Simplifying Illustrations

I spent a short time working out how I can improve the illustrations. I think the answer is to simplify everything. Specifically most Word to PDF software I've seen can't properly convert shadows or transparency. So, I'm going to re-illustrate the whole book and remove all shadows and transparencies. It may seem like a lot of work, but I keep telling myself that what I'm really doing is working on the model or template for all the books from Smallfish Books. I guess it's like getting the factory right before producing widgets.