Handmade by Humans

The way we see it, the basic aim of a picture book is pretty straightforward - to try and achieve the best possible blend of words and images to tell an enjoyable story.

Quite simple on the face of it, yet rather more effort to achieve in reality.

Whether or not we’ve managed it, only you can judge, but at no point in the book’s long gestation did we shy away from putting in the work required. Every word was deliberated over to within an inch of its life, every picture painstakingly thought out and slowly rendered real.

It would have been very much easier to have allowed AI into the process.

Heck, I’m sure it could’ve handled the entire process.

“AI, please write and illustrate me a story about…” et voilà – one fully-formed story.

But it wouldn’t be our story. That best possible blend of words and images to tell this particular story existed only in our brains and in our hands, and we’re both very proud of all the work that went into bringing it to you. It’s that sense of pride and our fundamental belief that no AI in the world could ever replicate the human touch that has led us to create Handmade by Humans.

It’s a badge of artistic integrity and a celebration of all the time, love and energy that humans put into the creative process (whatever it is you happen to be making) and it sits proudly on all of our front covers. It’s a guarantee in uncertain times and if you happen to dislike the story, you will at least know who to blame!