If you want to write a children's book you may want to know how much description of the illustrations you should include.
In an interview with the author Tara Lazar, illustrator Troy Cummings talks about how he went about illustrating her delightful children's book, Little Red Gliding Hood (Little Red is on skates). This is what he said about the nature of the collaboration between a children's author and his or her illustrator:
For instance, here’s a line Tara Lazar (you!) had written for LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD:
She swizzled down the river and saw a flurry of friends gathering beneath a banner.
This is all the copy needs to say—the author hasn’t spelled out exactly who has gathered beneath the banner. I get to do that! Then it’s fun to try to come up with something neat/funny that supports the text, but also has little surprises if you spend some time on it. (Who’s hanging out under the banner? Maybe Miss Muffet, bored [setting us up for the spider on page x/] Or Humpty Dumpty, walking with confidence (or nervously holding the handrail?)… Or bo-peep, distracted by something while her sheep are eyeing the exit. (etc., etc.)
Then it’s fun to try to come up with something neat/funny that supports the text, but also has little surprises if you spend some time on it. (Who’s hanging out under the banner? Maybe Miss Muffet, bored [setting us up for the spider on page x/] Or Humpty Dumpty, walking with confidence (or nervously holding the handrail?)… Or bo-peep, distracted by something while her sheep are eyeing the exit. (etc., etc.)
I get to play around in this world the author has created, and maybe set up a few characters/events that will pay off later in the story, and (ideally) throw in little details to surprise the reader on subsequent readings.
I also think there’s this really cool thing that happens when an author and illustrator work together:
- The author comes up with a story, characters, and a world that I couldn’t have come up with on my own. She puts images in my head.
- I, in turn, draw these images and interpret her world/characters/architecture/bowls of porridge/etc., which are likely to be entirely different than what she might have envisioned. (At least, the details might be different—I should be hitting all the right notes to support the voice/tone of her manuscript.)
- And then: MAGIC! The difference between what the author had in mind vs. my interpretation ends up being this thing that’s, ideally, better than what either of us could have cooked up on our own… (I say “magic”, but that’s also a result of smart editing/art direction.)
As he says, many newer writers try to spell out everything to be illustrated, which is counter-productive.
Some also assume they have to provide the illustrations themselves and get a talented nephew or friend to do drawings to submit along with the manuscript. Unfortunately, the quality of these illustrations seldom is up professional standards.
Publishers like to choose the illustrator themselves, so you don't need to include suggestions for that with your proposal or manuscript.
*illustration copyright Troy Cummings, from Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar.
