Surprise! (Scholastic, 2018) is my first picture book.

Bear, Squirrel, and Raccoon have been friends a long time. So when a family of city folks comes to the neighborhood, the friends think that a surprise welcome party is just the kind of fun they've been looking for. Well, the party turns out to be quite the surprise indeed, but maybe not exactly what Bear, Squirrel, and Raccoon were imagining?

I had the opportunity to illustrate this middle grade novel. The Lotterys Plus One (Scholastic, 2017) is Emma Donoghue’s first foray into children’s fiction. Set in cosmopolitan Toronto and features a household that embodies diversity and respect for the planet. It’s a tale that’s funny, heartwarming and quietly provocative.

A few illustrations from a dummy-in-progress I’m currently working on. It’s a fictional story based on my experience of moving to America at the age of 12, and living on my own without my parents. 

The story focuses on an 11-year-old girl, Maya, who lives on her own, and her adventures in middle school as a non-English speaker. As she struggles to fit into the new world, she also discovers true friendship and what it means to be a kid.

A lot of moments in the story are based on specific moments  during middle school. For instance here I did not get the memo that we were suppose to dress up for Picture Day.