Dragons Can't Eat Snow Cones! Behind the Book with Pauline Gregory

Pauline Gregory, the illustrator behind the delightfully silly and heart-warming DRAGON’S CAN’T EAT SNOW CONES, sat down with us to give some insight into her process on bringing the visuals of this book to life. Written by Amanda Sobotka and published by HarperCollins Focus, the story follows a dragon that loves snow cones, and does everything he can to keep his favorite treat from melting under his fiery breath. DRAGON’S CAN’T EAT SNOW CONES is now available wherever books are sold!

What was your initial vision for the dragon character? Did you have any specific inspiration for its design or personality? Were there any specific challenges in making the dragon look playful but also endearing to children?

This dragon was always going to be a delightful disaster! From the start, I imagined him failing spectacularly at gobbling up his snow cone with hilariously and hopeless attempts. With the aim to make the reader giggle and to match his goofy antics, I sketched him as more or a slightly pudgy creature with short, stubby limbs at first. But as the story evolved, he stretched out a little and he became delightfully awkward. I toyed with a few dragon designs, before taking a pinch of silliness from each and stitching them together.

Can you walk us through your typical illustration process, from rough sketches to final artwork? How long does it typically take to complete a page?

Whenever I read a spread, a picture often pops into my mind, though, just as often, that picture takes a sharp turn when I start sketching! For a particularly busy or tricky spread, I’ll give myself half a day (or sometimes a full day) to rough it out. I sketch in Photoshop, as it lets me play with ideas, erase blunders, and pile up the layers each one bringing the scene closer to life. Once I’m happy with the roughs, they’re whisked off for review. After tweaks and adjustments, I dive into the colours. A lively, jam-packed spread might take me up to two days to polish, while simpler ones might come together a bit quicker.

What is your preferred medium when illustrating? Did you use traditional hand-drawing techniques, digital software, or a combination of both? Which tools or software were essential to the process?

My process is a mix of both worlds! I sketch digitally in Photoshop, quick and tidy but then I use pencils, charcoal, watercolours, and handmade print textures, all created piece by piece. I scan them in, layer them up, and sprinkle them with digital colour. The result is a playful scene that (I hope!) leaps off the page.

How did you approach visual pacing — ensuring young readers stay engaged while the story progresses?

I wanted the pacing to reflect the rhythm of the dragon’s whimsical chaos! I switched between detailed scenes that set the stage and simpler, quieter images that zoomed in on the dragon’s emotions. His lanky, quirky shape sometimes guided the reader’s eye or exaggerated his feelings. I tried to play with the scale, stretching some moments for drama or squeezing them down for a giggle. I also tried to use colour to convey the energy or excitement such as the all blue page when he’s trekking up the freezing mountain or the evening sunset towards the end of the book to convey his sombre mood after a whole day of trying and failing to eat the snow cone and a pop of zesty joy when the story called for it. And for curious eyes, I always like to add humorous or unexpected detail to be discovered on every reread.

Was there a particular scene or character detail that required more revisions or thought than others?

The scene where the dragon discovers the enormous snow cone! That spread was tricky. I sketched, erased, re-sketched, and swapped things around over and over, trying to capture the right blend of awe, joy, and silliness. It needed to feel like the grand finale of all his bumbling efforts—equal parts triumphant and utterly ridiculous.

What advice would you give to illustrators who want to break into children’s literature?

Draw what brings you joy, it will show in your work and ultimately be all the more pleasurable for you. Keep creating, keep sharing, and keep open to feedback—it’s all part of the adventure.

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To work with Pauline, please email here and we’ll direct your inquiry to the relevant agent.