Creating a Visual Book Summary

Julia Bakay
Oct 2, 2025
2 min read

Visual Book Summary of the Tree that Bends

I was found with a special request recently: to create a visual summary of the key concepts from a new book, ‘The Tree That Bends’.

Professor Ross White is an award-winning clinical psychologist who specialises in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of adults working in high-performance environments.

The Tree That Bends is a beautifully written exploration of the importance of psychological flexibility in modern life.

This Visual Book Summary was a true co-creation. It was exciting for Prof. Ross White to see his ideas take visual form, while I gained a deeper understanding of the meaning behind each message. Collaborating directly with the author made the process especially rewarding.

Visual Book Summary co-created with Prof. Ross White

Why create a Visual Book Summary?

1. Visual Book Summaries Unlock Deeper Understanding

A visual book summary distills complex narratives into clear, memorable imagery, improving comprehension and retention by up to 65%, as research demonstrates.

2. Visual Book Summaries Spark Emotional Resonance

A human artist can create a visual book summary in a way that captures the message with great empathy and an attention to detail.

3. Every Visual Book Summary Is One of a Kind

Visual book summaries can showcase unique artistic styles, from bold comics to intricate watercolours, always tailored to reflect a book’s distinctive tone and message.

4. Visual Book Summaries help with Retention

Visual book summaries transform dense texts into engaging, concise visuals, ideal for Visual Learners - so most of us!

5. Visual Book Summaries are Brilliant for Promotion

By showcasing key themes, a visual summary can spark curiosity and encourage people to read the book. The author or publicity team can use a visual book summary to promote their book in many creative ways, for example taking printed posters for signings, or sharing the visuals on social media.

6. Parts of the Summary can be used as Illustrations in the Book

If we create the Visual Book Summary as the book is being published, there's still a chance to use parts of the graphic as stand-alone illustrations in your book!