When it comes to children’s books, sometimes the illustrations take as long to perfect as the words! That’s because the illustrations can convey complex meanings that might otherwise be difficult to explain. It’s the first thing our children see when they open a book: a beautiful, colourful image jumps off the page and speaks to them before any text can have a chance.

So much thought has to go into each picture; the visual cues are there to engage your senses and sometimes encourage an emotional response. With the use of illustration, you can inspire and enrich the imagination. They can manifest new worlds with original stories and characters, or they can offer alternate viewpoints and commentary. There are no limits to what an illustration can express.

This image is from one of our earlier books, Kisa Adventures by Golden Circles. Many of us have read and memorised Hadith al-Kisa. The phrases roll off our tongues and we could whisper them in our sleep. But when creating this illustration, a question had to be asked about how to explain “”O My angels! O Residents of My Heavens, verily, I have not created … the illuminated moon…but for the love of these Five underneath the cloak” to a child?

Our aim and prayer is that illustrations like these help plant a seed of understanding in our hearts!

Kisa Adventures is available here