How can a story be brought to life through illustration?

Lauren Child illustrates her own stories as well as those by other authors. She starts with quick sketches made while reading the stories, before expanding them through collage. Combining hand-drawn elements with found imagery, her character designs are full of life, weaving between the words on the page and the spaces in between. 

Watch the videos below, in which she talks us through her process of illustrating novels, and use the following questions to begin a discussion about her work.

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Lauren Child

Lauren Child is a childrens book author and illustrator. She is well known for the collection of books ‘Charlie and Lola’ which were later adapted into a childrens animation. 

Find out more about Lauren’s creative process in the sources below.

Lauren’s Website

Apologies if you cannot view these videos below on Youtube because your school has blocked Youtube. 

Illustrating Pippa Longstockings Goes Abroad

Questions to Ask Children

What do you like about the character Pippi Longstocking?

How might you make Pippi Longstockings move?

Why do you think that Lauren layers the body parts?

Questions to Ask Children

Who’s your favourite book character? Why do you like them so much?

Notice how the illustrator and designer work together. What did they do that was so important?

This Talking Points Is Used In…

Pathway: Making Animated Drawings

This is featured in the ‘Making Animated Drawings’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see