What’s New?

So excited to share the cover of our upcoming picture book, Stanley and the Wild Words, with cover and illustrations by the talented Nancy Kincade. 

Mona: Nancy, please share some thoughts about your amazing cover!

Nancy: The challenge in creating the cover was two-fold; one was the overall pressure of making an appealing cover that captures the essence of the story. Secondly, I am told there is a very small window of time in which to win the interest of the reader.

I left the cover as my final task in illustrating Stanley and the Wild Words. By then I felt I would have a better sense of who the characters are and how they respond during the story. Waiting till the end also helped me to know the best setting for Stanley, along with his response to all that was happening around him. Then, finally, (and most importantly) I wanted to evoke curiosity about all the fun that happens inside!

The easter eggs on the back cover are the small letters scurrying through the forest all by themselves. These letters are the initials of the members of Mona’s family and my family’s first names. We both loved the idea of acknowledging once again these very special people in our lives.

I drew three different ideas for the cover for us to consider. This is something that never seemed necessary for any of the other illustrations in the book. You and I talked about all the illustrations throughout the entire process, but again this was the cover! I restarted the same illustration three times before all the pieces came together along with many other decisions to come after the cover art was completed.

Mona: Thank you so much, Nancy! Your whimsical illustrations have have added layers of fun and meaning to our story. I so enjoy all your thoughtful details, including those little red shoes!  I am incredibly grateful that you chose to grace this project with your heart, artistry, and imagination.

Stanley and the Wild Words will be available on 11/15/22 so mark your calendar.  

Now, let’s celebrate the cover reveal with a GIVEAWAY: