Picture books are teamwork, all the way to the launch - Lari Don

I usually launch books on my own. (Well, with the help of all the lovely people at my publishers and a cheerful audience of family and friends. But it’s usually me standing up at the front on my own…)

However, last night I launched a book as part of a team.

I stood up beside illustrator Natasa Ilincic, and while I read the story of The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster, she did live-drawing of Nessie.

And it was great fun!

I only had to do half the work of keeping the (very wide age range) audience entertained, and I found out a lot more about how an illustrator does their job!

As Nata and I chatted about how I wrote the story and how she drew the pictures, I discovered how many sketches she draws for one spread, how she makes a illustration look action-packed and dramatic, how she makes sure her characters’ faces and characteristics stay consistent through the whole book, and how she showed emotion on a monster's face.

I found it fascinating, and the reaction of the kids in the audience suggested they found it fascinating too!

I’ve always thought of writing a picture book as teamwork – the author, the editor, the art designer and the illustrator – but it turns out that the best picture book launches are team efforts too!

I hope to do lots more events with the wonderfully talented Nata and her beautiful Nessie!  

Thanks to Waterstones in Princes St in Edinburgh for hosting the launch, to all the wonderful staff at Floris Books for organising it, and to whoever baked the little Nessie cakes…

Lari Don is the award-winning author of more than 20 books for all ages, including fantasy novels for 8 – 12s, picture books, retellings of traditional tales, a teen thriller and novellas for reluctant readers. 

Lari’s website 

Lari’s own blog

Lari on Twitter

Lari on Facebook

Lari is on Instagram as LariDonWriter