A studio service
Every child should see themselves in a book.
We illustrate children's books with families from many cultures and backgrounds, drawn with care from the references you provide: clothing, homes, food and celebrations shown as they really are.
N° 01Drawn from real references
Drawn from real references
You send photos and notes about the culture in your story; we follow them closely and ask before guessing.
N° 02Characters, not costumes
Characters, not costumes
Characters are designed as individuals first, with cultural detail that belongs in their everyday life.
N° 03Review built in
Review built in
Sketches go to you, and to anyone you nominate from the community in the story, before final art.
N° 04How it is made
How a book like this comes together.
01
A reference list for each scene
For every scene we list what has to be right: the clothing, the food on the table, the room, the street. You confirm the list before sketching.
02
Skin and hair fixed on the character sheet
Each character has a set skin tone and hair texture on their sheet. These stay true in every scene, in daylight and in lamp light.
03
Background people are designed too
Neighbours, classmates and crowds are drawn as different people, not copies of one figure.
04
Writing in the pictures is real
Shop signs, book covers and notes in a scene are set from text you type out for us. We do not imitate a script.
05
Details in their everyday place
Cultural detail is shown where it sits in daily life: in the kitchen, at the door, on the way to school.
N° 05What goes wrong
Common mistakes, and how to avoid them.
01
Details mixed from different regions
Clothing from one region and buildings from another is a common error. We ask for the place and the period of the story and keep to them.
02
Lettering that only looks like a script
Readers who know the language see invented lettering at once. Only text you supply is used, and you check it in the sketch.
03
One face in different colours
Characters should not share a face. Each one is designed with their own features, build and expression.
04
Review that comes too late
A reviewer who sees only finished art can change very little. Your reviewer sees the sketches, where the revision rounds are.
N° 06Your brief
What to send us to get started.
You do not need all of it. Send what you have and we will ask in writing for anything missing.
• The manuscript
• The country, region and period the story is set in
• Photos of the clothing, homes, food and streets to follow
• Any words in another script that appear in the pictures, typed out
• Who will review sketches besides you
• Details that are often drawn wrong and should be avoided
N° 07Peek inside
Pages like these.
Sample artwork made by Kompanie to show the kind of pages we make. Not client work.
N° 08Investment
Three packages, fixed prices.
Little Book
From $1,125
Board books, first-words books and short picture books. 4–5 weeks.
- Up to 2 characters, with a character sheet
- Up to 12 pages and 8 illustrations
- Cover illustration and title lettering
- One revision round on sketches
- Print-ready PDF and ebook cover
Picture Book
From $2,175
A full 32-page picture book. 6–8 weeks.
- Up to 3 characters, with character sheets
- 15 illustrations plus cover
- Two revision rounds per illustration
- Endpapers and title page
- Print-ready PDF and fixed-layout ebook
Big Book
From $3,675
Longer books, nonfiction, cookbooks and books for older readers. 8–12 weeks.
- Up to 4 characters plus settings
- Up to 30 illustrations
- Diagrams, maps or step-by-step art where needed
- Two revision rounds per illustration
- Print-ready PDF, EPUB and fixed-layout ebook
Before you choose
What you get
- A fixed price for the scope listed
- Sketches or a first draft to approve before anything is final
- Print-ready and editable files, yours to keep
What we don’t do
- Writing or editing the story
- Printing and shipping
- ISBN, publishing account setup or marketing
- Translation
Extra pages, slides or revision rounds are quoted before we start them.
N° 09Questions
The answers we give most often.
- Do you have cultural consultants?
- No. We recommend you involve someone from the culture shown; we build their review into the schedule.
- Can characters wear hijab?
- Yes, when the story calls for it, drawn modestly and correctly from your references.
- Can words in another script appear in the pictures?
- Yes. We set them from typed text you supply and you check them in the sketch. Translation is not included.
- What if I have few photos to send?
- Tell us the place and period. We gather reference and send it to you to confirm before sketching, and we ask before guessing.
- How many family members can be designed?
- Up to 2 characters in the Little Book, 3 in the Picture Book and 4 in the Big Book, each with a character sheet. Tell us the size of the family before we start so the package fits.
Start your book
Ready to make your book?
Tell us what you're making. You'll get a fixed price and a schedule within two business days.