19/10/2026
WHY DO I USE AI TO ILLUSTRATE MY CHILDREN’S BOOKS?
It’s a question I’ve been asked more than once, and I thought it was worth answering.
I’ve been writing stories since I was seven years old. Writing has always been part of who I am.
But writing a children’s book and bringing it to life visually are two very different things.
I’m an independent, self-published author. I don’t have a publishing house behind me, a team of designers or a large budget.
Recently, I looked into commissioning a local children’s book illustrator for a new story.
The artwork was beautiful, and I would genuinely love to support a local artist.
But the reality is that professionally illustrating an entire picture book can cost thousands of pounds.
And that’s simply not financially viable for me.
So I use AI to help bring the characters and stories I’ve imagined to life.
Does that mean I press a button and a finished book magically appears?
Absolutely not! 😂
There’s the writing, rewriting, character development, countless adjustments, rejected images, layout, formatting, proofreading and publishing.
Sometimes getting one illustration right takes more patience than writing the entire page!
I understand that AI illustration isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I also understand the concerns of professional artists whose livelihoods may be affected by it.
Their skills deserve recognition and fair payment.
But here’s how I see it.
Without the technology available to me today, many of the stories I’ve carried around in my imagination for years might never have become books.
AI hasn’t given me my imagination.
It hasn’t given me my stories.
It’s simply given me another way to share them.
And if a child enjoys one of my books, asks for it to be read again, laughs at a character or learns something from the story, then I’ve achieved what I set out to do.
To me, that’s what storytelling is all about. ❤️
Roxana Reynolds
Independent Children’s Author
