WEBINAR: The Art of Visual Storytelling: How Design Elevates Books

The Art of Visual Storytelling:

How Design Elevates Books

When you tell people that you’re a children’s book designer, the response is always the same,

“Ooh! Children’s books! Do you draw the pictures?

“No.”

“Do you write the stories?”

“No.”

“Oh. . .”

But if done right, the design is almost invisible. The choice and placement of the typography, the colors used, the trim size, the effects used on the jacket . . . all those elements--and more--compliment the art and text. It elevates the book without taking over. It’s the icing on the cake. We will talk about the role design plays in the overall look of the book, and we’ll look at some behind-the-scenes processes.

Kerry Martin is the creative director of Holiday House and Peachtree Publishing Company. She designs and illustrates picture books, novels, graphic novels, and illustrated nonfiction for very young through young adult readers. She lives in Queens, New York with her husband and son. When not designing books or watching her son ride a skateboard, she is swimming, drinking strong coffee, or listening to audio books.