Just before going on holidays I finished putting together my submission to this year’s Unpublished Picture Book Showcase! Fortunately they had extended the deadline, initially on July 5th, to July 12th, otherwise I would not have managed 😅️. “Unfortunately” due to holidays preparations and departure I could not take full advantage of the additional week – I would have liked to include at least one more sample spread in colour… but well, I think my submission already gives a good idea of the project :)
This is the wrap-around cover (not included as such in my submission – it has instead the front cover as mock-up, and the spread without text as sample of a final illustration):
And an overview of all story spreads (for the first 6 I could do rather finalised sketches, then I had to hurry up and stay at a rougher stage 😁️):
Also, here’s the pitch I sent with the dummy:
On the way to Granma and Granpa’s garden, a menacing gaggle of geese gets in the way of Loukoum and his plushy cat Bunny, and won’t let them go! Why are the geese so mean to them?! As the situation seems desperate Bunny suggests a daring approach, which may turn out more rewarding than Loukoum could have imagined.
In ‘Loukoum and the Quince Quest’ the readers will be taken on a fast-paced, light-hearted adventure. Together with the endearing characters they will face their fear, pluck up their courage, and find new, unexpected friends.
In a world where individuals are increasingly isolated, I think that a story of opening up to others, even (or especially?) if they seem different or strange, is an important one. Nevertheless, ‘Loukoum’ is primarily intended as a fun adventure, a rollercoaster of action and emotions, full of quirky details, which people will love to read or be read aloud.
I would be delighted to partner with a publisher to develop this project into a book that will reach as many people as possible.
Loukoum, Bunny, their family and friends ihnabit a heart-warming, lively world where many more stories are waiting to be told, be it as picture books, comics, games, animated series, and more.
Grand ambitions, right? 😁️ We’ll see if something comes out of it!
Maybe I’ll still make another spread, and maybe character studies, before sending the project to more publishers or/and showing the new (better!) version at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Then I want to move on and prepare further projects!
Side note: I already did a few posts about the project on Instagram, you can find them under the hashtag #loukoumandthequincequest (unfortunately not anymore in chronological order 😩️). I will continue posting on Instagram, too, but here I’m happy to be able to post with more text, different image formats, links! and more 😊️