Teresa Robeson & Angela Poon on creating WHO IS TIBET’S EXILED LEADER? (Penguin Workshop)

Teresa Robeson is the APALA Picture Book Award-winning author of QUEEN OF PHYSICS (also ILA Nonfiction PB Honor and NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Recommended Book). Other publications include TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING and an essay in NONFICTION WRITERS DIG DEEP, edited by Melissa Stewart. More about Teresa at TeresaRobeson.com, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Angela Poon is a freelance illustrator and comic artist based in Mississauga, just outside of Toronto. Her illustrations also appear in Fred & Majorie: A Doctor, A Dog, and the Discover Of Insulin by Deborah Kerbel (Owlkids). More about Angela and her work at Angela-Poon.com, Twitter, and Instagram.

WHO IS TIBET’S EXILED LEADER? THE 14TH DALAI LAMA
Author: Teresa Robeson ~ Illustrator: Angela Poon
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Publication date: April 4th, 2023

Synopsis: Discover the story behind the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s journey from Tibet to permanent exile in India in this captivating graphic novel written by 2020 APALA Award-winning author Teresa Robeson and illustrator Angela Poon. Follow the Fourteenth Dalai Lama’s harrowing escape to India in 1959 as he fled Chinese suppression of a national uprising in Tibet. A story of risk and political tension, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the incredible story of the Tibetan spiritual and political leader — brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations.

Q for Teresa: How was WHO IS TIBET’S EXILED LEADER? THE 14TH DALAI LAMA? created, in terms of the author process?

Teresa’s answer:

WHO IS TIBET’S EXILED LEADER began in an unusual way. Rather than my agent submitting a manuscript that I’d written, my agent saw a tweet from an editor that she was looking for people who could write biographical graphic novels for the well-known WHO HQ series. My agent asked if I’d be interested, and of course I said yes (because my WNDB mentor Jane Yolen said to always say yes to opportunities).

I quickly learned the format by looking through the LUMBERJANES books which my agent recommended and also the resources listed on Kidlit411.com’s graphic novel page. Then, I put together a short proposal for the editor.

The editor’s team liked my proposal and offered me a list of the people Penguin Workshop wanted to showcase. I picked the Dalai Lama, because I’ve admired him for years, and Bruce Lee, because of our Hong Kong connection.

My editor, Rachel Sonis (now with TIME magazine), was a joy to work with. She has incredible patience and taught me so much about the graphic novel format, as was done at Penguin. It was a lot more work than I had thought previously, and I already knew it would be a lot of work.

I don’t know at which point of the process they hired illustrator Angela Poon, but when they showed me her initial sketches, I almost cried with happiness. Her art is amazing! It’s even more beautiful than I could have imagined. And she was able to do the illustrations for a 64-page book so quickly. I believe she works miracles!

Q. for Angela: How did you become the illustrator of this project? What was your process?

Angela’s answer:

I was approached by Jay Emmanuel, the lead designer of the Who HQ graphic novel series, who came across my work in person at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival a few years back. I had recently left my day job and was learning how to create 3D Sketchup models. Drawing environments was not my forte but it was a skill I wanted to improve as I was updating my portfolio and looking for opportunities in background art and design. Little did I know I would soon agree to illustrate an entire graphic novel for the next year that would involve a wide range of environments, including ornate palaces and temples!

I started using 3D models for the concept art, but soon found it to be too time consuming for the number of times I’d have to change the angles and repeatedly draw the environments. However, the 3D models were a great help to initially visualize the various spaces, making them easier to draw!

I spent much time immersed in image searches, videos, and articles on Tibet’s geography, culture, and art. Many of my references were provided by Teresa and the image bank she developed alongside the manuscript, and some were provided by the copyedit team and the Tibetan history and culture expert reader we had on board. At any given moment drawing a page, I would have several browser tabs open and multiple downloaded images on screen to reference!

Though I am flattered by Teresa’s kind comments, I am definitely no miracle worker! For me it was about following a steady schedule of pages to complete each day, and the efficiency of digital art tools. It was my first time working completely digitally!

Q. What do you hope young readers will take away from your book?

Teresa’s answer:

I’m not usually one for hero-worship but there is so much to admire about His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. It’s my hope that by reading about his journey in this book, young readers will be inspired by his tenacity and bravery as well as his message of hope and happiness for the world.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not writing or illustrating?

Teresa’s answer:

I don’t have a lot of free time, but when I’m not writing or researching, I love to bake (because I love to eat more than anything else in the world), knit or crochet or sew useful things, and learn new skills like making soap or weaving. I also spend an excessive amount of time in the summer and fall helping to process our homegrown or foraged fruits and vegetables; we can beans and tomatoes and I make different jams and jellies. I hope to feature all of these fun things in future books!

Angela’s answer:

Much of my ‘downtime’ these days goes towards training and caring for my family’s energetic adolescent dog. Coincidentally, he came to our home around the same time I had started working on the illustrations for WHO IS TIBET’S EXILED LEADER. It hasn’t been the least bit easy, but I have him to thank for breaking up long work days by getting me up and moving!

Q. What advice do you have for young writers?

Teresa’s answer:

I think the best advice I could give young writers is to always be curious and be a lifelong learner. So many doors can be opened to you if you’re willing to put in the work to investigate and find out about things. If I hadn’t been willing to learn how to write the graphic format, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work on this book and the upcoming one on Bruce Lee. Also, learning for the sake of learning will give you more ideas to write about.

Q. What advice for you have for young illustrators?

Angela’s answer:

Some advice for young illustrators, especially recent graduates, is to avoid comparing yourself to your peers and setting unrealistic expectations! For many new graduates it can be disheartening when work isn’t immediately rolling in, but remember that your career is a long road ahead. Let your personal voice shine through your work! And you’ll find that there are people out there, and clients, that share the same excitement about the things you love illustrating and creating.

Q. What are you excited about now?

Teresa’s answer:

I’m excited about several things! First of all, I’m really excited about my picture book about the astronomical phenomenon of nebulae that’s coming out with MIT Kids/Candlewick in 2024. I have had the best time working with my wonderful editor, Olivia Swomley, on that book. And speaking of my wonderful editor, I’m also excited about a nonfiction middle grade manuscript she bought that I’m doing research on right now. I can’t talk more about it since it’s not been announced yet.

I’m also excited about another nonfiction middle grade book on a hilariously fun topic with another editor…that I also can’t talk about because it’s not been announced yet.

One last thing I’m excited about is an early reader science-themed graphic novel that I’m working on as both author and illustrator. The two main characters are funny (and, I hope, endearing) because I want to use humor to entice kids to enjoy science. It’s not currently under contract but just something I’m doing on my own that gives me great joy.

Angela’s answer:

Something that I’ve been excited about is the 2023 Yellow Cedar Award nomination that FRED AND MARJORIE: A DOCTOR, A DOG, AND THE DISCOVERY OF INSULIN received! Written by Deborah Kerbel and illustrated by me, FRED AND MARJORIE is a graphic novel about the life-saving discovery of insulin. I’m excited for the book to be shared with young readers in schools and libraries across Canada as they read and vote for their favourite titles in the program.

Thanks to you both for visiting my blog!

Also see other Interviews with Book Creators and Advice For Young Writers And Illustrators.