Another children’s book I’ve had the pleasure of illustrating this past year has been released!

Stanley’s Colors, written by Al Reeder, is about a snail and artist named Stanley who must rise above his fears to follow his dreams and fulfill his potential. Afraid of birds, he hides under his rock by day and only ventures out at night. However, he longs to experience the world in light and color, and only when he faces his fears does he discover more than he ever imagined!

This is a fun story with a wonderful message, which I thoroughly enjoyed illustrating. After sketching the scenes and characters in pencil, I used pen and ink and then watercolor pencil to finish the illustrations. Color was an important consideration in the artwork for this book, and one of my objectives was to contrast the drab grey tones of Stanley’s nighttime existence with the rich, fully saturated colors of the day.

Interestingly, there was a particular shade of watercolor pencil I used for the nighttime illustrations—sort of a cool, purplish-gray. There were many illustrations that were set at night, so I quickly used up the pencil to the point where it could no longer be sharpened. It came from a watercolor pencil set I’ve had for many years, and when I tried to look for a replacement, I was dismayed this particular brand of pencils had been discontinued for years and a replacement was nowhere to be found. I was using this specific color heavily for this book and still had many illustrations left to complete. What was I to do? I asked around until Bibi Coyne of S2dio Supplies came to my rescue by providing me with not one, not two, but three pencils that, when used together in combination, were able to achieve the color I needed! Sometimes solutions aren’t what we’d expect, but where there’s a will, there’s a way!

This book has a particular personal significance for me. In a way, Stanley’s story mirrors my own journey these past few years of facing my fears and stepping out to do the things God has gifted me to do and placed on my heart, including illustrating children’s books and otherwise helping to make a difference in the world. God gives us all dreams, but we must inevitably overcome our fears with faith in order to pursue and achieve them. There’s only so much that can be done hiding under a rock.

Here are some words Amazon.com reviewers have had to say about this book:

“The author did a wonderful job in telling his story. The illustrations were both bold and colorful, enhancing the tale. What a sweet story for children as well as adults.”

“. . . fantastic, light, cute, and still meaningful! And kudos to Eckstein for the great illustrations!”

“Great story for kids! Love the illustrations.”’

Stanley’s Colors is available now to order from your favorite bookseller.