"Behind the book"
A behind-the-scenes video detailing the process of writing and illustrating Home in the Woods.
Eliza Wheeler is an illustrator and author of books for kids, teens, and the young at heart. Her book Miss Maple’s Seeds was a NYT bestseller, and her book Home in the Woods was dubbed “Gorgeous” by the New York Times book review. Eliza is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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I had the loveliest conversation with Gina on the Storyland Podcast, a Chinese podcast of conversations with children’s book authors and illustrators around the world. I so appreciated the thoughtful questions she posed about all the details of creating my book, HOME IN THE WOODS. APPLE PODCASTS LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eliza-wheeler-1000578242396 PLAYER FM LINK: https://player.fm/series/3394128/341112052 NEWS ARTICLE LINK: And they created an equally lovely news article with photos, art, and sketches from the book, which you can read here (set the website to translate to your language if needed): https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VtcUSkOMUfA7u88epX3Lbg
When I create art for a book that’s written by another author, I don’t jump into sketching and drawing right away. Even for stories I haven’t written, the process still begins, for me, with writing. When I’ve taken on a manuscript to illustrate, the first thing I do is print it out, get in a cozy and undistracted place, and read through the story as I would a finished picture book. In my first and freshest reading, I want to capture all notes that come to mind in a stream of consciousness. You can see in the above image on…
My newest book with Pat Zietlow Miller is WHEN I’M WITH YOU, and is a joy-filled friendship romp: Here are 2 great coloring sheets for kids or students to color. (Click on the download link arrows below these images for high quality PDF files to print) Underwater scene:
I get frequently asked for information on children’s book illustration and publishing, and unfortunately I’m unable to respond to each individually, so I’ve compiled all the beginning info that I have to share with folks here, for anyone who’s looking for it! This information is based on my personal experience and it’s important to say that there’s no one right way to get into illustration or book publishing; each writer or illustrator’s journey is going to be totally unique. I’m hoping this info and the links to much MORE information below will help guide people who are starting out. *Note*…