Here’s a really fun puzzle spread illustration created for the October 2022 issue of Chirp Magazine, depicting the Fiddler Festival in Alsace of France! A lot of liberty is taken here so kids get a glimpse of the real thing, but can find letters hidden in the scene, among other things to do within the scene! My thanks to those at Owl and Chirp for the enjoyable project!
Vintage Book Week 23 Challenge!
A group of illustrators hosted a challenge called “Vintage Book Week 23” on Instagram, giving folks four vintage books to over the course of a week to reinterpret as they wished. One could treat it as a Draw This In Your Style (#dtiys) or do a completely updated version. I treated them more as a DTIYS, which gave me opportunity to try out brushes, etc. I love those challenges to work on things like that! So I am posting here my versions, as well as the original book covers, for comparison!
Oh! I did another version of the Hansel and Gretel book cover, closer to the original. I didn’t like it much at first, but it’s grown on me!
High Five Magazine--August 2022 Issue: "Happy Cake Day!" Hidden Picture Puzzle Spread!
This Hidden Picture puzzle is in a little bit of a different style than my line work. I like to mix it up here and there! This was published in the August 2022 issue of High Five magazine. See if you can find the hidden pictures! There’s a key for you, if you need the help!
My thanks to all the fine editors, art directors and designers at Highlights for Children and High Five magazine for the fun project!
Chickadee Magazine--March 2022 Issue: "Art Garden" Puzzle Illustration
Something New! High Five Magazine Spread -- "Dragon Moves"
It was really fun to illustrate this dance like a dragon interactive spread for the January 2022 issue of Highlights for Children’s High Five magazine. Thank you, High FIve! I Hope the kids get a good bit of exercise as they groove to dragon’s moves!
Something New! Highlights Magazine Puzzle--Mitten Match!
I had the pleasure (and fun!) to illustrate this puzzle for the January 2022 issue of Highlights magazine, depicting a VERY busy village with several people missing their mittens. Kids are supposed to find the mitten in the scene and figure out who’s mitten it is. Below is some samples of these project. Thanks for stopping by!
Something New! Chirp Magazine: Take a Trip--A Space Museum Illustration
I had the pleasure to illustrate this October 2021 issue of Chirp magazine’s “Take A Trip”, featuring the Comosphere Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. I had to really think about how to rearrange the reality of the space and most important items (lunar rovers, space capsules, etc.) to fit on a two-page spread! I did a lot of research and picture browsing to get things fun and cartoony, but with enough accuracy to be distinct to the items/space. All in all, I am pleased how it turned out! And the entire issue is about space so chocked full of interesting things to learn in a fun and informative package! Thank you, Owlkids, for your outstanding work, and letting me be a part of it so many times!
Below is the magazine spread, the original, and each page close up.
Something New! "That's Silly!" Puzzle Spead-Hardware Store Scene
Wow, what a challenging and fun illustration to do for High Five magazine’s March ‘21 issue! A “That’s Silly!” that’s featured in a hardware store made for some really fun—and silly!—things to show. I am including the sketch here, as some things changed a little for the final (The baking bear replaced the grandmother). Other things adjusted along as I got to the final art, too, as it usually does. Anyway, I hope the kids enjoyed the scene and had a good laugh here and there! Thanks, Five High /Highlights, for this fun project!
Something New! Highlights Hidden Picture for Christmas!
I was also asked to create this inside illustration for the same Hidden Picture book! Such fun to work on these elves as they decorate a Christmas tree. See if you can find the hidden pictures that are on the list! Have fun!
(C) Highlights for Children
Something New! High Five Magazine Spread: "School Supplies"!
It’’s always special to do anything for Highlights For Children, and when the art director asked me to create an illustration spread for the September 2020 issue of High Five magazine, I of course said yes! This is for their “That’s Silly!” segment in each magazine, where kids find as many “silly” items in the scene as they can. It is a good educational tool which is fun and humorous as well! Below are samples of the spread as well as closeups. I hope the kids had a few laughs as they looked over this scene! I know it was pretty fun to create!
Something New! Whooping Crane Spot Cartoons!
I had such fun drawing these Whooping Crane illustration/cartoons (below) for this article to educate kids about this amazing bird! I love birds and birding so getting the opportunity to come up with something humorous to accompany this article was really special for me. Please get the magazine (OWL magazine, April 2020 issue) and learn about Whoopers and more!
(c) Owl Magazine/Paula J. Becker 2020
Something New! Highlights Hidden Picture (The Corona Virus 2019 Edition)
Highlights is really one of the best companies to freelance for, I have always said! Things have changed a lot over this past decade, but they never cease to appreciate their illustrators! So with this odd time of the world shutting down and sheltering because of a very-bad-no-good virus, they have found ways to be relevant, helpful, and continue to educate and amuse kids! I am grateful and honored to be one of many illustrators commissioned to do a special HP to reflect the this period of time. These Hidden Picture illustrations were published on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where kids and adults alike can find the hidden objects, and maybe even identify with the scene. I know I do! My contribution is below, including some closeups. Thank you, Highlights, for all you do!
(c) Highlights For Children/Paula J. Becker 2020
Something New! "Wacky Wetland Tours" Puzzle Maze
It was really fun to work on this Maze/Puzzle spread for the spring 2020 issue of Chickadee magazine! Samples are below. Check out Owlkids other magazines and books! Your kids will learn a lot and have fun at the same time!
(c) Owlkids/Chickadee Magazine/Paula J. Becker 2020
Something New! "Critter Clinic" Puzzle Spread
Here’s a really fun puzzle spread I did for Bayard/Owlkids and one of their magazines. This spread was for Chirp’s Jan/Feb 2020 issue. It was such a fun illustration to work on! Below are some samples and closeups. Thanks for stopping by!
Something New! High Five Halloween Spread!
I was so excited when I finally saw how this illustration spread I did for High Five magazine turned out in print! It’s a “That’s Silly!” for the October 2019 issue. I had a blast working with the art director with the layout and coming up with all the “sillies”. I did a mix of some line and a more painterly style, as well as textures. A bit different than my line work. I hope the kids enjoy finding all the silly things as much as I did drawing them! Thanks, Highlights/High Five!
I love how these were isolated!
Something New! Valentine's Spread Illustration
This was an illustration created for a kids’ magazine this last year. It just recently got my complimentary copy so posting a bit late, as you can see! But what a fun piece to work on! This was memorable to me because I worked on the colorizing while watching game 3 of the 2018 World Series. That game was 7 1/2 hours long, and I got a lot of work done! The Dodgers eventually eked out a win against the RedSox (3-2), but went on the lose the series to them. Second year to lose in a row. Poor Dodgers. But what fun to work on this piece while watching!
Something New! How-to-Play Soccer Illustration Spread and Spots!
It was so fun (and educational to boot!) to work on this spread for Ask Magazine! I am not a soccer player nor fan, so I learned something myself doing this! I hope others learn, too!
Something New! Dragon Boat Race Illustration
I created this illustration for “A Boat Race” for Chirp magazine June ‘19 issue. This fun magazine spread is both informative AND fun! There are several puzzles and games to play as you learn (Kids as well as adults!) I went with line art for this, since I had to get 20 people in each boat—plus the people on the side watching and waving for their favorite dragon boat! See if you can solve the puzzles!
Magazine Illustration: "Cat Chat"
This is a recent puzzle project for Owl magazine, Chirp! Very fun and I loved drawing the cats!
Magazine Illustration: "Allison is an Astronaut"
I had a load of fun working on this spread for the July 2018 issue of High Five magazine! This poem, “Allison Is an Astronaut” by Barbara L. Scanian was such fun to create a scene for! Since I’ve been taking up star gazing again, I enjoyed recreating a solar system mobile, books about stars and planets, sketches that “Allison” drew, and that fun star background. I’ve been using a bit of collage in my illustrations again, seen on the floor and the star background. And besides the poem, this is a puzzle, too. Look for the letter “A” hidden throughout the illustration.
Such fun! It was great to work with Kelley Cunningham Lanuto on this! Thanks again, Kelley!
