Erin Dealey

Today we’re celebrating the Book Birthday of A Speedy Little Cheetah on the Big Blue Earth,

the fourth book in the series written by Tory Christie

and illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell.

(Amicus)

I will always jump at the chance to chat with my dear friend, Luciana, who many of you know from books we have created together. Today Luciana shares insights about working on a picture book series. And I LOVE her fun facts about the speedy cheetah, himself.

About the Book

In A Speedy Little Cheetah on the Big Blue Earth Illustrator Luciana Navarro Powell’s ever-widening views take readers from a young cheetah’s habitat in Africa–showcasing the African savanna environment–all the way to the Earth as a ball in space. Like the other titles in the series written by Earth scientist Tory Christie, this beautiful picture book shows how even the tiniest Cheetah cub is part of our large and interconnected world. 

“Good first steps toward fostering understanding of a vital notion.” – Kirkus

About the Illustrator

Luciana Navarro Powell has illustrated over 20+ children’s books –so far. Ever since she was a child, she has loved to draw. She grew up in Brazil, where monkeys and toucans show up from time to time in the tropical rain forest that surrounds her parents’ home. Her father would bring stacks of printed sheets home from work and she would draw on the other side. (Her parents said there wasn’t a stack of paper high enough for her drawing appetite!) She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Luciana goes back to Brazil once a year to visit her family and paint the flora and fauna in her childhood backyard.

Let’s ask some questions!

Process

Q 1. Since this is your fourth “Big Blue Earth” book with Tory Christie and Amicus (Congratulations!), we’re curious about the process of creating a book in a series. Was the subject of the Cheetah suggested by the publisher or did Tory come up with that?

LNP: Thank you for having me on your blog! The Big Blue Earth series was initially just the first title, A Little Brown Monkey on the Big Blue Earth, which explored the flora, fauna and geography of South America focusing on the Atlantic rain forest in the southeastern coast of Brazil.

Our publisher, Amicus Ink, acquired the second book, A Little Round Panda… exploring Asia/China, less than 2 years after the first. That made Tory and I very excited thinking it could eventually be a series showcasing other continents.

Books 3 & 4, One Small Koala… and A Speedy Little Cheetah…, were acquired together and Tory and our wonderful editor, Rebecca Glaser, worked on which animal to pick. I bet it was a difficult decision!

Q 2. What were your first steps in illustrating A Speedy Little Cheetah…?

LNP: The first step in illustrating each book was choosing what part of the continent/country to portray. Each story starts with the animal itself.

In the case of Cheetah, the text mentions the Great Migration between Kenya and Tanzania. So the decision of what part of Africa to focus on was already made.

In comparison, in the third book, One Small Koala on the Big Blue Earth, Tory’s text left it more open. It starts with trees and Koalas, Whales, beaches. Eventually we go to the desert interior of the country which allows a broader perspective. Rebecca gave me a lot of freedom in the whole process and that is an absolute dream for an illustrator.

Inspiration & Research

Q 3. Were your illustrations for Cheetah inspired by Tory Christie’s text, your own research of Africa, or have you actually traveled there?

LNP: The only country from the series that I have been to is my native Brazil depicted in the first title. For the others I had to resort to researching online, in libraries and interviewing people.

I love the research part. Thank goodness for deadlines though. Otherwise I would never stop researching! 

ED Note: I can attest to the fact that Luciana LOVES research and details! Also doesn’t this reminds you of young Luciana drawing on the stacks and stacks of paper her father would bring home?

Challenges

Q 4. What is the biggest challenge of illustrating a series like Big Blue Earth?

LNP: The biggest challenge is to make the transition from close up to far away as smooth as possible. One of the hooks of the series is that it always start with a very close view of the face of the animal, and then it keeps zooming out from their native habitat to urban areas.

Sometimes the perspective includes different parts of the continent like in Koala and Panda, all the way to a view of the continent on planet Earth. I have very few pages to be able to do that seamlessly, so it’s always a fun challenge.

Surprises and Discoveries

Q 5.  What surprises or discoveries popped up while you were illustrating this book?

LNP: It’s so fun to research other continents and find out about not only different animals, but also different towns and cities. For “Cheetah”, I found small villages around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and then “Where a city bustles with markets” I zoomed in the city of Arusha, in Tanzania.

I always try to talk to people who have been to some of these places, so as to depict them very specifically. A friend who worked for the State Department and lived in Kenya, for example, described the type of fabric sold in markets in Eastern Africa, which would differ from fabric made in Western Africa.

LNP: She gave me the name of a brand, so I illustrated their patterns in the market scene! She told me you would see Masai men in Arusha but not that many Masai women. Also there is a significant Indian population in the area so women in saris are not uncommon, as well as western tourists.

Favorites

Q 6. What is your favorite spread or line of text?

LNP: Tory’s evocative text engages all the senses. In this spread:

“Where stampeding hooves splish -splash-splish through rains and muddy puddles”

you can almost feel the ground shake under you and the mud splash in your face!

My favorite illustration is probably the penultimate that shows the Great Migration. When the wildebeest and zebras and gazelles cross the Mara river there is so much danger waiting for them….

*The observant kid might find it on the very left of the page above, in the river….

Cheetah Fun Facts

Q 7. Is there a question you wish I’d asked? Ask and answer please. 

LNP: My question would be: What is that tuft of long fur on the back of the cheetahs in the book?

The answer: Young and juvenile cheetahs have long “Mohawks” on their backs, which helps with camouflage. (They are vulnerable to other big cats like lions and leopards!)  

LNP: There are so many fun facts about these gorgeous animals:

• Their long tails function as rudders when they zig zag chasing gazelles.

• Their non-retractable claws – like dogs – help with traction! Speedy indeed.

Take Aways

Q 8. What do you hope readers will take away from this important book, or from the series?

LPN: In these days of GPS navigators, I believe that engagement with maps and a sense of scale is more important than ever. It’s a critical skill that might get lost if we get too reliant on a digital helper.

Encouraging curiosity about other countries in the world, being able to locate them and learning about their flora and fauna will never stop being important – and fun! 

What’s next?

Q 9. Are there more projects in the queue that you can share?

LNP: I am always working on new projects and my agent has a few books on submission right now for me to potentially illustrate.

And of course I am beyond excited about my book with you, Erin Dealey, that comes out April 7th, Squirrel Draws Big Feelings!

ED Note: Woo-Hooo! Can’t wait ’til our April 7th Book Birthday celebration!

Meanwhile…

To learn more about Luciana Navarro Powell and her work,

check out her website: www.lucianaillustration.com

And follow her on

Instagram: lucianaillustration

Facebook: Luciana Illustration

BlueSky: lucianaillustra.bsky.social

Next up on the blog:

We celebrate the Book Birthday of Gianna Marino’s

We All Belong

(Philomel Books)