I WON AN AWARD!!!

An actual award!!!!!!! For my silly book!!!!!!

Or order this book from any of the links below!

I have absolutely been in disbelief the past couple of days since I found out my book was selected!!!! I had honestly come to terms with the fact that I would never win an award, especially as a POC writing silly books. It often does feel like as a POC book maker, the only bestsellers and award winners are serious/accepting stories that deal with generational trauma. I had simply accepted that “it’s okay, I’ll make the silly books and they’ll be mediocre and never win an award or be a bestseller but at least some kids will read them and find it funny.” I can’t believe I was proven wrong and on the world’s silliest book too.

To be honest, I’ve always felt really insecure about my art. I’ve felt that I carry my books with my storytelling and humor and that my art was just… mediocre. I felt it was neither “good and graphic” or “good and well rendered”. But to win a silver award for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show is insane because this award is supposed to be an award for art and art alone. As I’m typing this I still cannot fathom it and maybe it will feel more real when I have the little medal in my hands.

It feels right that this is the book that I get my first award on. I’ve felt like all the books I’ve done before this one haven’t fully been myself. Pig Town Party is the first book that I feel really represents the stories I want to tell and I put my whole heart into making it. Last year, I made a post called 5 Lessons From 5 Years Illustrating and the last lesson I included was:

And I guess it really is true! It must be no coincidence the first book I win an actual award on (not an obscure math honor) is a book that I feel truly representative of myself.

Anyways, that’s enough rambling!! I’m going to go scream into my pillow now!!!!

Meanwhile, you should definitely preorder my book.

Did I mention it’s award winning?