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After presenting the first version of my children’s story comic, I received some valuable feedback from my teacher. First, my teacher appreciated the character designs of the boy and his mother, and also thought the balance between images and text was well done. Additionally, the use of a flower as a symbolic element was well-received. However, three key areas were suggested for improvement:

1. The text was perhaps too much for young children and could be simplified to rely more on visuals.

2. The focus of the story was more on the flower’s adventure than the boy himself.

3. The theme leaned more toward emotional management rather than “thinking.”

After discussing these insights with my tutor one-on-one, I refined the story structure to align better with the intended theme of “thinking.” Together, we cut down the amount of text, aiming to make the story easier for children to follow. My tutor also suggested adjustments to shift the focus onto the boy, integrating the “thinking” theme more naturally into the storyline. Thus, I decided to replace the flower’s symbolic journey with the boy’s real-world exploration.

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At this stage, I’ve been creating some spontaneous collages to explore ideas and broaden my thinking. I’m experimenting with different styles to find what fits best for the project.

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For this exercise, I explored various locations to observe and document their unique elements using a viewfinder. I started with our classroom, where I noticed how the light interacted with the desks and walls—a detail I had overlooked before. Then, I moved to the screening room in the school’s main hall, where the reflections on the screen and the echo of sound in the empty space caught my attention.

Outside, I observed the trash bin near the school entrance. At first, it seemed mundane, but focusing on its texture and how people interacted with it gave it a surprising sense of character. Finally, I visited the grassy area near the school, where the gentle movement of the grass in the wind created a peaceful yet lively atmosphere.

Using different methods of documentation gave me unique insights. Photography allowed me to capture fleeting moments and textures, drawing helped me focus on composition and detail, while taking notes helped me process my emotional reactions to each space. This combination of approaches helped me understand how isolating specific elements can reveal entirely new perspectives on familiar places.

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A young boy is often troubled by why his emotions change so much, which sometimes causes him to make mistakes. He begins to reflect on why emotions affect him and thinks about how he can control his emotions instead of being controlled by them.

One night, he has a dream. In his dream, he suddenly has five heads, each representing a different emotion: anger, happiness, sadness, fear, and calm. At first, each head has its own thoughts, and this makes it difficult for him to control his body because every emotion is trying to take charge.

In the dream, each head not only represents an emotion but also a way of thinking. For example, the angry head thinks impulsively and impatiently, the happy head thinks more casually and freely, while the sad head is more cautious and deep. These different emotions are actually different thinking styles that influence his decisions.

As the dream progresses, the boy gradually realizes that emotions themselves are not the problem—it’s how he manages them that matters. Through reflection, he understands that each emotion’s way of thinking has its own value: anger gives him the courage to face challenges, happiness allows him to enjoy life, and sadness helps him be more careful. He starts to find a way for these emotions to coexist rather than let them clash.

Slowly, the boy learns how to balance the different emotions and gains control over his body. He realizes that thinking helps him understand each emotion and allows him to find the best course of action.

When he wakes up, he discovers that not only can he control his emotions in the dream, but he can also manage them better in real life. When faced with troubling situations again, he can think first and make more rational decisions, instead of letting his emotions take over.

This story highlights the connection between emotional management and thinking, showing children that by reflecting calmly, they can better understand and control their emotions.

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Sketching the Boy's Appearance in the Dream"

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Sketching the Boy's Appearance in the Dream"

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Adding details to the story and thinking about how to allocate the content across each page.

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Adding details to the story and thinking about how to allocate the content across each page.

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A young boy is often troubled by his changing emotions, which sometimes cause him to make mistakes he regrets. He feels confused, wondering why he sometimes feels happy, sometimes sad, and sometimes suddenly angry or fearful. These emotions make it hard for him to control his actions.

So, he decides to seek help from his mother. Smiling, his mother picks up a small flower and says, "Let me tell you a story about this little flower. Each of its five petals represents a different emotion and way of thinking: anger, happiness, sadness, fear, and calm."

She begins to tell the boy a story about the flower’s adventure in a magical world. In this story, each petal not only represents an emotion but also a unique way of thinking. For example, the angry petal thinks impulsively and impatiently, the happy petal thinks freely and easily, and the sad petal thinks cautiously and deeply.

In the story, the little flower encounters a large locked door. The angry petal suggests breaking it down, but the other petals hesitate—maybe that would cause trouble, or maybe it wouldn’t work. After a moment of thought, the calm petal notices a hidden lever beside the door. Working together, they pull the lever, and the door opens.

Next, the flower enters a complicated maze. The fearful petal begins to panic, saying there’s no way out. However, the sad petal pauses to observe carefully and notices subtle patterns on the walls. “We need to stay calm and follow these patterns,” it says.

With encouragement from the happy petal, which helps them stay positive, and careful guidance from the sad petal, focused on analyzing, the flower successfully finds its way out of the maze.

As the adventure continues, the flower faces more challenges. Each time, the five petals use their unique emotions and ways of thinking to find balance and overcome the obstacles. The boy listens intently and realizes that, like the flower, each emotion has its unique value. By finding balance, he, too, can better manage his emotions and actions.

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My story outline went through a revision after receiving valuable feedback from my tutor. In the original version, the young boy learns to balance his emotions and use different ways of thinking to solve problems through a dream sequence. However, my tutor pointed out that a dream might be too abstract for children; they might not understand how the boy learns to control his emotions through a dream and could even misinterpret it as needing more sleep to improve their mood. This feedback made me realize the need for a more concrete approach. I revised the story so that the boy’s mother tells him a story using a small flower, with each petal representing a different emotion and way of thinking. This change not only makes the concept of emotions more tangible but also creates a stronger sense of immersion for young readers, as if they are listening to this warm story themselves, helping them understand emotions better.

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After completing the second draft of my story, I decided to show it to my 10-year-old sister and ask for her feedback and suggestions. She found the storyline interesting but said it felt a bit boring to read. This made me reflect on my writing style and consider how I could make the story more engaging for children. I realized that a children’s story needs not only an interesting plot but also lively language. So, I began to incorporate more interactive language and vivid descriptions, aiming to make young readers feel as if they were right there in the magical world, experiencing the adventure alongside the little flower. These adjustments not only made the story more appealing but also brought each emotion to life, helping young readers connect with the characters on a deeper level.

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A young boy, often troubled by his changing emotions, asks his mom for help. She tells him about a magical flower whose petals represent different emotions and ways of thinking. As the flower faces challenges, it learns that each emotion has its own value and way of thinking, and finding balance is key. The boy realizes that by understanding and balancing his feelings, he too can make better choices.

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The story still begins with the boy feeling troubled by his shifting emotions, but now his request for help from his mother takes a new turn. Instead of telling a story about a flower, the mother gently holds a flower and says, “Whenever you feel confused, look at how beautiful and calming this flower is. When you feel angry, scared, or anxious, stop, take a deep breath, and think.” Inspired by this, the boy decides to take a walk outside, spending time in nature to clear his mind.

For the adventure itself, I replaced the flower’s challenges with real-world scenarios the boy encounters. For example, instead of the locked door in the flower’s adventure, the boy now finds the park gate closed. At first, he feels a bit lost, but remembering his mother’s words, he pauses, takes a breath, and finds a hidden handle that opens the gate. Similarly, the maze in the original flower story becomes a journey through a dense forest, where he stops to observe, thinks carefully, and eventually finds his way through.

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Emphasizing “Thinking” as the Main Theme

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Emphasizing “Thinking” as the Main Theme

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Through this revision, I realized that focusing on the boy’s real-life experiences could help children better understand the importance and practicality of “thinking.” In the final part of the story, I illustrated examples from his daily life to show how he applies this new skill of thoughtful reflection in small but relatable ways. For instance, when he faces a tough problem at school, plays with friends, or receives reminders from his parents, he now knows how to pause, reflect, and handle these situations with a calm mind. Through these everyday examples, I hope the story will not only entertain but also inspire children to use thoughtful reflection to balance their emotions and solve problems.

This iteration helped me gain a deeper understanding of storytelling. By adjusting the character focus, plot details, and emphasizing the main theme, the story has become tighter and more child-friendly. Moving forward, I will continue to simplify the text and optimize the visuals to create a story that is both engaging and meaningful.

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The feedback from my classmates was really helpful for improving my project. First, they reminded me to make sure the story clearly focuses on the theme of “thinking.” I’ve already made adjustments to emphasize the boy’s journey of problem-solving and reflection.

They also pointed out that the font might be hard to read, especially for children with reading difficulties. I’ll try some more child-friendly fonts to make the text clearer and easier to read.

In terms of layout, some classmates mentioned that certain text placements, like under the rainbow, could be distracting. I plan to adjust the text positioning to integrate it more naturally with the illustrations, and I’ll also look at Anorak magazine’s layout for inspiration.

Lastly, they suggested using color to convey emotions more effectively. I’ll work on a clearer color palette to better support the emotional tone of the story.

Overall, this feedback gave me a lot of specific ways to improve, and I’m grateful for everyone’s input!

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After revising the story, I reduced the text on each page to make it clearer, ensuring the images take center stage, and also revised the story outline.

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Based on the reflections above, I created the line art. The protagonist has shifted from the flower to the boy, though the flower still serves as an important reminder throughout the story. With this change, the theme now focuses more on “thinking,” and the story revolves more around the boy himself. I reduced the text to let the images take focus, enlarged the remaining text to make it easier for readers to follow, and made professional adjustments to the layout according to Anorak magazine’s bleed and layout specifications. On the final page, I included specific examples showing what the boy learned from this experience and how he applies these new insights in his daily life.

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After reflecting on the feedback, I revisited my illustrations to make further improvements. I adjusted the overall color palette, shifting to warmer tones with shades of orange and green as the primary colors. To match this, I also changed the line art color to a softer reddish-brown, creating a more cohesive and gentle feel. Additionally, I refined the title, incorporating small details to make it more visually appealing and aligned with the playful tone of the project.

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For this project, I needed to create two double-page spreads for Anorak magazine. The two themes to choose from were Ants and Thinking, and both felt equally interesting.

To help organize my thoughts, I created mind maps for both themes. For Ants, I thought about their teamwork, their fascinating underground tunnels, and how they carry things much bigger than themselves. It was such a lively and visual concept. For Thinking, my ideas focused more on abstract topics, like processing emotions, different thinking styles, and how our brains work.

This brainstorming process was really helpful. I enjoyed letting my imagination flow, exploring different directions and possibilities for each theme. Both had so much potential, and this exercise helped me understand what I could do with each idea.

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To prepare for this project, I reviewed several stories from Anorak magazine. I found their playful storytelling and visual style fascinating and well-suited for children. Through my analysis, I identified a few key features:

Limited Color Palette: Most stories use three to four main colors for a cohesive design.

Simplified Illustrations: Bold silhouettes replace intricate details.

Childlike Brushwork: Many drawings mimic the raw, playful style of children’s art.

Balanced Composition: The layouts evenly distribute text and imagery for clarity and appeal.

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During my research, I explored the works of two artists specializing in children’s books. The first was Cara Rooney, who authored A Little World of Ants, a beautifully illustrated book that delves into the lives and adventures of ants. What I found particularly inspiring about her work was the interactive design of the pages—elements that allowed readers to engage with the story beyond just reading. It added an extra layer of fun and discovery, making the book feel more dynamic and immersive.

The second artist I looked into was Andrea Antionori, an Italian illustrator known for his collaborations with multiple publishers on children’s books. His signature style stood out to me immediately—it mimics the raw, playful strokes of a child’s drawing. His works are filled with exaggerated actions, imaginative storylines, and a sense of boundless creativity. There’s an energy and spontaneity in his illustrations that truly capture a childlike spirit.

After reflecting on these two artists and their approaches, I realized that while I appreciated the charm and creativity of the ant-themed works, I was more drawn to the possibilities of the Thinking theme. This theme allows for a deeper exploration of abstract ideas, emotions, and imagination, which feels like a more meaningful direction for me. Additionally, my research into interactive storytelling and playful illustration techniques inspired me to incorporate these elements into my project to make it engaging and thought-provoking for children.

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For the formative submission, I printed my illustrations and displayed them on the wall for review. However, I must admit that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the result. After receiving feedback from my tutor and classmates, I identified several areas for improvement. My tutor reminded us that this wasn’t the final stage and encouraged us to make the most of the opportunity to refine our work.

Firstly, I noticed an issue with the layout. While the A4 single-page design with half yellow and half white looked balanced on its own, the two-page spread on the wall felt disconnected and visually unharmonious. To address this, I plan to adjust the layout by extending the background color to fill the page. However, since the yellow is too bold when used as a full spread, I will experiment with softer tones to create a more cohesive and pleasant effect.

Additionally, I realized that my title could be more unique and reflective of my personal style, which I plan to refine further. I also think my illustrations could benefit from incorporating more playful and cute details to enhance their appeal. Finally, the quality of my print significantly affected the overall presentation. The paper I used didn’t do justice to the colors and details, so I plan to reprint my work using high-quality materials at an external print shop.

This feedback and reflection have given me a clear path for improvement, and I’m eager to see how these changes can elevate my project.

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For the printing, I visited a professional print shop and chose high-quality matte-coated cardstock. The final print turned out exactly as I envisioned, and I was very satisfied with the result.

As for the final photography, I couldn’t secure a slot in the school’s photography workshop, so I decided to purchase a small photography setup for home use. This allowed me to take high-quality, professional-looking photos of my work, ensuring that the final presentation met my expectations.