ZZZMMM Illustrations

Here’s a small set of illustrated scenes from the original book – kind of invitation to peer through a window into the adventures awaiting you in the ZZZMMM trilogy. If a particular illustration stirs your imagination, pause for a moment. Close your eyes. Picture what lies beyond its edges. Before you know it, the story will begin unfolding within you. For every image here is more than a reflection of the book’s events – it’s a key to unlock your own creativity.

This album was crafted with a double portion of love: to help you see the characters as the author envisioned them, and to feel the emotions hidden between the lines. No need to scrutinize descriptions – just play the audiobook, put on headphones, and let yourself drift into a world where art comes alive through the narrator’s voice.

In the future, we plan to make these pages even more vibrant – with music, the whisper of wind, the clash of battles, and other layers of storytelling. But if you can’t wait… let’s create it together! Start by recording your own voiceover, curating an illustration album, or reimagining the tale in any form. Let the story take on new colors – your colors.

Happy travels to a world where inspiration knows no bounds!

Yours,

Yaroslav Solntsev.

Anna lay with her eyes closed, letting the warm sunlight caress her skin like the brushstrokes of an invisible artist painting summer not on canvas, but directly onto her body. A gentle breeze wrapped around her slender frame, carrying the salty perfume of the sea and a sense of boundless freedom. Occasionally, the piercing cries of seagulls mingled with children’s delighted squeals as they raced across the wet sand. The rhythmic crash of waves – like the ocean’s own breathing – lulled her, a mother’s lullaby.

This blissful drift toward sleep was shattered by an excited shout:

"Look, a dolphin! Over there – another one!"

The cry disrupted the lazy rhythm of the beach, sparking sudden chaos. Some bathers, gripped by vague alarm, scrambled toward shore as if fleeing some unseen threat. Others, lost in carefree joy, kept swimming and splashing, oblivious. Those on land jumped up, rushing to the water’s edge to marvel at the creatures whose fins sliced through the waves like blades, their bodies weaving effortlessly with the tide.

The dolphins paid no mind to their audience. They were busy hunting. Around them, schools of tiny fish darted like sparks in sunlight – plunging deep, leaping clear of the water, startling swimmers. For these fish, the world had become a frantic dance of survival, every moment potentially their last.

Then, as if wiped away by a hand, Anna’s drowsiness vanished. She, who had always dreamed of seeing dolphins, realized she’d missed the most thrilling moment.

"What now?" flashed through her mind.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, its pulse throbbing in her left temple as her legs carried her after the retreating pod. She barely noticed scrambling over a rocky outcrop until she found herself on a ledge overlooking a picturesque lagoon. The dolphins had used it masterfully – herding fish into this natural trap before feasting. Their ingenuity was breathtaking. Then, as suddenly as they’d appeared, they were gone.

Anna inhaled deeply, as if trying to hold the fading magic inside, and turned slowly toward her belongings. That’s when she saw him: a young man sitting in a crevice on the same ledge, still gazing at the now-empty stage where nature’s drama had unfolded.

The intrusion of a stranger during such a private moment struck her like a slap. The indignant words "Aren’t you ashamed to spy?!" nearly escaped her lips – until she understood. He’d been there all along. She’d missed him entirely, her eyes fixed seaward, chasing dolphins.

The lagoon was encircled by steep, inaccessible cliffs, which explained both the absence of other people and the strange stillness of the air.

"How did you get here?" Anna asked the young man, who had risen to his feet. She felt a flutter of embarrassment – he was taller than she’d expected.