Homewood mom writes and illustrates new children’s book

When Lori Nichols of Homewood and her husband, Ken, started their family, she decided that she didn’t want her career as an art professional to interfere with her role as a new mother.

She loved children’s books and enjoyed reading them to her young daughter, and an idea began to blossom in her mind. She believed she could utilize her skills as an illustrator to create children’s books.

That decision changed her life, and she hasn’t looked back.

“I’m living the dream, doing something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Nichols said. “It’s gratifying to know that something I created will be in the hands of children and become a part of their life.”

Her new book, Maple, published by Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books, hit bookstore shelves across America in February.

Nichols’ love of art developed at an early age. Her mother was an elementary art teacher, so there were always art supplies around her house. She spent countless hours sketching and painting as a child. A pivotal milestone came when she took first place in a Humane Society poster contest in second grade.

She studied art in college and has a degree in design. When she married and moved to Alabama, the illustration market was soft, so she concentrated her professional efforts in magazine design. She worked for Southern Living, Cooking Light and Health magazines.

The decision to leave her illustration career after the children were born was a tough one. She wanted to keep her foot in the door. Nichols’ career evolved slowly when she made the decision to write children’s books. Even though she was an illustrator by trade, she found that you have to bring a certain sensibility to the table to be able to produce children’s books.

The first step in her education was reading hundreds of works of children’s literature, learning what works and what doesn’t.

While researching the industry, Nichols came across a regional chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She attended a conference in Mobile, where she heard children’s book editors and publishers talk about the industry.

Starting with baby steps, Nichols learned how to put it all together. She attended an SCBWI conference in New York a few years ago and met key publishers, writers, illustrators and other industry professionals. It was during one of the conferences that she met her agent, who helped refine her idea for Maple.

The idea for Maple grew organically. Nichols said she came to writing through illustration, so her words and pictures grew up together.

“It was a dance between the words and the pictures,” she said.

She keeps sketchbooks scattered around the house for capturing ideas. She uses her computer to not just write but also experiment with coloring her digitized sketches.

Work that started in these books won awards in 2012 and 2013, competing with other children’s book creators from around the world.

Nichols said her husband is one of her biggest supporters. He saw value in having their daughters see their mother pursue her dream. She also has many friends who have been there for her along the way. She names her biggest supporters as her children.

“When we’re out somewhere and someone asks me a question about writing children’s books, my daughter Harper dances a little jig,” she said.

Harper, along with Zoe and Bella, all attend Shades Cahaba Elementary.

Her follow-up book, Maple and Willow, will come out in November.

In addition to books she has written, she illustrated a book written by David Elliott that will be available later in the year.