Brianna Baker
Author • Illustrator
Appleblossom
A young couple finds a fairy-like creature hatching in an apple orchard and raises it in a city with human children. Appleblossom sees the world differently than human children and seems unusually gifted at planting. This story can encourage children to take an interest in nature, planting trees, protecting the earth from pollution, and eating healthy.
"5/5 stars. Appleblossom is a cute picture book with beautiful illustrations. It has no words, but the pictures tell a powerful story. From the challenges of adapting to a new environment to learning to fit in, children will love seeing how a little girl eventually finds her niche in the world and brings joy to others. Preschoolers will also enjoy telling their parents the story over and over in their own words, which is great for developing creativity and imagination."
-Award-winning author Deanna Kahler
“A couple goes to an apple tree farm and gets not only a bushel of apples but Appleblossom, who loves the outdoors and lives to make things grow. Brianna Baker’s illustrations are amazing. The story unfolds with her irresistible artwork, offering a variety of expressions and movements that make Appleblossom and her adoptive parents come alive...."
-Award-winning author Karen Wiesner
Making the Book
This story is a wordless picture book told entirely with watercolor illustrations. When I have an idea for an illustrated book, I always start by drawing drafts of the main character several times until I settle on the look. The main character was designed to look like her figure could be made of flower petals.
Here are some pictures of the character design process
If I make any mistakes while working on my watercolor illustrations, I jot it down on a sticky note so I can edit it out later.
Once the illustrations are finished, I scan them onto my computer and edit the mistakes with my Wacom drawing tablet. Once I'm satisfied with how it looks, the book is ready to publish!