In the book factory

Writing and illustrating a children’s book is like traveling without a map, you go wrong, find new roads, think you are back on the right track, but are in fact back to square one. We try new roads, get a little lost, find an old familiar road that feels safe, for a little while, then we get a flat tire and have to stop at a repair shop. Then the sun goes down and we have to pause for the night. Eat, recharge and start the journey where we left off the day before.

We are in that phase right now. And even though there is hardly any time left before we have to hand in the finished printed original, we redo layouts, replace words, read aloud, read silently, change the details. “Does the dragon’s tail look a bit blurry” … “do you say start over or to start over” … “should the birds have a sign maybe?”

Yes, that is what we are doing. And we love it. Getting to make another book is pure love, sprinkle with a lot of frustration. A journey towards a goal that always feels as exciting as if it were the first time.

And that’s it. The first time. First time with this particular book and first time with these goals and ambitions we set for this particular story.

The next book is in board book (just like 123 and Who am I?) and it’s about a dragon born in January. A lot can happen in a year, not only all the beautiful changes of months, but also in life. The book takes us through all the seasons and when we reach December it feels as if the dragon has already lived a whole life. A book in rhyme for the very little ones, a book that invites community. It also teaches us that time has its course and that we can always expect change around us, and within us.

Here you will find all our English titles.
Here you will find all our German titles.

Here are cutouts sketches from the book that will now become original and print-ready material and that will eventually become a finished book in our hands. A happy ending to another mapless journey to the enchanting land of the book factory.