Bearnard’s Book

Written by Deborah Underwood Publisher: Godwin Books (Henry Holt)

When Bearnard gets an invitation to be in a book, it's a dream come true! But as he reads up on what starring in a book might actually entail, he wonders if he's not quite the right bear for the part. With the help of his friend Gertie, Bearnard discovers that to shine in his story, he just needs to be himself.

With sweet humor, charming characters, and a gentle message of self-confidence, this is the perfect story for book (and bear) lovers.

Process

In the initial sketch (above) the right side uses a circular frame around the slightly messy Gertie. Since I was using some square frames in other parts of the book ,editors suggested I change it to be consistent (below). They also wanted Gertie messier!

I was struggling with the character design for the Queen of Storybook Land. I imagined her based on a school librarian I had in my childhood (above). Editors suggested that she doesn’t have to be human, so I imagined someone as comforting as bedtime stories, and eventually made her a very fluffy sheep with books stuck in her fleece (below). With this new sketch, the editors only asked to make the giant’s toes hairier.