I want to acknowledge that this question is generally well-intended, but also want to point out that artists are working just like anyone else. If you want good artwork, you should expect to compensate the artist for their time and expertise. I’m not an artist, but IMO paying someone on Fiverr values art more than looking for a free option. I think that’s probably your best bet for the criteria you have. Alternatively you might try to commission someone you find online. Hope you find what you’re looking for!

@Tippon if you are going the traditional publishing route, publishers don't actually expect children's book authors to provide the illustrations necessarily.

If you are self-publishing, I suggest you reach out to the kidney transplant community (support groups etc) to see if anyone can volunteer.

There might be someone else in your shoes who can draw and not write, who would love to be part of this project.

Use a whiteboard notebook so the kids can do the drawings themselves?

Use AI but lie to people about it.

Talk with people about the book until you find someone who’s excited, and who has some artistic skill. Then go halfsies with them in terms of the credit for the book.

Well, here in Vietnam a lot of art students and graduates would probably be quite happy to take this on.

I recall RMIT has a local job forum, for small jobs for current students and alumni. The instruction is all in English, so communication should not be a problem. Maybe other universities have the same.

Or maybe an art school in the Philippines where English language instruction is also common? I bet they have job forums too.

In my workplace we've got a 3D designer or two, probably not ideal for your task though :(

BTW using AI to generate an image as an artistic brief is a great application that supports both human and machine artists. This is my biggest use of the tech in production so far -- really great especially when language barriers are present.

You can use royalty free stock photos, like from https://unsplash.com

Search for creative commons or public domain artwork - Wikimedia Commons is a good start, or a google image search (under the image search bar select tools -> usage rights -> creative commons rights)

Or don't worry about the copyright issues of AI and learn to use that to create things you want - I suggest SDXL is the best option

Contact your local art college and see if there are any students looking for work experience and a bit of cash.

making it into a picture story book

As in formally publishing it? Or just sending it to your family?

The only way copyright, especially around AI, could conceivably be a factor is if you intend to publish and sell it.

Another option is to shop it around agents and publishers and make the illustrations someone else's problem!

Another option would be to hire an illustrator and draw up a contract where they may have a small upfront cost, and give them a cut of the sales.

Or you can contact a school and see if anyone would like to do it for ~~free~~ the experience

Have you considered www.OpenClipArt.org ?

XOR, you can simply learn actual-drawing, which isn't difficult, it does require a kind of honesty/patience & the actually right instruction...

The book you'd need is "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, the 4th Definitive Edition", by Betty Edwards.

These drawing-pairs are from her 5-DAYS killer-class.

https://www.drawright.com/before-after

Unless you're autistic, like me, 5 days is possible.

_ /\ _

When my dad made a book for me, he had me illustrate it. When I want cards for people I get the kids to illustrate it.

I think getting them together, telling the story, letting them draw them getting THAT bound and sending it to them would be better than ripping off an artist, the kids won't mind artless illustration if they created it and the story will have somewhere to land since they will have heard it.

There aren't that many options. Either you commision it, or you learn to draw, or you use AI.

If you don't like Fiverr, maybe look for another platform. Or find someone by some other means. You could also use AI to draft it and then use that as a basis to start with the proper art.

I don't really understand the issue with copyright. Are you afraid of infringing on other people's copyright, or that you won't be able to protect your work if it's made by AI?

You can try Wikimedia Commons

make shitty artwork on purpose, its cool

Start a GoFundMe for an art commission. It comes with a good story and your needs are modest, so a free lunch might actually be achievable.

Otherwise, just use AI. The court cases seem unlikely to succeed, if you know how AI works, and you know that a judge is unlikely to throw out an entire industry over a tiny, difficult to measure contamination with questionable training data. Some of the shit we in the West import is produced by crime more often than not, after all. Even if they do stick somehow, they're probably not coming after you specifically.