Testimonials and Book Reviews
From clients:
'As a first time author, I felt nervous and excited to debut my children's book Tate's Big Birthday. The words on the paper were deeply sentimental and inspired by own children, and I knew that the illustrations had to feel equally authentic. Enter Lucy Smith! She gave visual life to my story beyond my expectations. Her 3-dimensional approach to illustration and use of vivid colours, created an "off-the-page" experience with the turn of each page. Her professionalism and knowledge of the industry were just as impressive as her artistic talents. I can't thank Lucy enough for joining me on my first publishing journey.' - Nicole de Nobriga, Author of the Tate's Tales series.
'Lucy formatted my first self published book; ‘Let’s talk to Mummy’s tummy’. It was a big project and being a newbie indie author I knew absolutely nothing! Lucy was perfect in this respect as she guided me through every step, involved me and kept me updated throughout the whole process. She even communicated with the publishers for me as I struggled with some of the technical questions they were asking. The end design of the book was absolutely fantastic! The whole process, from start to finish, was stress free. Lucy is fantastic to work with; Patient and professional and easy to communicate with. I couldn’t imagine working with anyone else! I’ve booked her for next project. Goes without saying but I can highly recommend her services.' - Helen A Lacey, Author of Let's Talk to Mummy's Tummy
'Lucy is a gifted illustrator and designer. Her work is inventive and original and I have no doubt that she will help to bring any brief or design to life with her creative flair. As a freelance illustrator, Lucy was attentive to our needs as a client and managed to bring a very basic sketch to life in a very engaging way. I believe that Lucy’s illustrations helped us win the client pitch to launch Smurfs: The Lost Village in the UK and we were very happy with her work. I would highly recommend working with Lucy in the future. We certainly will be!' - Charlene Sharp, PR and Digital Consultant, DnA PR
'Lucy is an absolute pleasure to deal with. I am in Australia and she is in England but she works through the night and communicated with me so well. She got my ideas for my story and straight away envisioned exactly what I was wishing to create. She has a wonderful imagination and really is a beautiful illustrator. My book is so much better for having Lucy involved and I cannot wait to work with her again in the future. Do not have any hesitation with choosing Lucy, you will not be disappointed!' - Gilly-Elle Wiltshire, Author of From the First Time
Awards:
Readers' Favourite - 2018 Gold Medal
'Nonni's Moon by Julia Inserro is one of those feel good books for kids and parents alike. Beanie misses her grandmother who lives far, far away and wishes she could see her grandmother more. They settle on a new way to send messages to each other through a common means that all kids can appreciate. Beanie shares this with her teacher, who then decides to use it to send messages to her sister. Well, right away the reader has learned a new way to communicate with loved ones they seldom see. One of the first things that hooks the reader in Nonni's Moon by Julia Inserro is the artwork. Lucy Smith's illustrations capture our hearts. The illustrator won a Kidshelf cover design award. However, each and every page is captivating. Diversity is shared within the illustrations. The blended family is a mixture of Caucasian and Middle Eastern cultures.
The story line seems at first to be a bedtime story. But, there's much, much more. There are "hidden" connections with the world of science and social issues. The obvious settings in the illustrations can lead to good discussions about different cultures. This would be a great means to introduce time zones and the earth's movements to young children, as well as use in a discussion of where the moon is when it can't be seen. Some of the repetitive phrases provide opportunities for children to be active participants by reading those as they are repeated throughout the book. Nonni's Moon by Julia Inserro would be useful in the classroom and as a great Mother's Day gift for grandmothers.' - Gail Kamer for Readers' Favorite
www.readersfavorite.com/book-review/nonnis-moon
KidsShelf books - Cover design winner - Spring 2018
'Nonni’s Moon, by Julia Inserro and Illustrated by Lucy Smith is a delightful story of a young girl who longs to communicated every day with her Nonni who lives half-way around the world. She discovers that communicating in a very creative way gives her solice. This book is definitely for young people who miss friends and relatives who live a great distance. It is also a teacher of patience and persistence. “A great read.” - Pam Rice for KidsShelf Books
From Book Reviews:
'What an amazing way to teach children how they stay close to loved ones who are far away! Loved the illustrations absolutely beautiful!' - Jodie (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The best part about this book is the artwork. If your kids love pretty picture books, this one doesn't disappoint there.' - Amazon customer (Open Your Eyes Little One book review)
'This is a beautifully written and stunningly illustrated book which will become a firm favourite for many children. When reading this I was drawn in by the beautiful illustrations which create so much atmosphere and feeling that, coupled with the delicate words, really bring this book to life.' - Laura (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The illustration is great. My 8 year old actually took it for show and tell last week because it is that well illustrated.' - Amazon customer (Open Your Eyes Little One book review)
'Wonderful illustrations and the story is beautiful. My kids were instantly sucked into the story when I began reading.' - Tracy (Nonni's Moon book review)
'Illustrations that are so well thought out and executed.' - Courtney (Open Your Eyes Little One book review)
'This was such a great children’s book. My kids loved it. I highly recommend it. The story and illustrations are top notch.' - Sandy (Nonni's Moon book review)
'Beautifully written and illustrated. The perfect bedtime story for its captivating message and adventurous illustrations. Nothing better than a book that helps our children’s minds grow while entertaining at the same time!! Great work to both writer and illustrator!!' - Amazon customer (Open Your Eyes Little One book review)
'Two thumbs up for diversity and vivid colors in the illustrations. Lucy Smith really nailed it! I can’t wait for more books from Julia Inserro.' - Shayla (Nonni's Moon book review)
'A touching story with adorable illustrations.' - Amazon customer (Open Your Eyes Little One book review)
'The cover grabbed me right from the start. Stunning illustration!' - Jaime (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The illustrations are stunning and mesmerizing!' - SE Fodin (Open Your Eyes Little One book review)
'My 6 year old really enjoyed the story and the illustrations are breathtaking!' - Baoanlai (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The illustrations of the book are stunning & the gentle pastel colours used, make this a lovely calming book to read.' - Susie-Anna (Autism with Lola: Playing with Bourbon Badger book review)
'The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and fit perfectly with the text.' - Meagan - (Nonni's Moon book review)
'My daughter really loved the illustrations and the message in the book would be very easy for children to understand.' - Amazon customer (Autism with Lola: Playing with Bourbon Badger book review)
'The vivid illustrations complement a story that will resonate with any child missing a grandparent, a parent stationed in a distant country, or any well-loved friend or relative.' - Leah (Nonni's Moon book review)
'Julia Inserro and Lucy Smith partner to lift words off the page and draw a child reader in.' - Dara (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The book is well written and has amazing illustrations on every page.' - Stephanie (Nonni's Moon book review)
'This delightful little story comes with the most amazing illustrations that make you feel as though you are in another world with beanie but communicating through the moon to her Nonni! This story puts a smile on my son’s face anytime he see’s the moon now as he exclaims, “Look Mom, it’s Nonni’s Moon!”' - Susan (Nonni's Moon book review)
'Such a sweet book! Perfect for any child with loved ones who live far away. The story is complemented by beautiful illustrations.' - Mo (Nonni's Moon book review)
'This is such a sweet children's book. We've been reading it to our son to help him deal with his best friend moving away. The illustrations are so inviting and beautiful, as well.' - Tiffany (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The artwork is superb. Perfectly matched to the story, the finely detailed illustrations greatly enhance the book.' - Bonbonvivant (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The illustrations are gorgeous and the thoughful storytelling is a treat for the soul.' - S Baker (Nonni's Moon book review)
'Absolutely BEAUTIFUL artwork that follows a story that means so much to my children. A definite keepsake that we're excited to add to our family library!' - Ram Fam (Nonni's Moon book review)
'Mesmerizing illustrations and a wonderful story about connecting across the world.' - Marissa (Nonni's Moon book review)
'I love the illustrations - so calming and soothing as well.' - Marilyn (Nonni's Moon book review)
'My kids and I loved this beautiful book about how to cope with loved ones being far away. The illustrations are lovely and the story captivated us. A wonderful book.' - SCB (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The story itself is touching and uplifting, the illustrations are delightful, and I especially appreciated how the text is typeset to weave organically throughout the narrative. These little touches are what make cherished bedtime books.' - Chris (Nonni's Moon book review)
'Illustrations are phenomenal and engaging. This is an absolutely wonderful book!!!' - Gabby (Nonni's Moon book review)
'The full-page pictures are gorgeous and wonderfully show two distinct places and cultures, with the moon as a constant that can bridge the divide.' - Jeff (Nonni's Moon book review)
From Bloggers and the Media:
Global Living Magazine
www.globallivingmagazine.com/nonnis-moon/
The Military Wife and Mom
www.themilitarywifeandmom.com/pcs-moving-books-military-kids/
Mommying Baby T
www.mommyingbabyt.com/childrens-book-review-nonnis-moon-julia-inserro/
I love the colours and the illustrations in Nonni’s Moon. The difference between night and day, bedtime and early morning rush and the way this is placed on adjacent pages in the book really makes the distance and time difference come alive.'- Mommying Baby T
Scissors and Glue
'Lucy Smith is from England, a beautiful town called Cheshire, which is close to Manchester. She is a mother to two adorable young children and is also a freelance Illustrator, who specializes in children’s picture books. She loves to create jewelry with crystals, sketching and drawing as well as graphics design but particularly enjoys reading children’s literature, and can be found writing stories of her own when she isn’t reading the latest Harry Potter novel, or taking hikes in the forest. She says that she gains inspiration from the books she reads and pours it into the books she illustrates.
And that is true with Nonni’s Moon, as you can see with every turn of the page, Lucy has truly poured her inspiration into this books’ illustrations; from the detail she shows us about the characters and the settings in the book, from what clothes Beanie likes to wear, to the wallpaper in the babies room, to the wonderful bridging effect the moon has on our beloved characters, to all of the cats that Julia has, which have been placed throughout the book, and are very fun to spot along the way! You can really see that Lucy truly got to know Julia’s family, of whom the book was based on and it’s in that process where Lucy finds her inspiration for her art! This is part of her process as an Artist, to get to know all the details and do research for every page, which she relates to like unto the role of ‘movie director’, being able to choose your camera angles, the lighting, and atmosphere, as well as painting the scene throughout the book, having the reader engaged as they turn from page to page.
Lucy Smith wanted to share with you all some behind the scenes photos of her creative process, both with the front cover of the book, to the Character development of Beanie, the sweet girl who is the main character in the story. It is wonderful to see the dedication and joy she has for her career and her artistic process in illustrating a children’s storybook from start to finish, and she is surely an inspiration for young readers and budding Illustrators alike who may one day become an artist like her, writing and illustrating their own stories. Lucy Smith also recommends that the best way to learn how to be a children’s book illustrator is to immersion yourself in books! Read your favorite children’s books, see how they are illustrated, really dive deep and pick out what works and maybe what doesn’t work. She believes in testing out different techniques, styles, and perspectives, using various tools and experiment a little, or a lot! That is key to developing your own, individual creative style.' - Alexandra, Scissors and Glue
