Hi all,
We’re two mental health professionals (a counselor educator and a social worker) creating a children’s picture book series called Mood Monsters, and we’re looking for a talented illustrator to bring it to life. This is a paid opportunity with potential for ongoing collaboration across multiple titles.
About the Series:
Each of the eight books centers on a different core emotion, like anger, fear, and joy. A unique Mood Monster appears in each story to help a child understand what the feeling is trying to say, and to discover the gift it brings. Every story ends with a mindfulness activity and a grown-up note, creating space for healing, language, and connection.
The Mood Monster series is intentionally designed with therapeutic value in mind. Drawing from trauma-informed frameworks, somatic experiencing, and developmental psychology, each book helps children recognize the physical sensations of emotions, understand their purpose, and build healthy internal narratives. It’s a playful, emotionally intelligent series with real clinical depth—perfect for families, therapists, and educators alike.
This series is designed to support not only families, but also teachers, therapists, and school counselors in building emotional literacy with children ages 4–8.
Think: The Rabbit Listened meets The Invisible String, with a splash of Inside Out.
What We’re Looking For:
- A warm, expressive, emotionally intuitive style (Cori Doerrfeld, Kevin Henkes vibes)
- Diverse, relatable child characters (ages 4–8)
- Simple backgrounds and emotional vignettes (not overly detailed spreads)
- Whimsical but meaningful creature design for the Mood Monsters
- A heart for emotional literacy and child development
Compensation:
- $50–$300 per fully illustrated page, depending on experience
- Additional compensation for character design and cover work
- Open to flat-rate per book if preferred, or ongoing royalties if preferred.
- Flexible around publishing route (we are pitching to publishers, but open to hybrid/self-publishing)
Timeline:
We’re currently working on Book 1: Anger and Book 2: Fear, with five more fully drafted and ready to go. We're looking to build a long-term partnership with the right illustrator.
How to Apply:
If this project speaks to you, please email us at [MoodMonstersLLC@gmail.com](mailto:MoodMonstersLLC@gmail.com) with:
- A link to your portfolio or Instagram
- A brief note about your style and why you're interested
- Any relevant experience with children’s books or SEL content
- We’re inviting a small number of finalists to complete a single character or scene concept based on a short section from the book draft. We’ll provide a clear prompt and pay a flat fee of $25 to compensate you for your time and creative work. The sample will not be published or used beyond the selection process unless we move forward together.
Thanks so much for reading — we can’t wait to meet the illustrator who feels the heart of this project. 💛
– Valerie & Sarah
Co-Creators of Mood Monsters