Bringing The Rabbit in the Moon to Life Through Color: Early Illustration Tests

Illustration ProcessBehind the ScenesColor Theory for Picture BooksYabbit the RabbitThe Rabbit in the Moon
Written By KD Schnee

Today has been a very exciting day for Yabbit the Rabbit and our upcoming children’s picture book, The Rabbit in the Moon! Earlier this morning, Rod shared several of the first color tests he has been experimenting with for our page illustrations, and the transformation is unreal.

A few weeks ago, I showed how Rod creates the initial page mockups, and if you missed that, you can read the full breakdown or watch the YouTube video here. Those early outlines set the foundation for visual storytelling. But color is where the emotional world of a picture book really comes alive.

How We Use Color to Support Children’s Emotions and Nighttime Fears

One of the most unique aspects of our creative approach is how intentionally we’re using color to shape the emotional experience of the story. The Rabbit in the Moon takes place entirely between sunset and sunrise, a time when many children experience fear, uncertainty, or anxiety about the dark.

Rod’s color tests are helping us:

  • use warm sunset hues to create comfort and curiosity

  • gradually shift into cooler nighttime blues and violets

  • soften shadows to reduce the fear associated with darkness

  • highlight moonlight in a calming, magical way

  • guide young readers’ emotions through color rather than words

Color theory plays an enormous role in how children perceive nighttime. By carefully choosing palettes that are soothing, magical, and safe, we’re able to support the deeper themes of the book, courage, bravery, and learning not to fear the night.

Seeing Rod experiment with these palettes, from dusk purples to deep indigo night skies, is making the entire world of The Rabbit in the Moon feel more immersive and meaningful.

Watching the Story Come Alive

What’s been the most rewarding is watching how color begins to shape:

  • the tone of each scene,

  • the emotional arc of Yabbit the Rabbit,

  • and the symbolism tied to moonlight and mythology in our story.

These color tests are just the beginning, but they’re already revealing how much power color has in children’s picture books. With every adjustment Rod makes, the story feels deeper, richer, and more magical.

Here’s a link to our Instagram video where you can watch the color testing in action.

Related Posts

• Designing a Unique Yabbit the Rabbit
•Second Round of Page Illustrations
• How We Review Picture Book Illustrations
• Behind the Scenes of Our 32-Page Layout
• How the Rabbit in the Moon Legend Sparked the Story

KD Schnee

KD Schnee is a children’s author from Pittsburgh, PA. He was raised in Bull Valley, IL on a former Christmas-tree farm. He spent his childhood roaming the woods and listening to nightly read-alouds from his dad, and early favorites like A Cricket in Times Square helped plant the seeds for storytelling.

His debut picture book, The Rabbit in the Moon, introduces Yabbit the Rabbit, a character first imagined by KD’s mother and inspired by his own childhood tendencies to hesitate or avoid. Today, KD writes hopeful stories that help kids (and the child in all of us) face fear, feel brave, and grow.

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