Digital Illustrations for children’s picture book

I am a digital marketer and communication specialist who has forayed into the world of children’s content publishing with this business. This will be the first children’s picture book under our brand. I believe illustrations have the power to breathe life into a children’s book. We are working on an illustrated book for children based on Ocean / Sea world. This book is about a girl/boy who gets lost in the sea, befriends a whale who becomes her companion till the end. The girl/boy goes on a journey where they meet various sea animals who help him/her get back home. We have the story ready and it will be shared with the selected candidate eventually. The book is about 120-150 pages long and is aimed at kids who are 4-8 years old. Vision for the project We want the illustrations in this book to be big, bold and bright. I’m less keen on the traditional styles of illustration. We are looking at something classy and trendy. We are open to ideas and suggestions from the illustrator too (In fact, we welcome it!) A few sample images are attached to give you an idea about the kind of work we are looking for. Target audience 4 – 8 year olds. The book will be in English language and will be published in India initially. Eventually, we will be expanding to international markets. Skills I’m looking for Illustrations are the most important thing about a children’s picture book, so we need someone with a keen eye for detail who understands the target market. The illustrator must be able to make the story immersive and bring the characters to life in a funny and quirky way.