Character Design Begins: Bringing Yabbit the Rabbit to Life
It’s official, Rod my illustrator, and I have finalized our illustrator/author agreement, and he’s begun the first round of character sketches for Yabbit the Rabbit.
Fortunately, my previous career prepared me well for this step. Before diving into children’s publishing, I managed endorsement portfolios for hundreds of professional NFL and NBA players. That experience gave me a strong understanding of contracts, collaboration, and protecting creative work, skills that now serve me in this new chapter as an author.
Design Direction: Human Traits in Animal Form
From the beginning, Rod and I agreed that our characters would be anthropomorphic which means animals with humanlike emotions, expressions, and personalities. This approach allows young readers to connect with the characters’ feelings while still keeping the whimsical tone of a picture book.
To help Rod visualize the emotional core of the story, I shared several personal references:
Childhood photos of myself for the inspiration behind Yabbit’s personality and spirit.
Photographs of my mother to guide the design of the mother character, her warmth, her calm strength, her presence.
I also provided the character development worksheets I had created for both characters. These outlined their backstories, motivations, and emotional patterns, ensuring the artwork aligns with how they think and feel.
Seeing the First Sketches
With those materials in hand, Rod began sketching. The first time I saw Yabbit’s face drawn on paper, I felt a mix of nostalgia, gratitude, and excitement. After more than 30 years of hearing my mother talk about this idea, it was finally becoming visual.
Each sketch captures a piece of what makes Yabbit the Rabbit special, the courage, curiosity, and quiet resilience that my mother imagined decades ago.
Watch the Character Sketches on YouTube
🎥 You can watch Rod’s first set of sketches and my full reaction in our latest YouTube documentary:
The video shows how we interpret Yabbit’s expressions, body language, and emotional depth, and it offers a glimpse into how collaborative this process truly is.
Lessons from This Stage
This part of the journey has reminded me that creating a book isn’t just about words, it’s about trust and shared vision. A few takeaways for other authors at this stage:
Put everything in writing. A clear contract protects both author and illustrator and sets expectations for deadlines, royalties, and rights.
Provide personal references. Even small details, facial expressions, posture, tone, help your illustrator understand your story on an emotional level.
Collaborate, don’t dictate. The best illustrations come from mutual creativity. Rod’s perspective has already improved scenes I thought were “finished.”
Enjoy the process. Seeing your story come alive through art is one of the most rewarding parts of publishing.
Looking Ahead
As we refine the sketches and move toward final character designs, I’m filled with gratitude, for my mother’s imagination, for Rod’s artistic talent, and for the chance to bring Yabbit the Rabbit into the world together.
Stay tuned for the next update as we move into storyboarding and page layout development.
