These books present nature in living color

And she goes through this process over and over for every page in the book! It's no wonder that it took her nearly a year to research and paint all of the pictures for "An Egg Is Quiet."

Ms. Long hopes that her books inspire children to get outside. "More and more, it seems that children's education takes place only in the classroom, online, or on TV," she says. "To get excited about nature, they have to be out in it – with someone who has passion for it and knowledge about it."

When kids are out there, they should pay attention, she says. "Once they focus, they'll see that it's so amazing."

All of that amazing natural beauty is what keeps Ms. Long painting. She plans to do more books in this series with Ms. Aston.

Think you'd like to be an illustrator someday, too? Then spend time outdoors and sketch a lot, Ms. Long advises. "It does take practice."

Watercolor techniques for kids to try

Want to try your hand at watercolor? These methods use different techniques to create a variety of textures. You'll need watercolor paper and either cake or liquid watercolors. See if you can use these methods to paint an egg or a seed of your own.

Wet on wet watercolor

Use a spray bottle to wet the surface of the paper. Use a clean, damp sponge to remove any excess water. The paper should be saturated, but not shiny. Paint your picture with a brush and notice that the colors bleed a bit as you put them on the paper, blending colors and creating a soft edge.

Splatter texture

To add random speckles and dots to your painting, get out an old toothbrush that isn't being used anymore. Dip the toothbrush into the desired color and dab off any excess with a paper towel. Quickly run a toothpick over the bristles. If you vary the speed of the toothpick, or the distance that you hold the brush from the paper, you'll see a difference in the pattern. It will also look different on wet paper than it does on dry paper.

Plastic wrap

With this texture, you can create a background for a more detailed picture or just an abstract piece of art. Cover a piece of watercolor paper with paint. While the paint is still wet, place a piece of plastic wrap on the paper, crinkling it in some areas. Leave the plastic wrap in place while the paint dries. When you remove the plastic wrap, it will leave a random pattern of lines and color.

Salted art

Sprinkle a completed – but still wet – painting with coarse sea salt. (Table salt works, too, but it's less dramatic.) Allow the painting to dry, and then use a paper towel to brush away the salt. The salt absorbs some of the color as the paint dries, leaving a mottled finish on the picture.

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