MARCH
My Alarm Rings, Coffee Helps. (an acronym)
January felt like 10 years long, am I right? February, no comment. Oh, hello, March.
I don’t quite have the words to explain how the world is making me feel right now, so I’ll share this instead:
I am showing up in your inbox today to celebrate something happy: a book birthday for ‘It’s Bath Time, Baby!’
This past year, I had that opportunity to illustrate my very first soft, color-changing, bath-time book with the amazing publisher, Cottage Door Press, written by Dawn Nestling. This squishy, huggable book started as pencil sketches in my sketchbook, moved into Procreate to build the book dummy, and was finalized in Adobe Illustrator.
I love starting my illustrations in my sketchbook. There is something magical about not knowing what will show up on the page. It’s when I move the sketches into a drawing program on my iPad or computer that the work feels more intentional, but that early phase, where I’m just playing in my sketchbook, it’s the best part!
And this book wins the (self-imposed) award for being the fewest spreads I’ve worked on for a baby board book, coming in at three! Six illustrations total. Short and sooo super sweet!
On each page, the reader is tasked with very important bath-time responsibilities: from washing a hippo’s nose, cleaning an elephant’s ears, to helping a monkey scrub its fingers and toes. As your little one cleans these adorable animals, colors magically change, and hidden patterns appear.
It’s basically magic.
Like I always say, every project I work on, I’m reminded how much I love working on baby board books. There’s something special about knowing these books become part of someones tiny daily rituals, especially something as fun as bath time!
If you have a baby in your life, this makes the perfect little gift. And if you just enjoy a playful bath moment yourself, no judgment.
For my US friends, I would love to share1 a copy of It’s Bath Time, Baby! with one of you.
To enter the giveaway:
Subscribe to this newsletter if you haven’t already (it’s free).
Follow me on Instagram.
Leave a comment below (you have to do so through the Substack app or website) with your own very clever acronym for “March.”
I’ll choose a winner at random on March 20 and announce it in my next newsletter.
March Allergies Return, Cue Headaches.
-Denise
It’s Bath Time, Baby! is available on Amazon. Authors and illustrators love reviews, so if you’d like to leave one, I would be honored.
This giveaway is not affiliated with or sponsored by Instagram, Cottage Door Press, Substack, or any affiliate program. I am personally providing the book for this giveaway. No purchase is required to enter.
Make A Real Change Happen :) That comic about how you're feeling right now, melting into an armchair, resonates with me. Congrats on the new board book! It will be super cute for some of my baby nieces and nephews.
Many Apologies Regarding Crayon Hoarding. (This was very difficult lol)