book creators. When I started planning this series, the first person I thought of was Lizzy Doyle, also known as Lizzy Dee. We met early in her career as students together in Sabina Radeva’s Design Garden Trends course, and I immediately knew she had something special. Lizzy is a designer and illustrator known for her most popular baby board book, ‘8 Little Planets’.

Today, I want to share with you a few of the most popular types of baby board books. You might be asking, “Denise, why does this even matter?” Great question my friend! It helps to understand what’s being published, because the more you know about the market, the better prepared you are to work in it. Seeing which types of baby board books are out there might spark an idea for a portfolio piece or even inspire you to write your own.

When I think of baby board books, I picture chewed corners, shiny thick cardboard pages, and bright colorful illustrations. Books that are meant to be tossed, stacked, drooled on, and carried everywhere. If you are anything like me, you might be wondering how we got from children’s picture books to the sturdy little baby board books.

At the start of my career, I thought I understood my place in the publishing world. But for years, I held myself back from the format that was the best match for my style: baby board books. This is the story of what stopped me, what changed, and how I fell in love with them. I've been illustrating picture books for the past 13 years, and it didn't happen by magic (though sometimes it feels that way). It came from persistence; lots of drawing, lots of sharing, and slowly building a career I love.

September always feels like the start of the new year for me. It’s probably because my teen is back in school (whoo hoo, 8th grade) and my husband is a teacher. Everything feels new and exciting in September, but with way less pressure than January. Summers are usually my slow time, a chance for me to rest up and recharge before the busy fall.

December is here and I'm excited to share my latest book, *Chef's Kiss*, written by Jeffrey Burton and illustrated by me, published by Little Simon. Working on this book truly felt like a "chef's kiss," and I'd like to share my cover ideas with you this month. If you're not already aware of my passion for baby board books, let me tell you. I genuinely enjoy working on these projects; they warm my heart and resonate deeply with me. I could happily create baby board books forever.