Book Process: Character Development Part 2
I’m so excited to introduce you to the characters in my upcoming picture book, Where Do Stories Live?. Last time I shared about how Avni came to life, and now it’s Isha’s turn!
This book comes out on May 5, 2026 with Kokila Books/Penguin Kids, and is available to preorder at your local indie bookstore and wherever books are sold. Learn about exclusive preorder extras with Wild Rumpus Bookstore here!
PREORDER WITH PERKS FROM WILD RUMPUS HERE
Early in the process of working with my editor on revising the manuscript, I made mind maps for the two main characters, Avni and Isha. This helped me understand who they are and was a constant reference as I sketched them and later when I moved to illustration details.
I was familiar with a mind map but didn’t think to use it as a tool for my art and writing until I took a class with Lindsay Stripling, who is a brilliant, wildly talented artist and teacher. In the class, Lindsay had us make a mind map of ourselves to help guide us to the types of art we might want to make. I loosely applied this idea to the characters in the book and mapped out their personalities, interests, backgrounds and how they interact with the world. I tried to be as specific as possible, which ended up being incredibly helpful throughout the process of making the whole book.
Here is part of Isha’s mind map.
This is Isha. She is one of the sisters who we go on a journey with in Where Do Stories Live?. Isha is inquisitive, energetic, and a little sister.
She loves to . . .
use her outside voice
dance
hear a good secret
tell a good secret
sing to her baby brother
go on an adventure
pretend she’s a butterfly
snuggle with dogs, especially Idli and Pancake
put on a show
seek stories.
These are some of my early sketches of Isha. You can see how they progressed from the messy pages of my sketchbook to refined sketches to a final painting.
It was important to try to find ways to show a lot of movement in Isha’s gestures – from flapping arms, to springy leg movements, and even in the way her little fountain-like hairstyle behaves.
I loved spending time with these characters throughout the long process of making this book. I didn’t get tired of drawing them and I wonder if part of that is because I had the details about who they are established before I put pencil to paper. The early work of mapping who they are provided me with so many fun details to incorporate and offered a guide for decision-making when I was stuck.
Where Do Stories Live? arrives on May 5th and is available to preorder at your local indie bookstore and wherever books are sold. Learn about exclusive preorder extras with Wild Rumpus Books here!