Freelance Children's Book Illustrator — Cultural Holiday Stories
New York City / Remote · Freelance · Project-Based
About StorybookYou
At StorybookYou, we create personalized storybooks by transforming real photos into accurate character illustrations using AI so that every child who opens one of our books sees themselves and their loved ones in the story. It's a format that didn't exist before, and families feel the difference.
Our next step is bringing human artists into the heart of that process. Rather than AI-generated scenes, we want hand-crafted illustrations to form the majority of our storybooks — human artistry as the foundation, with personalized characters placed inside it. The result will be something new: the warmth and intentionality of traditional illustration, combined with the magic of a story made for a unique family.
The Project
We're building a series of cultural holiday books, beginning with Hanukkah and Diwali. For each of these stories, authenticity isn't optional because the illustrations carry the culture.
- Two separate children's books, one per holiday (ages 3–8)
- 15 square illustrations per book in digital watercolor gouache
- ~1.5-month timeline, with potential for ongoing work
What We're Looking For
- Strong portfolio in digital watercolor gouache Please include samples. This style is non-negotiable.
- Demonstrated ability to research and render cultural details with accuracy, specificity, and respect.
- Experience with children's book illustration; educational books a bonus.
- Collaborative, communicative, and responsive — we work closely with our illustrators.
- Energy, enthusiasm, and integrity.
- Bonus: experience illustrating culturally specific children's content. Include relevant samples if you have them.
Compensation
- Project-based pay
- Royalty on every storybook sold
- Printed accreditation on every copy
How to Apply
Send your portfolio and a brief note describing your artistic experience and your approach to getting cultural details right to jake@storybookyou.com with the subject line “StorybookYou Illustrator.”