Our client, Charles Blount, approached us with a deeply personal project—creating a children’s book based on the poems and moral stories of his late father. Charles wanted to take the wisdom and lessons his father shared throughout his life and bring them to children everywhere. His goal was simple yet profound: to honor his father’s memory and spread those important life lessons in a fun and engaging way.
Charles envisioned a book that would be vibrant and captivating for children, full of life and lessons. The target audience? Kids, of course. He wanted to create something that would entertain while teaching valuable lessons about kindness, wisdom, and experience. The book, titled How the Horse Ate the Apple, needed to be both playful and educational—a book that would capture the imagination of young readers and stick with them.
Charles knew he wanted to create this book, but he didn’t have the experience or know-how when it came to illustrations and book design. That’s when he turned to us. He needed someone who could help him turn his idea into a fully illustrated, professional children’s book. Charles wanted his father’s stories to come to life, and he trusted us to make that happen.
This wasn’t just any book project; it was an emotional and personal journey for Charles. He wanted it to be perfect—an homage to his father that would resonate with readers young and old. We knew we needed to help him navigate this unfamiliar world and bring his vision to life in a way that would make it both meaningful and enjoyable for children.
We kicked things off by diving deep into the heart of Charles’ father’s poems. With the poems in hand, we worked together to craft a compelling script that would not only tell the story but also set the tone for the visuals. Once we had the story locked down, we moved to conceptualization. Our first task was to design the main character—the experienced horse. Initially, we experimented with a horse walking on two legs, but after a few rounds of feedback, we adjusted it to a more traditional design.
From there, we worked on creating different horse characters, each with its own unique traits. We also focused on the scenes—especially the big race up the hill. One of the biggest challenges was illustrating the horses from a high-down perspective, which was tricky but made the action dynamic and exciting. We also worked on the layout for each page, making sure the pacing of the story was perfect for young readers. It was a hands-on, creative process that involved a lot of collaboration with Charles.
Make it stand out
The final result was nothing short of magical. How the Horse Ate the Apple came to life with vibrant, playful illustrations that captured both the fun and moral lessons of the story. From the cover design to every page layout, we carefully crafted each detail to reflect Charles’ father’s poems while keeping it engaging for kids. The horse characters were fun, unique, and full of personality, making the story come to life in a visually stunning way.
We didn’t just stop at the character designs. The entire book was thoughtfully designed to take readers on a journey—from the dynamic running scenes to the subtle details that brought each setting to life. Every page turned was a new opportunity to captivate the reader, while staying true to the story’s original messages of experience, wisdom, and adventure.
Make it
The impact on Charles was immediate and heartfelt. He was overjoyed with the final product, seeing his father’s wisdom transformed into a book that children could enjoy and learn from. This project wasn’t just about creating a book—it was about giving life to his father’s legacy in a way that would resonate with generations to come.
While the book didn’t hit the expected sales goals right away, Charles was proud of what we had created together. He saw it as a tribute to his father’s work and was excited to share it with others. We agreed that, while the book was complete, there was still potential to improve its visibility and sales strategy. The project had given Charles something tangible, a piece of his father’s wisdom that he could share with the world—and that, in itself, was a huge success.
Charles Blound