The Hallway of Doorknobs: A Journey to the Feelings Inside
I’ve been staring at this image for days and I still can’t believe it’s real.
This is the cover of my children’s book, The Hallway of Doorknobs: A Journey to the Feelings Inside. And seeing it means more than I know how to say.
This book started as a picture in my head. Five diverse children walking into a hallway they’ve never noticed before. Doorknobs that are strange and creative and a little bit magical. Parts of themselves waiting behind each door.
Getting from that picture to this cover took time. It took searching for the right illustrator, which had its frustrating moments. It took finding Justyna Nowosadko, a talented artist based in Wales, and feeling the relief of knowing she understood what I was trying to create. It took my publishing partner, Maya Bairey of Lingua Ink Books, who catches things I would never notice. Details that matter for publishing and marketing. Spacing, font size, little illustration details that didn’t quite match the manuscript. Things we couldn’t anticipate until the book was getting set to go to the printer.
Both of these women were patient with me when I wanted things a certain way and it took work to get there. This cover is a team effort, and the collaboration is what brought it together.
I look at those five kids walking into the hallway, the warm light pulling them forward, and I think about every sample we reviewed, every style we considered, every revision that got us closer. This is what was in my head. And now it’s here.
The Hallway of Doorknobs launches May 4, 2026. Pre-orders are open now.
Pre-order here: The Hallway of Doorknobs – Lynn A. Haller
Next Tuesday, I’ll tell you the story of how this book came to be.
Illustrator: Justyna Nowosadko | Portfolio | Instagram: @justynanowosadko
Publisher: Maya Bairey, Lingua Ink Books | linguaink.com | Instagram: @mayabairey

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