Little Light Within, written and illustrated by Sara Bell, is a vibrant and meditative children’s book designed to inspire peace and self-love. The book invites children and adults alike to tap into their inner light and connect with their hearts. My task was to create a book cover and layout that would capture the magic and warmth of this beautiful story while ensuring it remained accessible and engaging for young readers.
With years of experience in both print, magazine and book design, I specialise in creating visually captivating designs that enhance the story and message of the book. For Little Light Within, I worked closely with Vanessa Barrington at Healing House Publishing and Sara to complement her deceptively simplistic line-drawing illustrations with typography that reflected the quirky and magical nature of the story. My approach ensures that each book design element — whether it’s the cover, internal layout, or typography — works in harmony to support the book’s theme and intended audience.
The challenge with Little Light Within was finding a balance between personality and readability. The book’s target audience is young children, and the illustrations are beautifully simple, yet impactful. The typography needed to complement the illustrations without overwhelming them, maintaining a sense of whimsy while also being legible. We also needed to create a sense of magic and wonder that would resonate with both children and adults, capturing the essence of the book’s universal message of love and self-discovery.
For the cover design, I incorporated a playful, hand-drawn style font to complement Sarah’s line-drawing illustrations, giving the typography a quirky, character-filled vibe that matched the book’s tone. I also stylised the typography (e.g. larger or coloured text and wavy lines) in certain sections of the book to inject personality and enhance the story while maintaining readability for young readers. The typography and layout were carefully crafted to enhance the meditative nature of the book, inviting readers to relax and reflect. Throughout the internal layout, I ensured that the design worked seamlessly with Sarah’s illustrations, allowing the art to shine while guiding readers through the pages in an engaging way.
With a focus on capturing the magic and heart of the book, I handled all aspects of the book design, including cover design, internal layout, and prepress, ensuring the final product was polished and ready for print.
print design wizardry
Whether you’re creating a memoir, a magazine, or an e-book, I offer comprehensive design services to bring your vision to life. With a keen understanding of the nuances of print and digital media, I can design everything from captivating covers to fully formatted, ready-to-print layouts. If you’re looking for professional book design that aligns with your brand or personal story, I’m here to help make your project a success.
