We sat down with Julianna Swaney, illustrator of the gorgeous new picture book The World Needs The Wonder You See to talk all about her illustrative process. Written by NY Times bestselling author, Joanna Gaines and published by Tommy Nelson/Harper Collins.

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What inspired the artistic style in The Wonder You See?

I decided to create all the artwork for this book digitally on my tablet. Part of the brief for this book was that they wanted more saturated colors than the previous books, which for me is much easier to do digitally. I also knew from previous books that there would be significant editing of final pieces, so working digitally also makes that easier.

What inspired the character design?

When I start designing characters, especially in a book that has a lot of characters like this one, I just start drawing and the characters’ looks and personalities emerge as I draw them over and over and have them interact with their environment and each other.

What do you love most about illustrating books?

I love that translating the author’s words into pictures is like solving a puzzle. There’s so much to to decide and things like the flow of the images page to page to think about. It’s also the most difficult and frustrating part!

What was your favorite part of working on The Wonder You See?

Coming up with lots of little fun things to hide in every scene for kids to look for. Unfortunately a lot of those ended up getting edited out at the last minute, but that is part of the collaborative process, as the author, editor and art director all weigh in on the artwork.

Do you personally resonate with the theme of the book?

I do. I’ve always been extra observant of what’s going on around me, probably because I was raised by birdwatchers! I think that’s helped me as an illustrator.

Is there anything specific you hope readers take away after reading The Wonder You See?

Turn off the screens, go outside. Imagination is a muscle that needs to be exercised and if you do that you’ll never be bored.

Julianna’s agent, Anne Moore Armstrong, says:

“Julianna’s ability to create a world of wonder for children to explore is evident in this book, and she was the perfect match for Joanna’s text. Being a wonder hunter myself, I appreciate the way she allows the reader to enter into a vibrant world of color and texture and light.”

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The World Needs the Wonder You See is available in the UK on Monday 27th January 2025. Get your copy here!

To work with Julianna, get in contact with Anne Moore Armstrong here.