About the Interviewee: “Kim Smith is a New York Times bestselling illustrator. She’s worked on over 40 children’s books, including her authored-illustrated picture books Boxitects and Baker Makers. She has also created art for children’s games, puzzles, animation, 3D displays, and posters. In her free time, Kim explores wild places to find inspiration” (Bio provided by author).
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Vanshikha Vij: Who would you say are your biggest artistic inspirations, and how are they reflected in your illustrations?
Kim Smith: Much of my inspiration for creating illustrations came from mid-century illustrators such as Eyvind Earle, Mary Blair, and the Provensens. Their influence can be seen in my mark-making, shapes, and textures. Colourful concept art for animation has also greatly inspired my use of palettes and lighting. Recently, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from nature, mainly from studying and drawing animals and landscapes around Canada, where I’m from. There’s always something new to discover and new art tools to experiment with, so I’m constantly acquiring new inspiration, helping me slowly evolve and grow my work.
VV: What has your favorite illustration been and what is your personal favorite book that you’ve written/illustrated?
KS: Choosing a favourite illustration or book I’ve created is challenging because each is a labour of love. Some special illustrations are inspired by places I know and love, including a depiction of Moraine Lake with a family of grizzly bears or a poster of Jasper for the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series. Boxitects and Baker Makers are books that are particularly special to me. I created these stories from scratch, and they are loosely inspired by my own childhood struggles, perfectionism, and competition.
VV: What are some themes you’d like to explore in any upcoming projects or a theme that you’ve explored in the past that you are really proud of?
KS: I’m exploring some ideas for older audiences, hopefully in a middle-grade graphic novel! I’m writing ideas based on some of my personal struggles, but I want to combine this with something fun, the hobbies I enjoy most. I’m really excited about this and am hoping I can combine the two into something inspiring and relatable for older readers. Maybe, if I’m lucky, some of my audience will be those who have grown up reading some of my picture books.
VV: Have you had any memorable experiences with people who’ve read your books that you’d be willing to share?
KS: While nothing specific comes to mind, I absolutely love visiting schools and sharing my books with students. It’s incredibly fun to see how readers enjoy the books and to feel their excitement in the moment. I also love collaborating with kids and coming up with silly drawings inspired by my books. They come up with the most creative ideas, things I never would have thought of.
VV: How did you get into becoming a children’s book author? Is this something you’ve always wanted to do? What is your favorite part of your job?
KS: I didn’t dream of becoming a children’s book author. I went to art college and majored in character design, intending to become a concept artist in video games or animation. Calgary, where I live, doesn’t have a big animation/video game industry, so I freelanced while trying to pursue concept art jobs from afar. During this time, I was offered my first picture book. While working on it, I fell in love with the process and four years into working professionally, I decided to change my focus to picture books. I’ve never looked back. My favourite part of my job is illustrating – the whole process! It’s the best.
VV: What was the hardest part about creating Baker Makers?
KS: The trickiest part was the writing! Writing is difficult for me. I’ve always struggled with it. Finding the right words and distilling things into a 40-page picture book can be challenging. Luckily, my fantastic editor, Jennifer Greene, helped me improve the story and get to the heart of what I wanted to convey.
VV: Was the recipe at the end of Baker Makers a personal, family recipe or just one that you’ve tried and enjoyed?
KS: I created the recipe when thinking about how someone might turn a cake disaster into something delicious. It took some brainstorming and research. I’m a big fan of cute, creative baking, so I wanted to ensure the recipe would leave readers with something tasty and adorable.
VV: I absolutely loved seeing the different cake designs that the kids wanted to make; it was a great reminder that everyone has innate creativity. If you could design any cake (even if it isn’t possible in real life) what would it look like and what flavor would it be?
KS: I would want to create a multi-layered Victoria sponge with strawberries and fluffy cream layers, with decorations inspired by a whimsical English garden. It would be topped with tons of decorative, edible flowers and chubby fondant bumblebees buzzing around. It would be the perfect cake for a fancy afternoon tea!
VV: What do you hope parents might get out of reading your books to their children?
KS: If anything, I would want to inspire the same things as kids who read my picture books—to be creative and imaginative.
VV: Do you think that there is a stigma surrounding writing and illustrating children’s books? Have you ever experienced anything like this? Is there anything you wish people knew about writing children’s books?
KS: When I talk to adults about illustrating and writing picture books, there is definitely a stigma. People often view it as a simple, easy career and don’t realize the effort and thoughtfulness that goes into creating engaging books. They’re always surprised, usually for the better, when I chat with them about how books are created. There’s so much that the stereotype of a picture book maker misses! Kids, however, are always excited and amazed to learn about what I do, which is refreshing.
VV: What were some of your favorite childhood books? Do you think they’ve impacted the way that you write or illustrate your own books?
KS: A few of my favourites are Purple, Green, and Yellow by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Hélène Desputeaux, The Frog Prince, Continued by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Steve Johnson, and Eric Carle’s picture books. They’ve all inspired me to be the best artist I can be. Trying to recreate Eric Carle’s illustration style in A House for Hermit Crab in second grade sparked a curiosity about art. I strive to capture the same imagination, wonder, and love of art supplies (see Purple, Green, and Yellow) that these books inspired in me.
VV: Can you describe the process of writing and illustrating a book from the idea or inspiration of it to the final publication?
KS: First, I start with a list of ideas I’m excited about and discuss them with my agent to decide which one has the most potential. Once we choose, I create a book dummy—a rough version of the picture book—to pitch to publishers. I begin by writing the manuscript, which goes through several revisions until I’m happy with it. Then, I sketch out the pages. Once I have the manuscript and sketches, we pitch it to publishers. If an editor likes it and the publisher acquires it, we’ll work together to perfect the manuscript and sketches. When the sketches and manuscript are done, I then create the final illustrations. The illustration will go through a last round of revisions to make sure everything looks as good as possible before it’s sent to the printer. Usually, about a year or so later, it arrives on store and library shelves!
Vanshikha Vij, Pine Reads Review Writer