How a children’s book illustrator breaks down a manuscript before drawing
People often think that illustrating a children’s book starts with a sketch. It never does. At least not for me, and not for most children’s book illustrators I’ve worked with.
The real work begins much earlier—quietly, with a manuscript, a cup of tea, and a couple of hours where I can read without rushing.
I’ve been illustrating for a long time now, and every project reminds me how crucial this first stage is. If I misunderstand the story, no amount of beautiful artwork can fix it. So I take the manuscript breakdown more seriously than anything else.
Here’s exactly how I do it, step by step, as a freelance children’s book illustrator who has worked with authors from all over the world
1. The first reading — just to feel the story
I read the manuscript once without touching a pen.
No notes. No analysing. No thinking about scenes or pages.
I simply ask myself:
What am I feeling?
Where do I slow down naturally?
Does the story feel warm, silly, adventurous, mysterious… or something else?
This first reading gives me the emotional temperature of the book.
It’s like understanding the heartbeat before drawing the body.
If the tone is off in my mind, the visuals will be off too. So I make sure I absorb the story as a reader first, and only then as a children’s book illustrator.
2. Reading again – this time with a pencil
Now I get practical.
During the second reading, I start marking lines that could turn into strong visual moments. Not every line deserves an illustration. Some lines only support the story; others are the story.
I highlight parts that feel like:
Big turning points
Funny or unexpected actions
Emotional beats
Quiet, tender moments
Scenes that need strong expressions
I’ve learned over the years that good illustrations don’t repeat the text. They add to it.
If the text says, “Mia walked to the window,” I don’t draw her walking. Instead, I might show:
What she sees
What she feels
What waits for her outside
This is where the story starts opening up visually.
3. Splitting the manuscript into pages
Some authors come with page breaks. Many don’t.
Either way, I revisit the manuscript and decide how the story should breathe.
I think about:
Where a child might slow down
Where the excitement builds
Where a full spread would hit harder
Where a close-up is needed
How to avoid crowding too much text in one place
Pacing is invisible but powerful. A book with perfect pacing feels smooth, almost musical.
This is something only experience teaches—a big reason authors often prefer to hire a children’s book illustrator who understands layout and rhythm.
4. Figuring out the characters’ personalities
Before I draw a single character, I try to understand who they are beyond the text.
I ask myself:
What small habits define them?
How expressive are they?
Do they move quickly or slowly?
Are they shy, bold, clumsy, overconfident?
If a character is supposed to be energetic, their poses must feel loose and jumpy.
If they are shy, their shoulders may tilt forward, or their eyes may hover downward.
These details make characters feel alive.
Sometimes I get a manuscript where the author simply writes:
“Liam is a little boy.”
But to illustrate him, I need to know much more than that.
So this stage becomes a mix of imagination, instinct, and reading between the lines.
5. Studying the world where the story takes place
The setting matters just as much as the characters.
Even if the text doesn’t describe it much, I still need to choose:
Colours
Textures
Light
Style of houses, trees, toys
Clothing
Weather and season
For example, a story about friendship often feels warm in colour.
A bedtime story usually leans towards gentle blues or soft purples.
A silly adventure might need bold, bright colours.
Every professional children’s book illustrator builds a visual world that supports the author’s tone, even if the author never mentions it directly.
6. Planning how the visuals move from page to page
If the manuscript is the skeleton, the visual flow is the heartbeat.
I sketch very small thumbnails—almost doodles—to understand:
When the character should face left or right
How the child’s eye will travel across the page
Where a close-up would feel powerful
Where a wide scene would create magic
How to keep the book visually surprising
Children get bored when every page looks the same.
So I make sure the angle, composition, and energy keep changing.
This is one of the reasons authors often look for experienced illustrators for a children’s book—consistency and variation both matter.
7. Marking all the emotional points
When breaking down the manuscript, I slow down whenever the emotion shifts.
A small detail—like the way a child holds a toy—can change the entire feeling of a page.
So I note:
Where to use soft colours
When the lighting should change
Which scenes need a dramatic pose
When expressions must carry the whole page
Children don’t just “read” emotions—they notice them.
A tiny smile, a worried eyebrow, a playful tilt of the head…
these things stick with young readers.
8. The final plan before drawing
By this stage, I’ve created a full pre-illustration map:
Page-by-page notes
Character sheets
Mood boards
Tiny thumbnail sketches
A rough idea of the colour journey
Moments where visuals will carry meaning beyond the text
Once this map is ready, the drawing phase becomes smooth.
Not easy, but clear.
Everything has a direction.
Good illustrations come from planning, not speed.
Final Thoughts
Breaking down a manuscript is like getting to know a close friend.
You read them, you understand them, you notice small details, and you figure out how they move, feel, and react.
When authors choose to hire a children’s book illustrator, they’re not just paying for drawings—they’re trusting someone to translate their words into a visual language children can understand and enjoy.
This whole breakdown process ensures the illustrations don’t just decorate the book—they belong to the story.
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