Behind the Scenes of “See You Soon!”
A Cartoonisan Post – From the Desk of Pete Zin
The story behind See You Soon! starts with something cute our two-year-old used to say.
It stuck with me.
One night, I found myself rhyming “soon” with “moon,” and then the idea of a book began to take shape.
From Idea to Story
The first line I wrote was:
“Sun comes up and says to the moon…Ok, bye – see you soon!”
From there, I imagined the rhythm of a day.
The sun rises, crosses the sky, and sets.
Nature follows along: robins wake early, koalas nap, frogs splash into the water.
I wanted the book to feel like a gentle journey through the day – playful, natural and full of rhythm.
Sketching the Vision
Once the words felt right, I turned to the visuals.
My process always starts with pencil and paper.
I drew thumbnails in my sketchbook – quick little boxes to test ideas for each page.
These thumbnails became the backbone of my work.
They’re messy but they help me see the flow of the book before I commit to the details.
From Page to Screen
After thumbnails, I moved into Photoshop.
I sketched digitally, adding layers of detail while keeping things loose.
The goal wasn’t perfection – it was progress and capturing quick gestures and movement.
Each sketch grew into the finished illustrations.
Publishing the Book
I researched print-on-demand options and decided on Kindle Direct Publishing.
It gave me the freedom to publish without big upfront costs, and it let me focus on creating instead of waiting.
Final Thoughts
Behind every kids book is a mix of inspiration and technical work.
For me it was my family, a rhyme, nature, thumbnails, Photoshop and late nights.
I started writing in January 2024, and between family life and full-time work, I chipped away at the project whenever I could.
It took time, but every spare moment added up.
Hope you enjoy!
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