Lady leaning over a wall talking to a small boy. Cover design for a childrens' picture book. The boy who built a wall.

Cover illustration, The Boy Who Built a Wall.

The Boy Who Built a Wall Around Himself, written by Ali Redford

The Mermaid Who Couldn't is a children's picture book dealing with feelings of shame and neglect. Aimed specifically at children who have dealt with early childhood trauma and perhaps been in the care system.Written for children 4+ the book uses metaphors to show how children can find a sense of self worth.

boy crying, boy building a wall. Black and white illustration. Childrens' picture book illustration

The opening illustration from The Boy Who Built a Wall.

Storyboard

comic strip illustration. Young boy as a superhero with special powers. Childrens' picture book illustration. The Boy Who Built a Wall

Finished illustrations.

Boy crying and a scary adult. Early childhood trauma. Black and white illustration. Childrens' picture book illustration

The very first sketches I did of the boy. Myself and the author had initially thought the boy should be older as seen here. In the end though, we liked the extra vulnerability that making him younger gave him. We needed to be sure that the reader would see the fragility in his isolation.