of book covers and portfolios

The Little Prince ✨

Hello, hello! Welcome to another entry in Gee’s Storees.

How are your 2024 resolutions going? Still on track? Well, good on you friend! It’s not? Well, still good on you friend! It’s not easy, and I do think you’ve made progress, even if it’s not in the ways you thought you would. I started this year with a very clear target in my head: getting my publishing portfolio organised and updated. These last 2 years have been an absolute roller-coaster; I’ve taken the time to explore what makes me tick as a creative. I’ve spent time experimenting with materials I had put off for years. I got a studio space to play around in. I’ve signed up for mentorships. Done portfolio reviews. So this year, I decided it was time to kick the “I’m not there yet” mentality to the side and just get things done, and it’s been liberating (and sometimes overwhelming)!

I’m working on a new picture book story as we speak but in the meantime, I’m also developing some book cover mockups for Young Fiction and children’s books. I find the process of reading a book and looking for little easter eggs to illustrate in its cover so satisfying! It’s part of what I enjoy about illustrating writers’ stories - there are always little details that elevate an image.

So, without further ado, here’s a book cover of one of the most inspirational stories I’ve re-read recently, The Little Prince.

The main themes I felt reflected the story were ‘innocence’, ‘magic’ and the playfulness these 2 elements bring to the table. The choice of colour scheme was inspired by the gold in his scarf, and the blue is a colour I felt contrasted this beautifully, while still capturing that innocence and magic in the story.

Artwork is below, and you can also pop on over to my website :)

I’ve got a few of these covers in the works, so if you’d like to see more hit the follow/subscribe button to get updates straight to your inbox!

Hi! I'm Fran, I'm an illustrator and picture book maker living in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Gee's Storees originally started as a quarterly newsletter and has slowly evolved into this Substack publication. Here, I share news and updates on my work, behind-the-scenes content as well as insight into my journey in the magical world of children’s publishing and illustration ✨ Hope you'll join our lovely community, I am looking forward to getting to know you!