Cheerful Turtle Book Illustrations

I’m putting together a picture book for children aged 2–8 starring Tony, a timid little turtle who’s nervous about trying new things. To bring his story to life I need 14-20 full-page illustrations in a bright, simple cartoon style—clean lines, bold colours, and clear expressions that young readers can easily read.

Tony should look consistently shy yet lovable in every scene: slight hunch, wide eyes, small smile that hints at uncertainty. His shell is brown, but feel free to add subtle colour accents or props that emphasise his cautious personality. Backgrounds should stay uncluttered so the focus remains on Tony’s emotions and the core action on each page.

There are also two other characters in this book
Hazel the hippo: looks intimidating but is so lovely. Predominately brown with lighter skinned belly, wearing a pink relaxed bucket hat

Jake the snake: very smiley and loves to roll, yellow in colour with a lighter skinned belly. wants pronounced eyebrows to show off his emotions and expressions

Deliverables
• 14-20 print-ready, high-resolution illustrations (CMYK, 300 dpi, full bleed)
• Source files (PSD, AI or Procreate) with well-organised layers
• One character reference sheet for Tony to ensure consistency
• Up to two revision rounds per illustration

I’ll share the manuscript and a rough storyboard once we start so you can match pacing and page turns. If bright, expressive cartoon work for young kids is your specialty, I’d love to see a few portfolio pieces that show similar character-driven art.