Sunday, October 28, 2012

What I Do When I'm Not Teaching

I've always been interested in writing and illustrating a children's book, but writing something unique and creative enough to get published doesn't seem feasible in the near future. But, my niece turned 1 this week, so I wrote her a book for her birthday. I drew all of the illustrations by hand, scanned them, and uploaded them to Blurb. Blurb has lots of nice publishing options, with paperback books at reasonable prices, and lots of size options to choose from. I chose a smaller book (8" x 8"), but I did choose a hardcover with "image wrap" (the cover design is printed on the hardcover, instead of on a removable slipcover) which is a more expensive option. But, I was very happy with the results, and my niece received a one-of-a-kind gift with a few inside jokes in it she couldn't get elsewhere.

This is my sister reading the book to my niece:


And here is the whole book, including the front and back cover. The best way to read it would probably be to click on the first image and then use the arrow keys to "turn" the pages.






























10 comments:

  1. Very cool - and what a wonderful, special 1st birthday present!

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  2. I did this at a baby shower this summer. Every guest got to draw something for a letter of the alphabet. Very cool to do it all yourself.

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  3. What a wonderful gift this is to give ourselves and using your obvious talent. I like the twist that Jen offered on having guests draw things that can be collectively printed up too!

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  4. Hi Jessica
    What a lucky girl to have you as an aunt!
    Love "p" for Purdue - my sister is a professor over there. I wonder if the Purdue bookstore would carry your book (or a modified version of it).
    GREAT WORK!

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    1. Thanks, Rina! What does your sister teach? I graduated from Purdue in '11, so it's possible I had her.

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    2. Hi Jessica
      Dr. Rachel Einwohner teaches sociology and statistics. I am hoping they didn't make you take statistics :)

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    3. I actually did take both soc and stat, but I didn't have her. I took a 100 level stat class that was required for liberal arts majors (and it was easy), and I chose a 200 level soc class for one of my core requirements.

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  5. The book is adorable! What a special gift for your niece!

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  6. Love this!! Love Blurb as well! What a special gift! Thanks for sharing!

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