Experienced Illustrator for Cozy Toddler Bedtime Book Series (Long-Term)

We are launching a series of printed children’s story books for toddlers (ages 2–5) that will be sold online (Etsy/Amazon). Several manuscripts are already complete and ready for illustration. This is an ongoing project, not a single book.

We are looking for an illustrator who can create consistent illustrations across multiple books following a defined visual style.

What We Need
We are NOT looking for free creative interpretation.
We will provide references and art direction. Your role is to faithfully execute the visual style consistently across all pages and all books.

Each book:
* ~28 pages (14 spreads)
* Full scene illustrations
* Clean, printable, professional files
* Be emotionally soothing for a child

Style Requirements
We are looking for a nostalgic bedtime book look similar to classic children’s picture books.

Key characteristics:
* Hand-painted appearance (gouache / watercolor / colored pencil style)
* Soft brush textures (not flat digital art)
* Warm cozy lighting (lamp light > moonlight)
* Simple readable compositions
* Expressive but gentle characters
* Soft facial expressions
* Whimsical but calm environments

NOT acceptable:
* Anime style
* Vector cartoon style
* Harsh outlines
* Flat modern minimalist illustration
* 3D rendered look
* Overly realistic adult proportions