A Crooked Crown Day

Project Overview

A Crooked Crown Day by Brandie Hollingsworth centres on a young African-American girl whose day falls apart in every direction — teased at school, homework forgotten, laughed at by classmates. The weight of it all threatens to topple her “invisible crown,” the powerful symbol of inner confidence and self-worth at the heart of the story. Her grandmother meets her with gentle hands and wise words, reminding her who she is and what she carries. Hollingsworth writes with the kind of emotional precision that comes from lived experience — the story feels true in the way only personal stories can.

The illustration challenge was making the invisible crown visible without making it literal — it needed to be something readers could see in the girl’s posture, her expression, and the way she moves through the world, even when she can’t feel it herself.

Role

• Character design (the girl, her grandmother, and school cast)
• Full book illustration
• Emotional arc illustration from defeat to restoration
• Visual communication of the “invisible crown” metaphor
• Print-ready file preparation