Sun and Moon Childrens Book

The process and creation of a children's book containing only a beginning, middle, and end.

This project was a take on Hansel and Gretel; however, rather than a story of a witch that eats children, it was more a take on the overall structure of the story—two young, naive characters and a third-knowing character and how their interaction plays out.

Story Beat

What each story frame should be created for

I have always loved astronomy and Greek mythology, and I wanted to combine the magical feeling of mythology with the mysterious beauty of space. Since this is a children’s story, it was initially challenging to take two complicated topics and make them child friendly, especially with only three pictures. As a child, I always found worthy sacrifices captivating to watch. It is the height of the story, and the characters whose stories you’ve come close to are in emotional turmoil. Dark as it may sound, it gave me a glimpse into something magical. The knowledge that someone could care so deeply for another that they would give everything they had for them. Death is also a topic that can be difficult for children to understand, and while in a perfect world, no child would come to know such a thing, the reality is they need ways to understand such a heavy topic. By creating this story, I hoped to show that an end does not mean it’s gone forever.

Character Design

Design of Moon

Moon is the slightly younger twin of the two sisters. Since birth, she has been weak due to a consistent illness for which no one could ever find a cure. Timid and nervous, she cannot do much more than observe. Her sister Sun is her best friend. For her design, I wanted to encapsulate her permanent shyness with a constant uneasy appearance. She has flushed cheeks to show her illness. Her hair is long to give a dainty quality, and she wears a crown of a crescent moon that passerbyers often mistake for that of horns. Much like the name given to her, she is left in the shadows and forgotten.

Design of Sun

Sun is the slightly older sibling of the two twins. Energetic and happy, she often causes trouble. Seeing how much her sister suffers from the illness, Sun believes she needs to have enough fun for the both of them. Despite her sister receiving attention for her sickness, Sun, like her name, is the focus for a bright future. Concerned for her sister’s wellbeing, she convinces Moon that they must go out to find a rumored Goddess who can cure anything. In design, Sun wears a dress with frills and a glorious crown to represent her name.

Design of Kosma, the goddess

Not much is known about the Goddess. Her very existence is a rumor. Named after the Universe itself, Kosma is believed to be the mother of everything. Wise, majestic, and eternal, she is said to appear when one is in most dire need. Stories tell of her ability to do anything one might imagine and more but all in balance. If something is to be given, the Universe demands something in return. For her design, I wanted to give her a long-flowing traditional Greek tunic accompanied by a laurel wreath.

Character Color Palettes

When portraying a character, the color palette is just as important as the design itself. Initially, I was going for very light and graceful colors, such as the pink and purple pastels, to be more connected to the crisp white fabric similar to the Greek sculptures. However, doing all white would have been uninteresting, especially for young children, so the pastels were attempted. After trying them, it still seemed lackluster, so I began trying bold colors that reminded me of the ceramic art that contains vivid orange and black.

Finalized Characters

The result is a silver, blue, yellow, and gold palette. Moon was given a pastel tunic to enhance her calm demeanor with gold detailing to hint on Sun. Kosma is given a navy blue tunic to represent the darkness of the universe with detailing in yellow and gold because with her comes hope. Her hair is the silver color like that of stardust. For Sun, as one could assume by her name and energy, she was given all yellow and gold, excluding her Sun crown, which is silver as a nod to her sister.

Environment Design

Environment sketches

For the environment, I wanted to incorporate some kind of Greek inspired temple. Research was done on the various styles of pillars. In addition to, I wanted to add a giant clock to the ceiling of the temple as a nod to zodiac constellations.

Thumbnail sketches

Creation of various key frames to determine how to present the story. The beginning, Sun and Moon’s Journey to locate Goddess Kosma. The middle is the stories climax where Sun gives her energy (life) to heal Moon of her sickness. The end is where Moon has acceptance and knows Sun is not gone forever.