The Very Long String: The first illustrated children’s book by new artist Jess Wojcicki

For many artists, change is essential to keep something fresh. After graduating in graphic design from Nottingham Trent, Jess Wojcicki moved to London to work in the hectic world of film, TV and theatre. As a prop maker, she made good progress in the industry, but her work-life balance left a lot to be desired, so she moved back to the East Midlands to fulfil her long-held dream of creating and publishing an illustrated picture book.

The title of the book is The Very Long String and it actually started as a self-directed student project. Jess reworked the book image by image and is now releasing it through Crowdfunder in a limited pre-print run of 500 copies at £23 each. The book will be signed and include a personal note from the artist. By ordering, customers help to fund the production and distribution of the bookshop edition and support the social causes Jess supports.

The story is beautifully simple. A little girl finds a bundle of string, untangles it, holds one end and sets off on an adventure. Just when she thinks… Well, we won’t give you the whole story. However, Jess trained as a graphic designer, so it’s not surprising that behind the narrative – simple as it may be – lies a powerful and meaningful concept.

Jess explains: “A lot of my research at the time was about mother-daughter relationships. My mum always taught me and my brother how to ‘talk’ when we were kids. When I was little I would sit on the floor in the kitchen with my bunny and talk to her all the time. And now, at university, she was always on the other end of the phone. It was that golden creative aha moment where I thought ‘Hey, I got it!’ How do I translate a supportive relationship into a children’s book? I took the idea of ​​a telephone line and turned it into a simple thread concept.”

Of course, the little girl character is based on Jess as a child – with wild, curly blonde hair. Originally a doodle in pen and watercolor, but now Jess is redrawing the story using Procreate, outlining the basic shapes, doodling and splashing in layers of texture, and playing with negative space to develop her own unique visual language.

“I’m obsessed with what space on a page can offer, empty backgrounds that play with size and distance. When the character feels all alone, suddenly they’re all small, vulnerable and isolated on a page. Adding jungle and chaos takes away that effect for me. Children’s books are often so overstimulating, and some parents have said they like them; they’re calming and simple,” says Jess.

These days, book publishers rarely have a standalone story – booksellers look for a franchise. Jess is already on the case and has come up with three toys based on the characters. She has also started planning a sister publication called The Very Big Box, which will explore grief and loss.

For Jess, it’s about more than just establishing herself as a children’s book illustrator. As part of her self-publishing, she will donate printed copies of The Very Long String to hospitals, including the cancer ward at Leeds Children’s Hospital. Jess volunteers for the charity Embrace, providing emotional support to children who are victims or witnesses of violent crime. The organisation will be giving copies to its toy bank and counsellors.