Spent a session on researching picture books, themes, plot, story boards and so on.  After much consideration I have decided to make a story board for our pig story and also for my cow story.  I will make simple storyboards first and then make a mock up book for each.  I actually made a mock up book on Pudgee ages ago and have reworked the text many times but I still think it needs more work. I think the more simple the better.

My cows, as much as I like them, need to be more simplistic I think and have a bit more animation to them - I want them to 'speak' so more work to be done.  I am still not sure as to whether I will have just the cows or whether I will have several different animals.  I have plenty of real-life drawings of cows, goats, chickens & ducks plus material for sheep, rabbits and birds.

Mama Moo had had enough! 'It's nap time!' She mooed loudly. 

My teaching career along with home reading to our boys and grandchild gives me certain insights into what makes children tick along with knowledge of those key literary elements that help tie a good plot together - but it is still not a walk in the park!!

I will start by having larger sheets of watercolour paper and making my illustrations larger.  For a 32 page picture book I will need 28 pages of text according to my brief!

Watch this space for the steps as I progress.  Much time is always spent in the thinking, considering, modifying, analysing etc.  I have no intention of producing anything that I am not totally happy with.