Joe Eckstein
In Summer Camp, friends KaLeigh Mae and Braxtin are off to tour the Big Apple and then fun at summer camp in the Poconos, only to get mixed up in a high-stakes bank robbery. In the latest book, The Wedding Cake, the two young heroines find themselves in another alarming predicament centered around the signature confection at KaLeigh Mae’s father’s wedding to her new mother.
I created the pen-and-ink illustrations for these books starting with pencil sketches, then using a Speedball Hunt Globe dip pen and India Ink on Bristol board. The cover illustration I colored using watercolor pencils.
The third book in the “Daniel the Dinosaur and Friends” children’s book series by California author Faydra Koenig, Time Out For Meg, has been released. I’ve had the privilege of illustrating this series of books and you can read about the first two books, Two Homes for Daniel and Two Sisters for Daniel, in my previous post.
Time Out For Meg continues the story of Daniel the Dinosaur, whose parents are divorced, and the challenges of living with his new blended family. This time the story focuses on Daniel’s step-sister Meg, who has trouble dealing with her new step-brother and step-dad. From the book’s cover:
“Meg the Dinosaur is mad. She isn’t so sure about being in a blended family. She already has a dad and sometimes having a step-brother and step-dad is just too much. Sometimes Meg wants to play by herself and not have to share. Being a kid living with divorce isn’t always easy. See how Meg’s mommy and step-dad teach Meg that sometimes we need to take a time-out to understand our feelings and learn how to get along. The third in the “Daniel the Dinosaur and Friends” series is designed to help children and families deal with the challenges of becoming a blended family. Watch how Daniel learns from Meg how to manage emotions like anger with grace and ease. Blended families are extra special and no matter what happens, any problem can be solved when families learn to communicate with love in their hearts.”
The illustrations started as pencil sketches, which I scanned and rendered with the computer using Adobe Illustrator. I enjoyed illustrating the colorful characters interacting and relating to each other in this meaningful and heartwarming story.
You may order Time Out for Meg and the other Daniel the Dinosaur books from online retailers including Amazon.com, or through your local bookstore. I recommend them for children coping with divorced parents or blended families.
Over the past several months I’ve had the pleasure of illustrating the first two books in the “Daniel the Dinosaur and Friends” children’s book series by California author Faydra Koenig, a mental health professional who helps clients deal with the life-changing issues of divorce. The idea for the books came as a result of the issues her own family has faced with divorce, and the characters in the books are based on her own children. The books help children with parents who may be divorced or remarried cope with the challenges of split and blended families.
Two Homes for Daniel was released in November, and Two Sisters for Daniel was released last month. In Two Homes for Daniel, Daniel the Dinosaur—a velociraptor—has a mommy and a daddy who are divorced and has to learn to live in two houses, apart from each of his parents. In Two Sisters for Daniel, Daniel’s dad remarries and Daniel faces the challenges of becoming a blending family with his new sisters Kelsey and Meg. In each book Daniel discovers that divorce doesn’t stop families from loving one another.
It was a lot of fun drawing the dinosaur characters for these books, and it was important to make the illustrations animated and engaging while conveying emotion. To create the illustrations, I first sketched them in pencil, then inked, colored, and shaded them using Adobe Illustrator on the computer. The bouncy, cartoon style is a lot of fun for me to draw, and though it may appear simple, the various layers of line work, color, shading, and lighting effects used to render and give the illustrations such life and depth make for meticulous work. However, the final results are worth the effort.
I’ve enjoyed illustrating these books and am busy working on illustrating more exciting books in the “Daniel the Dinosaur and Friends” series. I’m pleased to be a part of these books that are helping children cope with distressing life experiences beyond their control. As both a son and son-in-law of divorced parents, I feel children facing this difficult life challenge need all the help they can get, and especially to know they are still loved. No matter what, they are deeply loved by God and He has an amazing plan for their lives.
You may order Two Homes for Daniel and Two Sisters for Daniel on Amazon.com, other online retailers, or through your local bookstore. I recommend getting them for any child you know who may be dealing with this life situation. Also check out the post “Helping Children Deal with Divorce” on Faydra Koenig’s blog, where you can also find out more about her and her work.
Merry Christmas to one and all!
Look for opportunities to give the gift of love to those around you, and may you and yours be blessed in the new year.
Don’t look now, but the holidays are upon us! If you need some ideas for those on your Christmas gift list, consider giving the gift of Herby the Parrot! My book Herby Gets a Life is a collection of Herby’s cartoons along with his thoughts and encouragements on life that teach positive character traits and life values. It’s perfect for children, but can be enjoyed by everyone. Click here to order my book on Amazon.com, or you can order it through any bookseller.
You can also find Herby in his own 12-month calendar! Click here to order the Herby the Parrot & Friends 2014 Wall Calendar and brighten up your space or the space of someone you know with Herby and his friends!
I wish you and yours a safe and blessed Thanksgiving. May we all take time to truly give thanks for the blessings in our lives.
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