Grandma, I Made You A Book / Grandpa, I Made You A Book
Fill-In Book Kids Get To Create
I designed and illustrated a series of interactive books called Grandma, I Made You A Book and Grandpa, I Made You A Book. These 32 pages books allow kids to draw, check off boxes, and make lists, all while celebrating what they love most about their grandma and/or grandpa. Once finished, parents have a special keepsake that reflects their child's unique personality and heartfelt love. The prompts are ideal for children ages 7 and older.
The publisher, Compendium, provided the author’s script, and I began creating spread drafts with black and white pencil sketches. The first challenge was ensuring each spread had a unique layout and style. This was tricky at times because the script often repeated a similar structure—there would be a phrase, followed by "here I draw a picture of it!" next to it. I wanted each page to feel fresh and engaging, offering both fun and discovery for the person filling in the pages and the reader.
Working in a RISO-inspired illustration style made this challenge more enjoyable. I used a limited color palette of three inks—fluorescent pink, yellow, and blue—to mimic the look of traditional RISO printing. (This kind of palette is one of my favorites to work with!)
Once the layouts were set in black and white, I began experimenting with color. Even with just three inks, I made sure each spread was vibrant and dynamic, using color overlays to create a range of tones. This made each page pop as readers flipped through, and allowed the colors to interact in different combinations, adding depth and interest. Experimenting with a limited color palette is always the most exciting part of the design process for me.
Last year, I worked on the Mom and Dad versions of this book series, and I truly enjoyed the project. I was more than happy to continue working on the rest of the series. For the Grandma and Grandpa books, I incorporated more animals and characters that depict the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, while keeping the illustrations as colorful and vibrant as those in the Mom and Dad books.
Initial sketches for the spreads
Publisher: Compendium
Written by: Miriam Hathaway
Written by: Miriam Hathaway
Here is the link to the product:
Grandpa, I Made You a Book
