PORTLAND, Maine — It’s a question often put to people who attended college: What did you learn there that has served you well?
Neesha Hudson, who lives in Brunswick and is the author and illustrator of a new children’s book called “The Best Flower Ever!” has a good answer. While studying at an art college, she took a picture book course, which turned out to be both inspiring and instructive.
“It’s an aspect of illustration where you really get to put yourself on the page,” Hudson said. “You get to do a variety of different things. You’re not drawing the same thing over and over and over.”
Hudson’s new book tells the story of a dog with a simple but beautiful flower who finds himself comparing it to the more elegant and elaborate flowers that other dogs possess. The message for kids is that one should learn to appreciate what one has and not be envious of others.
As with all books for young readers, the illustrations are hugely important. They have to pull in the reader—or perhaps in this case, the page-turner who’s not yet old enough to read. For Hudson, it’s impossible to keep track of how many versions of each picture she’s done.
“I work in watercolor, and watercolor is not a perfect medium. It kind of has a mind of its own,” she said. “I drew the characters countless times and painted them multiple times to get them right.”
Reading a book for kids may take mere minutes. The same cannot be said for creating one.
“Illustrating and writing children’s books seems very simple,” Hudson said. “But it is not easy.”