Picture book illustration can make or break a story’s impact. At Strategic Insights, we’ve always tried to build entertainment value into our work whenever possible–kind of like that “spoonful of sugar.” In fact, within the industry, the announcer section in the middle of some commercials is often referred to as “the poison,” which you need to surround with more palatable content to help it…enter the bloodstream and eventually the consciousness? After working with another client, Hedda’s Squeeze Treats, Paula I. Carr contacted us about helping her create the world of “Hey, Honey!” She had conceived a picture book series based on her own adopted English bulldog, Honey.

Working together, we found the perfect illustrator to bring Honey to life, crafted five stories featuring a range of problems, fears and joys known to children and created an interactive website to serve as a home base for all things Honey. Paula envisioned Honey having a theme song, so we worked with a longtime contact and award-winning musician Ralph Covert to compose one. Response has been very positive, including interest in animating Honey, and Paula plans to add to the series.