Barton, Adriana (2012) The two questions all parents of young kids should ask themselves. The Globe and Mail VANCOUVER http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/young-children/behaviour/the-two-questions-all-parents-of-young-kids-should-ask-themselves/article2416009/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2416009
Crosby, Jeff (2014) http://jeffcrosbyillustration.com
George, Lucy (2010) Back to School Tortoise. Children's Book
Hart, Caryl (2015) The Wolf Who WOuldn't Go To School. Children's Book
Thomas, Pat (2008) Do I Have To Go To School? Children's Book
Waddell, Martin (1994) Owl Babies. Children's Book
Young Minds
http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/worried_about_your_child/anxiety/treating_anxiety
http://www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/policy/mental_health_statistics
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
Extra Research
I researched into anxiety to gain some insight of how it can effect people and some methods of dealing with anxiety. I felt it was important to get correct facts in this area as it will mean that my book will be a lot more helpful if I have a truthful understanding of the different ways people can experience anxiety.
"They might think they are very ill" (1)
"It can be helpful to describe the anxiety as a wave and help them to 'ride' or 'surf' the wave and see how it gets smaller after it peaks" (2)
"Use a 'worry box' where the child can write the worry down and post it into a tissue box so it is contained" (3)
"Explain to the child that his or her feelings of worry or dread are caused by a condition called anxiety." (4)
"Encourage the child to replace anxious 'red light' thoughts ('that dog will bite me') with more helpful and realistic 'green light' thoughts ('most dogs don't bite kids')" (5)
"Help the child face fears in a gradual, systematic way" (6)
"2.2% or about 96,000 children have an anxiety disorder" (7)
(1) Young Minds
(2) Young Minds
(3) Young Minds
(4) Barton
(5) Barton
(6) Barton
(7) Young Minds
I also did research into professional printers that could print my book. This is what I found:
http://www.think-ink.co.uk/
32 Pages
Perfect binding short edge
170gsm silk for colour books - inside
Full colour 300gsm matt laminated - cover
20 copies
Spine depth 2.7mm
£304.65
http://www.inkylittlefingers.co.uk/hardback-books.php.
32 pages
20 copies
Printed full colour
Hardback Cover
Matt laminated
White inner end cases
Inner pages 100gsm bright white paper
229mmx152mm (size I want isn't available - closest to it)
£300.19 - landscape bound
£280.19 - portrait bound
http://www.book-printing.org.uk/Print/cheltenham.html
32 pages
20 copies
Square 210mm x 210mm
Cover - 300gsm silk - matt laminated
Inner - 90gsm silk
Spine - 1.24mm
£98
The most affordable printers I have found is Book Printing based in Cheltenham. They are also the one company I have found that match all of my requirements for how I would like my book printed.
"They might think they are very ill" (1)
"It can be helpful to describe the anxiety as a wave and help them to 'ride' or 'surf' the wave and see how it gets smaller after it peaks" (2)
"Use a 'worry box' where the child can write the worry down and post it into a tissue box so it is contained" (3)
"Explain to the child that his or her feelings of worry or dread are caused by a condition called anxiety." (4)
"Encourage the child to replace anxious 'red light' thoughts ('that dog will bite me') with more helpful and realistic 'green light' thoughts ('most dogs don't bite kids')" (5)
"Help the child face fears in a gradual, systematic way" (6)
"2.2% or about 96,000 children have an anxiety disorder" (7)
(1) Young Minds
(2) Young Minds
(3) Young Minds
(4) Barton
(5) Barton
(6) Barton
(7) Young Minds
I also did research into professional printers that could print my book. This is what I found:
http://www.think-ink.co.uk/
32 Pages
Perfect binding short edge
170gsm silk for colour books - inside
Full colour 300gsm matt laminated - cover
20 copies
Spine depth 2.7mm
£304.65
http://www.inkylittlefingers.co.uk/hardback-books.php.
32 pages
20 copies
Printed full colour
Hardback Cover
Matt laminated
White inner end cases
Inner pages 100gsm bright white paper
229mmx152mm (size I want isn't available - closest to it)
£300.19 - landscape bound
£280.19 - portrait bound
http://www.book-printing.org.uk/Print/cheltenham.html
32 pages
20 copies
Square 210mm x 210mm
Cover - 300gsm silk - matt laminated
Inner - 90gsm silk
Spine - 1.24mm
£98
The most affordable printers I have found is Book Printing based in Cheltenham. They are also the one company I have found that match all of my requirements for how I would like my book printed.
Kickstarter Review
Looking at pitch's on Kickstarter it was clear that the people pitching were very passionate about what they were pitching. They commented on how much of a good opportunity it would be for someone to donate to their project.
Some of the pitches had a lot of talking and not very many images of what they are creating. On the other hand, some had a lot of imagery and not a lot of talking, so it would be good to have a balance between the two.
They made it clear what they were aiming towards, however they had a lot of emphasis on money and donations to their project....although that's the idea of Kickstarter, I feel that they should be backing their projects and emphasizing aspects of that rather than focussing largely on money.
There were some things I noticed some of the pitch's could have been improved by and these are: showing more artwork, being confident in what they're saying and invest in some good quality filming (sometimes the camera was shaky or off focus which didn't come across very professional).
From watching the Kickstarter pitch's, I have gained some insight on how I should pitch my project. I should include plenty of visuals but have enough to say to support what I am showing. I need to have my project and intentions clear and I need to be confident in my project and what I am saying.
Some of the pitches had a lot of talking and not very many images of what they are creating. On the other hand, some had a lot of imagery and not a lot of talking, so it would be good to have a balance between the two.
They made it clear what they were aiming towards, however they had a lot of emphasis on money and donations to their project....although that's the idea of Kickstarter, I feel that they should be backing their projects and emphasizing aspects of that rather than focussing largely on money.
There were some things I noticed some of the pitch's could have been improved by and these are: showing more artwork, being confident in what they're saying and invest in some good quality filming (sometimes the camera was shaky or off focus which didn't come across very professional).
From watching the Kickstarter pitch's, I have gained some insight on how I should pitch my project. I should include plenty of visuals but have enough to say to support what I am showing. I need to have my project and intentions clear and I need to be confident in my project and what I am saying.
My thoughts at the beginning of the module
I thought the module guide was very clear and explained what was expected of me for this module. I was concerned at the start as I only had the idea of creating a book on anxiety. I hadn't thought about what the book would be about or how I would go about making it. But it was clear that there would be tutorials and workshops to help generate ideas and to begin my project.
I had a number of things to do in the 3 weeks leading to my pitch. I had to research into anxiety to make sure I had correct facts on dealing with anxiety in order to make a successful book. I had to come up with a story and characters and create a flat plan. I had to consider type and font and the layout of my story. I had to plan how my book will look i.e. number of pages, cover, how I will create the artwork, size, shape and how it will be printed. I also had to create a time line of how I will use the next few months appropriately for the work I have to do.
I had a number of things to do in the 3 weeks leading to my pitch. I had to research into anxiety to make sure I had correct facts on dealing with anxiety in order to make a successful book. I had to come up with a story and characters and create a flat plan. I had to consider type and font and the layout of my story. I had to plan how my book will look i.e. number of pages, cover, how I will create the artwork, size, shape and how it will be printed. I also had to create a time line of how I will use the next few months appropriately for the work I have to do.
Writing a Synopsis and Peer Review
Describing my project in 10 words:
- Colourful
- Creative
- Friendly
- Helpful
- Eye catching
- Relevant
- Beneficial
- Engaging
- Reassuring
- Exciting
Explaining my project to a family member:
My project is going to be a children's book based around the anxiety that a child may feel, to hopefully help them overcome the fear that is making them feel anxious.
Explaining my project to an unknown professional:
I will be creating a children's book based on helping children overcome any feelings of anxiety that they may have. I will be writing the story myself and creating beautiful, colourful illustrations to accompany the words. I will be using colouring pencils and watercolour paints to make my illustrations come alive. The book will take shape in a handy fair-sized square format, with a hard back cover to help protect the special pages inside.
My communicative objectives are to:
- entertain
- reassure
- educate
Writing a Synopsis:
My book is called Just Ride Through It and is about a young boy named Saxon who suffers from separation anxiety. He fears going to school and leaving his mother. When he looks at his school his view of it changes and the school turns into a deep, dark forest.
On Monday, he complains of feeling sick, not wanting to go to lessons, not being able to play with other children and wanting to go home. At the end of the day Saxon goes home and tells his mother how he doesn’t like school.
On Tuesday, Saxon wakes up feeling scared again. By the time he gets to school he gets quite upset. Saxon’s mother explains to him that what he is feeling is called anxiety and that it can’t hurt him if he doesn’t allow it to. She tells him to be brave and 'Just ride through it.'
Taking on his mother’s advice, Saxon decides he will ride a race car through his anxiety, and feels much better as he’s sped very fast through the feelings.
On Wednesday, he rides a giraffe through his anxiety. He’s so high up he looks over his feelings of anxiety and feels much better.
On Thursday, he rides a roller coaster. He’s doing too many flips and having too much fun to feel anxious.
On Friday, he rides a space ship. When you’re up in space it’s hard to think about being anxious.
By the end of the week Saxon has found a way to overcome his feelings of anxiety. He’s happy to go into school, go to his lessons and play with other children.
Peer Review
I have done a Peer Review on Keira's project:
Keira will be producing a creative and tasteful children's book taking inspiration from the work of Tang Yau Hoong. Her illustrations will incorporate bold shapes and colours that take on a negative space style, reflecting the theme of social issues that children may have to deal with on a day to day basis.
The book will be a small A5 size, making it easy to carry and will be encased in a hard cover to protect the 32 pages of precious artwork and story inside.
Keira has written a Peer Review on my project:
Lizzy will be producing a wonderful children's book touching upon children's anxiety and ways of how they can overcome it. Colouring pencils and watercolours will be primarily used to create the vibrant and creative illustrations that will accompany her story. The book will be square in shape and of a decent size so that the illustrations and story can be easily read and admired. It will be encased in a hard back cover to protect the 32 pages inside.
- Colourful
- Creative
- Friendly
- Helpful
- Eye catching
- Relevant
- Beneficial
- Engaging
- Reassuring
- Exciting
Explaining my project to a family member:
My project is going to be a children's book based around the anxiety that a child may feel, to hopefully help them overcome the fear that is making them feel anxious.
Explaining my project to an unknown professional:
I will be creating a children's book based on helping children overcome any feelings of anxiety that they may have. I will be writing the story myself and creating beautiful, colourful illustrations to accompany the words. I will be using colouring pencils and watercolour paints to make my illustrations come alive. The book will take shape in a handy fair-sized square format, with a hard back cover to help protect the special pages inside.
My communicative objectives are to:
- entertain
- reassure
- educate
Writing a Synopsis:
My book is called Just Ride Through It and is about a young boy named Saxon who suffers from separation anxiety. He fears going to school and leaving his mother. When he looks at his school his view of it changes and the school turns into a deep, dark forest.
On Monday, he complains of feeling sick, not wanting to go to lessons, not being able to play with other children and wanting to go home. At the end of the day Saxon goes home and tells his mother how he doesn’t like school.
On Tuesday, Saxon wakes up feeling scared again. By the time he gets to school he gets quite upset. Saxon’s mother explains to him that what he is feeling is called anxiety and that it can’t hurt him if he doesn’t allow it to. She tells him to be brave and 'Just ride through it.'
Taking on his mother’s advice, Saxon decides he will ride a race car through his anxiety, and feels much better as he’s sped very fast through the feelings.
On Wednesday, he rides a giraffe through his anxiety. He’s so high up he looks over his feelings of anxiety and feels much better.
On Thursday, he rides a roller coaster. He’s doing too many flips and having too much fun to feel anxious.
On Friday, he rides a space ship. When you’re up in space it’s hard to think about being anxious.
By the end of the week Saxon has found a way to overcome his feelings of anxiety. He’s happy to go into school, go to his lessons and play with other children.
Peer Review
I have done a Peer Review on Keira's project:
Keira will be producing a creative and tasteful children's book taking inspiration from the work of Tang Yau Hoong. Her illustrations will incorporate bold shapes and colours that take on a negative space style, reflecting the theme of social issues that children may have to deal with on a day to day basis.
The book will be a small A5 size, making it easy to carry and will be encased in a hard cover to protect the 32 pages of precious artwork and story inside.
Keira has written a Peer Review on my project:
Lizzy will be producing a wonderful children's book touching upon children's anxiety and ways of how they can overcome it. Colouring pencils and watercolours will be primarily used to create the vibrant and creative illustrations that will accompany her story. The book will be square in shape and of a decent size so that the illustrations and story can be easily read and admired. It will be encased in a hard back cover to protect the 32 pages inside.
Feedbacks
Feedback from tutorials:
In my tutorials I was advised to:
- Look into artists and children's books
- Look at other artists style and analyse how they work
- Research anxiety statistics for different ages
- Look into other children's books that explore anxiety
- Produce a dummy book and show examples of my book from my previous children's book project.
- To expand on some of these ideas I have found through researching into anxiety
Feedback from Mock presentation:
I went into my mock presentation not overly sure on what I should be talking about or in what order I should be saying it. I discussed my synopsis and my timeline but there were a few things I could add and alter for my final presentation. These things were:
- Presenting: start with the basic details of my book first and then go into the structure of the story
- Do some coloured characters
- Mention how I am going to produce the book
- Add 'InDesign' to my timeline and alter the printing stages as I will have it professionally printed
- Produce a Dummy Book for an example of format
- Have some examples of type and font
- Have some examples of other children's books dealing with anxiety
In my tutorials I was advised to:
- Look into artists and children's books
- Look at other artists style and analyse how they work
- Research anxiety statistics for different ages
- Look into other children's books that explore anxiety
- Produce a dummy book and show examples of my book from my previous children's book project.
- To expand on some of these ideas I have found through researching into anxiety
Feedback from Mock presentation:
I went into my mock presentation not overly sure on what I should be talking about or in what order I should be saying it. I discussed my synopsis and my timeline but there were a few things I could add and alter for my final presentation. These things were:
- Presenting: start with the basic details of my book first and then go into the structure of the story
- Do some coloured characters
- Mention how I am going to produce the book
- Add 'InDesign' to my timeline and alter the printing stages as I will have it professionally printed
- Produce a Dummy Book for an example of format
- Have some examples of type and font
- Have some examples of other children's books dealing with anxiety
Evaluations
Evaluation of my Final Pitch and Presentation:
I think my presentation went really well. I had lots of positive feedback about my characters and story and how I had organised and presented my work.
I had a few things that I need to work on, like a few compositions on my double page spreads need altering as important parts of the illustration sit on the fold which wont work in the finished book.
I also need to try different ways of simplifying my characters as they would be very difficult to complete in the time frame I have with the amount of detail I am currently using. So I will try different kinds of media and different designs for the characters to see if I can simplify them.
Although I felt nervous before pitching my idea, I have a lot of confidence in my story and my characters and how I will be creating my Children's book. So I am very pleased with the outcome of my pitch and I'm excited to carry on with my project.
Evaluation of the Module and projection for FMP:
I found this module very useful. Although I felt like there was quite a quick turn around for sorting out my ideas and coming up with a pitch, I feel that it was actually very handy to have to have all of this information ready. It forced me to think about it in detail which in other circumstances I probably would have spent a lot longer thinking about and going back and forth with ideas, not really making a decision.
Having to research into other illustrators and other books that have used my theme of anxiety was also useful as there are lots of different ideas out there and pin pointing a certain niche in the market gives my story and artwork an advantage in what can be a very competitive environment.
I think it's really important to have all the details of my book and have all my time line ready now so I have a clear outline of where my project will go from this point and I won't be panicking later on.
From here I will do experimental work on my characters and I will alter some of my double page spreads to make the compositions more effective. I will then draw up all of my final roughs so that they are ready for the colour part of my project.
I think my presentation went really well. I had lots of positive feedback about my characters and story and how I had organised and presented my work.
I had a few things that I need to work on, like a few compositions on my double page spreads need altering as important parts of the illustration sit on the fold which wont work in the finished book.
I also need to try different ways of simplifying my characters as they would be very difficult to complete in the time frame I have with the amount of detail I am currently using. So I will try different kinds of media and different designs for the characters to see if I can simplify them.
Although I felt nervous before pitching my idea, I have a lot of confidence in my story and my characters and how I will be creating my Children's book. So I am very pleased with the outcome of my pitch and I'm excited to carry on with my project.
Evaluation of the Module and projection for FMP:
I found this module very useful. Although I felt like there was quite a quick turn around for sorting out my ideas and coming up with a pitch, I feel that it was actually very handy to have to have all of this information ready. It forced me to think about it in detail which in other circumstances I probably would have spent a lot longer thinking about and going back and forth with ideas, not really making a decision.
Having to research into other illustrators and other books that have used my theme of anxiety was also useful as there are lots of different ideas out there and pin pointing a certain niche in the market gives my story and artwork an advantage in what can be a very competitive environment.
I think it's really important to have all the details of my book and have all my time line ready now so I have a clear outline of where my project will go from this point and I won't be panicking later on.
From here I will do experimental work on my characters and I will alter some of my double page spreads to make the compositions more effective. I will then draw up all of my final roughs so that they are ready for the colour part of my project.
Timeline of Project
19th October - 29th November (6 Weeks)
Create pages of book, final roughs ready
30th November - 6th March (14 weeks - 2 weeks for Xmas)
Create colour versions of artwork
7th March - 3rd April (4 weeks - 2 weeks for Easter)
InDesign Layout
4th April - 1st May (4 weeks)
Get book printed
Create pages of book, final roughs ready
30th November - 6th March (14 weeks - 2 weeks for Xmas)
Create colour versions of artwork
7th March - 3rd April (4 weeks - 2 weeks for Easter)
InDesign Layout
4th April - 1st May (4 weeks)
Get book printed
Monday, 19 October 2015
Other Childrens Books based on anxiety
The illustrations in this book are very sweet and well designed. I really like the layout of the pages and the simplicity of them yet they contain all the information needed. I like the kind of type used in this book and how it is laid out on the pages, it's interesting and expressive.
The book is quite different it begins with the tortoise thinking that all negative things are going to happen when he goes to school. But he then changes his mind and thinks of it all in positive ways. But at the end of the story the Tortoise turns out to actually be the teacher, so it shows children that even their teachers can feel anxious sometimes, but it's ok because school is fun. 
This book is based on separation anxiety, and reassures children that when their parents go for a little while, they will always come back. Like when the child needs to go to sleep, their parent will leave them but they will be back in the morning.
Illustrators who have influenced my work
Jeff Crosby
Crosby uses water colour paints and colouring pencils to create his work. I really like this style, his use of colour is strong and the characters he create are detailed and animated which makes them interesting to look at. His use of mark making creates texture in his drawings which makes the drawings expressive and interesting. His use of colouring pencils around the top of his illustrations gives the image a framing which leaves the viewer feeling that all the information they need to know about the image is provided.
Crosby uses a wash of watercolour paint on the background to set the mood of the illustration, this is effective as he can then build on that colour with colouring pencil and create the rest of the illustration.
Crosby uses water colour paints and colouring pencils to create his work. I really like this style, his use of colour is strong and the characters he create are detailed and animated which makes them interesting to look at. His use of mark making creates texture in his drawings which makes the drawings expressive and interesting. His use of colouring pencils around the top of his illustrations gives the image a framing which leaves the viewer feeling that all the information they need to know about the image is provided.
Crosby uses a wash of watercolour paint on the background to set the mood of the illustration, this is effective as he can then build on that colour with colouring pencil and create the rest of the illustration.
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| City Mouse and Country Mouse 2014 |
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| Belling the Cat 2014 |
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| Winny Loves Princesses |
What am I creating?
First I will talk about what I'm creating:
I am going to be making a Children’s Book for 5 to 8 year olds based around anxiety. Statistics show that 96,000 children in the UK have an anxiety disorder, so I am making a story that will hopefully help them overcome these feelings.
My book will be 210mm x 210mm and will be 32 full colour pages long which includes a matt laminated cover. The artwork will be created using Water Colour Paint and Colouring Pencils.
My books artwork will be put on InDesign to structure the layout and will be ready for printing by mid-March.
I will have my book professionally printed. I have previously printed my own book; although it was good to do myself, I found that the finish wasn’t exactly how I wanted it, the pages didn’t quite meet or were different sizes and the quality of paper could have been better.
The company I have looked into printing my book is based in Cheltenham and can print a very affordable 20 copies of my book for £98.00.
I will use a font that is clear and easy to read, yet has a playful character to it with some curving to the letters.
Then I will describe my story:
My book is called Just Ride Through It and is about a young boy named Saxon who suffers from separation anxiety. He fears going to school and leaving his mother. When he looks at his school his view of it changes and the school turns into a deep, dark forest.
On Monday, he complains of feeling sick, not wanting to go to lessons, not being able to play with other children and wanting to go home. At the end of the day Saxon goes home and tells his mother how he doesn’t like school.
On Tuesday, Saxon wakes up feeling scared again. By the time he gets to school he gets quite upset. Saxon’s mother explains to him that what he is feeling is called anxiety and that it can’t hurt him if he doesn’t allow it to. She tells him to be brave and 'Just ride through it.'
Taking on his mother’s advice, Saxon decides he will ride a race car through his anxiety, and feels much better as he’s sped very fast through the feelings.
On Wednesday, he rides a giraffe through his anxiety. He’s so high up he looks over his feelings of anxiety and feels much better.
On Thursday, he rides a roller coaster. He’s doing too many flips and having too much fun to feel anxious.
On Friday, he rides a space ship. When you’re up in space it’s hard to think about being anxious.
By the end of the week Saxon has found a way to overcome his feelings of anxiety. He’s happy to go into school, go to his lessons and play with other children.
This will have my flat plan and example images of my characters to show with the description.
I will then discuss my time plan, another illustrator who has inspired my work and other books that use anxiety (which are available on separate posts.)
I am going to be making a Children’s Book for 5 to 8 year olds based around anxiety. Statistics show that 96,000 children in the UK have an anxiety disorder, so I am making a story that will hopefully help them overcome these feelings.
My book will be 210mm x 210mm and will be 32 full colour pages long which includes a matt laminated cover. The artwork will be created using Water Colour Paint and Colouring Pencils.
My books artwork will be put on InDesign to structure the layout and will be ready for printing by mid-March.
I will have my book professionally printed. I have previously printed my own book; although it was good to do myself, I found that the finish wasn’t exactly how I wanted it, the pages didn’t quite meet or were different sizes and the quality of paper could have been better.
The company I have looked into printing my book is based in Cheltenham and can print a very affordable 20 copies of my book for £98.00.
I will use a font that is clear and easy to read, yet has a playful character to it with some curving to the letters.
Then I will describe my story:
My book is called Just Ride Through It and is about a young boy named Saxon who suffers from separation anxiety. He fears going to school and leaving his mother. When he looks at his school his view of it changes and the school turns into a deep, dark forest.
On Monday, he complains of feeling sick, not wanting to go to lessons, not being able to play with other children and wanting to go home. At the end of the day Saxon goes home and tells his mother how he doesn’t like school.
On Tuesday, Saxon wakes up feeling scared again. By the time he gets to school he gets quite upset. Saxon’s mother explains to him that what he is feeling is called anxiety and that it can’t hurt him if he doesn’t allow it to. She tells him to be brave and 'Just ride through it.'
Taking on his mother’s advice, Saxon decides he will ride a race car through his anxiety, and feels much better as he’s sped very fast through the feelings.
On Wednesday, he rides a giraffe through his anxiety. He’s so high up he looks over his feelings of anxiety and feels much better.
On Thursday, he rides a roller coaster. He’s doing too many flips and having too much fun to feel anxious.
On Friday, he rides a space ship. When you’re up in space it’s hard to think about being anxious.
By the end of the week Saxon has found a way to overcome his feelings of anxiety. He’s happy to go into school, go to his lessons and play with other children.
This will have my flat plan and example images of my characters to show with the description.
I will then discuss my time plan, another illustrator who has inspired my work and other books that use anxiety (which are available on separate posts.)
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