It is not all fairytales and happy endings for people behind the colours of a children’s book
White cottony clouds dot the sky. The grass is in all shades of green. The blue river flows beautifully, with tiny orange fish having conversations with the small green frogs sitting on lotus pads. The world is filled with music.
Turn the page.
“We are only handed the manuscripts and rarely get to meet the authors unlike in the West where illustrators are treated with respect. And small publications don’t even mention your names,” says Vandana Bist.
“I don’t want my drawings back and nor do I have a hassle with payments. Very often the authors aren’t interested in interacting with illustartors and I am fine with that,” says Neeta Gangopadhya.
These are the adults behind the beautiful illustrations in children’s books.

“For illustrating children’s books you have to be a child but when you are worried about your bread and butter money. You cannot live in a dream world. Which is necessary when you are trying to draw for kids. The publishing industry has to realize this,” says Vikram Nayak.
Turn the page again.
A children’s book has the feel of a spell being cast the moment you flip it open. The pictures, the colours, the line outlining houses and trees and the smiling faces of children, scarecrows, kings, queens and butterflies have left many children in its rapture for ages. The silent strokes that have moulded our early dew-fresh perceptions of the world are the works of illustrators that have almost never been in the limelight. The author writes his best work and a child may love reading it, but it is a picture associated with the text that remains forever.

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