Today I interview the illustrator of a celebrity picture book whose work is so incredibly imaginative.

Bonnie Lui is an illustrator and cat enthusiast who loves to play. Her work can be found in books, games, and television. She is always looking for ways to create fun in all forms of media for everyone to enjoy. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram.

THE MAKE-BELIEVERS is a picture book written by Ryan Seacrest and his sister Meredith Seacrest Leach inspired by their nonprofit organization, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.  It’s all about following your dreams as far as they can take you and that’s exactly what this book espouses, especially the illustrations by Bonnie Lui.  Kids from all sorts of backgrounds imagine giant stuffed unicorns, going to space, meeting mermaids, and being giants that can span the globe in minutes, among so many other things.  This is a very fun take on making believe.

Please note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review, but the opinions, as always, are my own.

Welcome Bonnie!

Me: I love your picture book illustration work.  Can you share about your artistic journey? When did you start creating art professionally? How did that bring you to being the illustrator of this book

Bonnie: Thank you! 🙂 I went to art school in Los Angeles, after graduation I worked in games for a while. It wasn’t until I was laid off then I realized I needed to invest in my own equity. I started making art for myself, and slowly through the years, I found my own artistic voice. This voice is always changing and challenging me but I know as long as I keep at it, it will take me far to places I want to go.

Me: This is your seventh illustrated picture book, including one you both wrote and illustrated.  Was it intimidating to illustrate a book by a celebrity at this point in your career?  What made you want to be a part of this project?

Bonnie: Yes, I was very excited! The Seacrest team and my editors were very good with communicating what they were looking for. They also had great inputs and ideas. It was a blast working with everyone!

I love that this book doesn’t hold back on anything. We can go into space, we can sleep on the moon. You are anything you want to be. That’s the beauty of being a kid: the ability to dream big. I was so excited to illustrate these big imaginations. 

Me: I love all of the light and textures you used in this book.  Can you tell us a little bit about your illustrations for the book?  Did you work with traditional media or digital or both?

Bonnie: I mostly work digitally. Sometimes I create special atmospheric brushes with traditional mediums such as ink splattering, pastel and watercolor. Each book has one or two unique brushes I create for the project.

Me: I love that.  I also love the variety of kids I saw in your illustrations.  Why was it important to you to show so many different children and different abilities, instead of just one set of kids all throughout the story?

Bonnie: One of the Seacrest team’s key requests was for increased diversity, including the representation of children with disabilities. I wholeheartedly agree. We need to create more inclusive and diverse picture books with disability representation.

Me: Do you have a favorite spread that you illustrated for this book?  If yes, which one?

 Bonnie: I loved the spread that read “Once you begin to see yourself as a Make- Believer, there’re no limits to how you can dream.” Those words were so powerful to me. I illustrated a girl painting a vibrant mural that came to life, with astronauts exploring space and touching stars as they moved across the page.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in illustrating this story?

Bonnie: No bad surprises for sure! I just want to thank my editor and my art director- Krista and Celia for trusting me and working with me so patiently throughout the whole project.

Me: Any advice for other new picture book illustrators?

Bonnie: Keep creating no matter what. I know rejections sting and we all have a pile of it in our inbox, but think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. The more you create, the more you know yourself as an artist. Figure out what you love to draw and focus on making art that tells a story!

That’s great advice Bonnie.  Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, this book is released tomorrow.  If you are looking for a book all about dreaming big (even with your eyes open), this is it!  You won’t want to miss Bonnie’s illustrations.