Oh moon, thou art bright!

my moon book

Yesterday was a full moon, and I wanted to take this moment to show you one of the projects I created on the Children’s Book Illustration MA at The Cambridge School of Art. I graduated from the MA in January 2022 and I now teach on the course as an Associate Lecturer.

The reason I wanted to show you the book is because it celebrates the moon, and this recent full moon has been so amazing - I’ve literally come across people who have stopped in the street mesmerised by it!

This book has an extra special origin as it was partly inspired by my mum! Sometime around the last module on the MA, my mum sent me a lunar calendar and was talking passionately with me about how beautiful she finds lunar charts

my own lunar chart, inspired by my mum

I then happened across a plate in the Fitzwilliam Museum showing someone trying to lassoo the moon, and slowly an idea began to form that became The Prince Who Wanted the Moon.

this is the cover and back cover

Here is a little glimpse into the story, along with some of the development sketches and colour artwork I made:

Once upon a time, a (slightly spoiled) Prince is feeling dissatisfied with his life inside the castle walls, and one evening, he gazes up at the moon and decides he must capture it! He believes it will bring him the happiness he is looking for.

I won’t ruin the ending, you’ll have to wait for when it (hopefully) gets published!

As I worked on the book, I found myself thinking about my son, who was twelve at the time, and what sort of world I wanted him to believe in, and I suppose what sort of life I wanted him to have. At the same time, I was reflecting on the journey I had been on, leaving work to follow my passion for art and drawing and become an illustrator.

I wanted to write a story about how you can’t find happiness through status or things, but it can be found through the people you meet, and illuminated through the magic of art, words and creativity.

I haven’t had much of a chance to develop the projects I made on the MA, because I have been busy illustrating, but I have found myself thinking of this story again recently, and I am looking forward to developing it a little more. Watch this space (and send get-publishing-deal vibes to me!)

Until next time…
Happy full moon!

Ella xx

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