Picture book
Zahava Gets New Shoes
A hardcover picture book about a small girl and a very big decision. Lilac and buttery yellow throughout, with expression and body language doing most of the storytelling.
- Written by
- Nicole Hayes
- Illustrated by
- Mehar Afroz
- Publisher
- BookBaby
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 32
- Reading age
- 2 to 6 years
- Size
- 8.75 × 11.25 in
- Published
- October 2025
- ISBN
- 9798317817695
About the book
Zahava adores her sparkly unicorn shoes, the ones that light up with every step and turn an ordinary afternoon into an adventure. Then they start to pinch, and she has to choose between holding on to what she loves and stepping into something new. Nicole Hayes wrote it around the everyday milestones that quietly teach resilience, and it works as a read aloud for anyone facing a change they did not ask for. Published by BookBaby as a 32 page hardcover.
The illustration
The palette is lilac, peach and buttery yellow, chosen so the shoes themselves can carry the only strong accents in the book. Because the story turns on how Zahava feels rather than on what happens, the illustration leans hard on face and posture: shoulders, hands, the angle of a head mid spin. Light is used as a storytelling device, with small sparkles marking the moments that matter to her rather than decorating every page.
What the studio made
- Cover artwork and full case wrap
- Full colour interior illustration across 32 pages
- Character design and expression sheets for Zahava
- Print ready files at hardcover trim
