Queen Isabella and the real-life Isabella: both are brave, kind, and smart. I already used the nickname Princess in the story, so Isabella became a Queen.
I did my best to channel Isabella as I put these stories together and add more personal touches for the characters. She had a role in defining the basic look of her character, including the necklace, crown, and armor skirt, but it took Tony to bring these ideas to life through the character designs, page layouts, and final artwork in the stories. Isabella had final approval on the designs so we could make sure she was happy with the complete series.
It was important to me, through both the writing and artwork, to show the bond between the characters. Isabella, Logan (introduced in the second story in the series), and our two pups share a close bond that we have photographed throughout their lives. Each story concludes with short “About our Heroes” or “About this Story” sections that describe, with text and photos, the people and situations that inspired the story. You’ll get a feel for those stories and pictures throughout these posts, too.
Shown below: Isabella at 2 months old (2 photos); Isabella at 18 months old; Isabella at 7 years old; rough page layout for Princess and Goose Book 1: Chase Away the Dragons; and character designs for Queen Isabella.
