Illustrator Junyi Wu
Many people outside the children’s publishing industry don’t realize what goes into making a picture book. Notably, authors often have no contact with the illustrator while the book is being made. That’s why I was so excited when Junyi Wu, the illustrator of my debut, BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST, agreed to answer a few questions for the Soaring ‘20s blog. I’m thrilled to be learn how she rendered the gorgeous illustrations for our book, new this month from Albert Whitman & Co.
Lindsay: Welcome, Junyi! Tell us about the illustrations for BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST and how you landed on this style.
Junyi: We really wanted the art in this book to reflect Beatrix’s fascination with science, nature and drawing. I worked really closely with Aphee Messer, the book’s designer, to come up with ways to reflect Beatrix’s journey and the complexity of her scientific studies. We tried to keep a nice balance between detailed depictions of Beatrix’s drawings and more vivid and dreamy depictions of the English and Scottish countryside that inspired her.
© 2020 Albert Whitman and Company
Did you run into any particular challenges along the way?
There was quite a lot I had to learn about Beatrix Potter and this side of her work that is lesser known! I did get a lot of helpful notes during the sketch rounds for the interior art — both from Lindsay and Aphee on ways to help the art better fit the timeline of Beatrix’s life and work.
© 2020 Albert Whitman and Company
The book features scenes from late-1800s England and Scotland. How did you go about researching all the historical details?
Lindsay and the team at Albert Whitman put together a huge image library of photos of Beatrix and the many drawings she did. That helped me tremendously when it came to picturing Beatrix at various stages in her youth, as well as in recreating the sketches she made through her studies. Other than that, I did look up Kew Gardens, Beatrix’s writing desk, and various scientific and artistic instruments to try keep the settings in the story true to how things were.
© 2020 Albert Whitman and Company
Can you walk us through your favorite illustration?
I really enjoyed illustrating the scene of young Beatrix following the postman through the mud and landscape along his route. I imagined she’d be fully immersed in the sights, sound and smells of the Scottish Highlands, so it was fun to draw a lush scene with little details hinting at things she’d see while chasing her curiosity!
Cover by Junyi Wu
You also illustrated SCARY STORIES FOR YOUNG FOXES by Christian McKay Heidicker, which won a Newbery Honor this spring! I only recently realized that this book features a creepy taxidermist rendering of Beatrix Potter. Our book features a scene in which the real Beatrix examines her dead pets’ skeletons. “But when the animals die—after she cries—she removes their flesh to admire their bones. There’s care in every measurement, from head to fingers to tail.” Can you talk about this connection?
Yes, that was definitely an interesting parallel! I think both books introduce us to a version of Beatrix that we might not have pictured from reading her children’s books full of idyllic scenes and charmingly realistic characters. She was someone who observed the world meticulously, documenting every detail of the composition and structure of the flora and fauna she encountered. The delicate accuracy of her storybook illustrations reflect the extent of her study. I would agree that the same qualities that make Beatrix a brilliant naturalist and artist can certainly make her quite scary through the eyes of a fox kit.
If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be?
A special fx makeup artist. It would be so amazing to be able to bring things to life in that way!
What’s next for you?
I'm currently working on a couple of other book projects, including my debut author-illustrator book CORGI CAN, with Scholastic! I'm also working on some fun animation projects with Chromosphere Studio.
Congratulations on your upcoming projects, Junyi, and thanks for sharing about your process!
Virtual Event: All About Beatrix Potter!
Join Junyi Wu and Lindsay H. Metcalf, along with Linda Elovitz Marshall, author of SAVING THE COUNTRYSIDE: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit (Little Bee Books, 2020).
When: 7 p.m. CST September 23
Hosted by: Mainstreet Books in St. Charles, Mo., and the St. Charles City-County Library
Where: Facebook Live at facebook.com/VisitMyLibrary
Signed bookplates: Order BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST from Mainstreet Books and receive a bookplate signed by both Junyi and Lindsay.
Book Details
BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST
by Lindsay H. Metcalf,
Illustrated by Junyi Wu
Pub Date: September 1
ISBN:
978-0807551752
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.
Junyi Wu is an illustrator currently working in children's publishing and animation. She is the illustrator of Beatrix Potter, Scientist, Bicycles in Beijing (written by Teresa Robeson, Albert Whitman, 2020), and Scary Stories for Young Foxes, the Newbery Honor-winning book written by Christian McKay Heidicker (Henry Holt and Co., 2019). Junyi lives in California with her handy husband, clever cat and boisterous bunny. She grew up admiring Beatrix Potter’s stories and illustrations and is now very happy to be creating picture books of her own. Like Beatrix, she enjoys exploring the beauty and nuance of nature in her work. Recently, she’s been very into making stews, baking and playing board games.
Website: junyiwu.com
Instagram: @junyiwu
Lindsay H. Metcalf is a journalist and author of nonfiction picture books: Beatrix Potter, Scientist; Farmers Unite! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices (Calkins Creek, November 2020); and No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History, a poetry anthology about contemporary young activists co-edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley, illustrated by Bradley (Charlesbridge, September 2020). Lindsay lives in north-central Kansas, not far from the farm where she grew up, with her husband, two sons, and a variety of pets.
Website: lindsayhmetcalf.com
Twitter: @lindsayhmetcalf
Instagram: @lindsayhmetcalf