Pastel Cartoon Duckling Book Art

My rhyming picture-book follows three sibling ducklings and gently explains that, although one little duckling dies, the love the family shares never fades. It is written for very young listeners—around three to five years old—so every spread must feel safe, warm and hopeful while still honoring the reality of grief.

The manuscript is very nearly complete; what I need now are full-colour, cartoon-style illustrations in a soft, pastel palette that carry the emotions of the story: playful moments on the pond, tender family scenes, and a final sense of peace. I’m picturing expressive characters, simple backgrounds and a cohesive look from cover to final page that invites children to linger on each rhyme.

Deliverables
• A front cover, back cover and spine design
• Interior illustrations (one per spread; exact page count shared after we sign) prepared for print resolution as layered PSD or AI files, plus flattened CMYK PDFs
• Web-ready JPEG/PNG versions for marketing

Acceptance criteria
• Consistent pastel palette and clear, friendly line work
• Layout that leaves safe space for my pre-set text blocks
• Final files sized to printer specifications I’ll provide

If you have experience illustrating for the preschool age range and can balance light-hearted visuals with sensitive themes, I’d love to see your portfolio and discuss your process and timeline.