The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/ Ezra Edmond, Jenna Nahyun Chung, and Review of My Friend LeVar
First off - the winner of a copy of The Yowlers, a sticker sheet, a bookmark, and a set of 4 coloring pages from Molly Ruttan is:
Tom Klicka
Congrats Tom! And now back to today's featured author, illustrator, and book.
Ezra Edmond was born in Los Angeles, California. As a child, his parents and grandparents would tell him stories and read to him every night before bed. By kindergarten, Ezra had taught himself to read by following along as he had been read to. He soon became a regular at the library, checking out stacks of books each week, inspired by shows like Reading Rainbow. Ezra would try to watch every episode, and then would scour the library for the books that had been featured in the latest episode.
Besides reading, Ezra loved drawing and creating. He would spend hours in his room with paper, paint, tape, and glue, bringing his ideas to life. With each creation came a story, and storytelling has always been at the heart of what he loves, whether through writing, animation, or drawing. No matter what the future holds, Ezra is determined to keep telling stories and helping others share theirs too.
Ezra is a debut picture book author. He has also directed & produced several projects for Disney, PIXAR, Lucasfilm, LEGO, and is the writer, director, and producer of Blewish (2021).
Jenna Nahyun Chung is a children’s illustrator based in Georgia. She has loved drawing and painting since she was a child. At the early age of 10, she realized that she wanted to pursue art as a lifelong career, and her passion eventually led her to graduate from Rhode Island School of Design.
Now, she teaches aspiring art college students during the day and works as a freelance illustrator at night. Her favorite things to draw are nature and animals, and she enjoys incorporating both Korean and American cultures in her artwork.
Jenna is the illustrator of Chicken Soup for the Soul KIDS: The Sunshine Garden: Being a Team Player by Jamie Michalak (2024).
Their newest picture book, My Friend LeVar, releases on October 1st.
Welcome Ezra and Jenna,
Tell us a little about yourselves. (Where/when do you write or illustrate? How long have you been writing or illustrating? What is your favorite type of book to write or illustrate?
EZRA - I have been writing and drawing since I was a child. I loved being told stories and wanted to tell my own too. I used to get those hard cover blank books where you could write & illustrate a story, and I still have some of those on my shelf from when I was four or five years old. Some of my favorite places to write are on flights or long train rides. I love when I have a dedicated seat away from my desk at home and seeing how much I can get done before the plane lands or I get to the train station is always a fun challenge / goal to set. I love writing stories with heart, especially when I can infuse fantasy or sci-fi elements, and I love drawing adorable animals in nature settings.
JENNA - As mentioned in my biography, I decided to focus on studying art in the fifth grade because I wanted to attend an art middle school in Korea. My earliest memory of drawing is from when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I was supposed to work on a children’s workbook called Kumon, but instead of solving the problem, I would doodle groups of potato heads holding their hands and dancing. Although I didn’t end up going to an art middle school because my family moved America, I always knew that my destiny was to pursue art, so I kept drawing and painting. I usually work at night in my room, where I can concentrate better. I love drawing cute things, animals, and nature, both in real life and in fantasy settings, just like Ezra does.
It is so great to get to know both of you. What is one of the most fun or unusual places where you’ve written or illustrated a manuscript?
EZRA - I once bought a $10 heavily used laptop so I could write the script to my film Blewish while commuting on the train every day without having to worry about it breaking or getting lost/stolen during the journeys. Sometimes, I’ll capture ideas or work on an outline by recording my voice on my phone while I’m out walking my dog. If I’m on a trip and staying somewhere with a nice garden or balcony, it’s always nice to sit out in the sun to draw or write as well. And of course, like I mentioned earlier on any long flight or train ride. I’ll always see if I can get a few scenes, chapters, or drawings done since those locations make it easy for me to focus.
JENNA - Like Ezra, I always bring my iPad on flights, especially for long trips to Korea. There’s nothing much to do on a plane besides watching movies, eating, or sleeping. When the lights go down and everyone is asleep, I pull out my iPad from my backpack and start painting something. I know it’s probably not good for my eyes to paint in the dark, haha!
Those are great places to be creative, fewer distractions. Ezra, I know what an effect LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow had on your childhood, but what inspired you to write the manuscript for My Friend LeVar?
EZRA - Every now and again, I would come across the photo that my mom took of me and LeVar together when I was a kid, and I remembered the moment so vividly. Often, when I would think about some of the more unique books I had read during my childhood, I would remember the specific Reading Rainbow episode where they had been featured and how I had learned about them. Reading has always been incredibly special to me, and I wanted to share my story in the hopes that it may inspire other kids to read as well. I think that’s the point of storytelling, right? To share a moment, observation, or creative idea with someone to hopefully inspire and empower their own creativity as well.
I think you will succeed in inspiring many kids. And sparking memories in many adults. Jenna, what was it about the My Friend LeVar manuscript which appealed to you as an illustrator? Why did you want to illustrate it?
JENNA - I think My Friend LeVar is a story about how meeting someone you admire can help a child discover their enthusiasm. That really inspired me because, when I was little, I also watched a lot of Korean kids’ shows hosted by celebrities or plush doll characters. I often dreamed of meeting them in real life, and that memory came back to me as I read the manuscript. Besides, when my mom found out I was working on My Friend LeVar (she’s ALWAYS curious about what picture book I’m working on), she got so excited because she recognized Levar as the famous actor from his role as Kunta Kinte in Roots. This made me even more motivated and happy to work on this book.
That's a fun set of connections with the story. What was the hardest or most challenging thing for each of you about writing or illustrating My Friend LeVar?
EZRA – For me, the hardest thing was figuring out how to explain a “friendship” between a television host and a child who only knows him from watching TV; and bridging that with the chance real life meeting. I knew that I wanted LeVar to be the chaperone through the many various adventures through books that are being read, and ultimately, the solution I found was in the layouts of the illustrations. The “real world” moments are shown in full page illustrations, while the “imagined” moments (that mostly happen while books are being read) are shown framed in thought bubbles that don’t go to the edge of the page. It’s a subtle trick to help the reader note when we’re in the “real world” or in the kid’s imaginations.
JENNA - For me, everything was a lot easier because Ezra provided the draft illustrations. However, the most challenging part was reinterpreting LeVar’s face in my own art style while still making sure it resembled his likeness.
It's so interesting that Ezra sketched out the illustrations first. And I can just imagine how nerve wracking that would be Jenna. Ezra, did you need, or get, approval from LeVar Burton to write the book? If so, and you can talk about it, how hard was it to get?
EZRA - The amazing folks at Charlesbridge really helped with this aspect of approvals. As this is a story about LeVar Burton who is, of course, a real person, it was very important to make sure he approved of the book and the way he was visually portrayed in the style of the art as well. If you’re telling a story that involves someone else, you always want to make sure they’re happy with how they are represented as well. However, that approvals process is not something I was directly involved with.
Thanks for the reminder. How many revisions did My Friend LeVar take for the text or illustrations - from first draft to publication?
EZRA – I believe we went through about 6 rounds of revision for the text, and about 3-4 rounds of revision for the illustrations.
JENNA - As I mentioned earlier, I had to revise LeVar’s likeness to make him look more like himself. I went through several adjustments and then made some changes to the color and brightness after checking the printed sample. Overall, it took about 3 to 4 rounds of revisions.
So, not too bad. Ezra, when you first saw Jenna’s illustrations in My Friend LeVar, did anything surprise, amaze, or delight you? Which is your favorite spread?
Text © Ezra Edmond, 2024. Image © Jenna Nahyun Chung, 2024.
EZRA - I absolutely love Jenna’s soft textures, line work, and the expressions that she’s captured in everyone’s faces on each spread. She did an incredible job capturing the 90’s feel where the story takes place, with a tone and style reminiscent of several of the books referenced in the story. Two of my favorite spreads are the one of all the kids in the library reading, and the one of all the kids in school sharing ‘how they know LeVar’. I’ve always loved images where multiple characters are all doing different things, and have their own stories going on, and both of those spreads do an incredible job capturing that energy.
I agree with you, this is a great illustration. Jenna, is there a spread that you were especially excited about or proud of? Or perhaps one which is your favorite spread?
Text © Ezra Edmond, 2024. Image © Jenna Nahyun Chung, 2024.
JENNA - I enjoyed painting the scenes where Ezra imagines his adventures with LeVar while reading a book. Most of those spreads featured beautiful nature and different colors of the sky. And I’m not sure if it’s my favorite, but the one that I put the most effort into was the first spread, since I revised it the most and had a hard time choosing the art style.
This turned out amazing. Jenna, many illustrators leave treasures or weave their own story (or elements) throughout the illustrations. Did you do this in My Friend LeVar? If so, could you share one or more with us?
JENNA - I wouldn’t say I included anything personal in this book, but I did think about my childhood when designing the interior of Ezra’s living room in the first spread. When I was a kid, we had a video player under our bulky TV, a stack of VHS tapes where my favorite kids’ shows are recorded, and a video game console right next to it.
Many adults will relate to this and it might spark some curious discussions about how things have changed. What's something you want your readers to know about or learn from My Friend LeVar?
EZRA – To me, one of the most fun things about My Friend LeVar is that I got to reference so many books that I loved while growing up, that he introduced me to! On the second to last page of My Friend LeVar there is a list of all of the books that are referenced in the story, as well as the Reading Rainbow episode they appeared in. I would be so happy for kids to visit their local library and read those books! I believe that Reading Rainbow is currently available on Amazon Prime Video (and possibly the official Reading Rainbow Youtube), so readers may be able to watch them along with LeVar just like I used to!
JENNA - Well, although this book is for children, I found myself motivated to read more as I went through it. I think kids these days are probably more accustomed to looking at cell phone screens than reading physical books, but I believe that reading and turning the pages of a physical book with their own hands is a valuable experience for children. I hope young readers of this book feel the same motivation I did.
I am so glad that the episodes are still available to kids. I think you definitely captured the magic found in books, Jenna. Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit or information with us?
EZRA - While I’m not 100% sure what the immediate future holds, I am working on a few other children’s books manuscripts, including an adaptation of my animated film, Blewish. I have the first entry completed in a YA/ Middle Grade series that I am hoping to publish in the not-too-distant future and am very excited to share it with the world. As these or other projects come to fruition, I’ll share more details about them on my website and ArtofEzra Instagram account.
JENNA - Although nothing’s coming up for sure yet, I’m planning to revisit one of my old illustrations and expand on the story, hoping to share it on my social media.
We'll have to keep our eyes open for your next books. Best of luck with your projects. Last question, what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?
EZRA - I absolutely love Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting it twice (so far!) in my life, and the scale of the Grand Tetons, the beautiful Snake River, and the surrounding countryside is just unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. I love that you can see Buffalo, Bears, Eagles, Moose, and so many other animals in their natural habitats, the air is fresh, and the water is pure and beautiful. I got engaged in the Grand Teton National Park on my last visit a few years ago, so there are extra special memories there for me because of that as well. 😊
Photo © Stephen P. Shivers of the U.S. Geological Survey.
JENNA – What a surprise! I recently visited Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park this past summer. Although I only saw Grand Teton mountains from a distance, it was still grand and stunning. Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone really inspired me with its beautiful iridescent colors. For my next national park visit, I’d love to go to Yosemite. I wish I could stay there for a week and really soak in the great nature.
Thank you, Ezra & Jenna, for sharing with us a bit about yourselves and your wonderful picture book.
To find out more about Ezra Edmond. or to contact him:
Website: https://www.ezraedmond.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofezra/?hl=en
To find out more about Jenna Nahyun Chung, or to contact her:
Review of My Friend LeVar
I have so many fond memories of watching Reading Rainbow with my kids. From that wonderful, inspiring theme song to the magnificent worlds LeVar Burton shared with us. It was such a wonderfully imaginative show. I was really excited to read this picture book about LeVar. It is as imaginative as the beloved Reading Rainbow and a loving tribute to a talented and dedicated literary advocate.
My Friend LeVar
Author: Ezra Edmond
Illustrator: Jenna Nahyun Chung
Publisher: Charlesbridge (2024)
Ages: 3-7
Fiction
Themes:
Reading, biography, imagination, and curiosity.
Synopsis:
Ezra's friend LeVar always has a book to share. From playing in the snow, to decorating eggs, to eating pancakes with Paul Bunyan--Ezra and LeVar explore all different kinds of stories. Through imaginative play they discover new worlds, learn to be curious, and revel in reading. One day young Ezra meets LeVar Burton in real life! Soon afterward, Ezra discovers that his friends know LeVar from TV, too.
This joyous celebration of the impact that LeVar Burton had on kids during his years on television stems from the author's real-life admiration of LeVar Burton and their chance meeting when Ezra was a child.
Opening Lines:
Mom and Dad introduce me to someone special.
They know him from a famous TV show called Roots.
What I LOVED about this book:
This is a really fun opening. Based on the real-life experience of author Ezra Edmond, this is such a great way to handle the 'introduction' of a child (and the reader) to a television personality. I love all the books and toys (and game system) scattered about the floor and the fact that this was obviously family time.
Text © Ezra Edmond, 2024. Image © Jenna Nahyun Chung, 2024.
As a child, Ezra could see himself in LeVar Burton. In their shared love of reading and collecting of all types of stories, "fables, folklore, and more." Jenna Nahyun Chung's soft digital illustrations depict a wonderful diversity and capture the joy in reading and looking for featured books in the library. And discovering new worlds through books.
Text © Ezra Edmond, 2024. Image © Jenna Nahyun Chung, 2024.
LeVar introduces me to incredible
characters, cultures, and history.
Every week I join him for a
different adventure.
I love the way Ezra Edmond and Jenna Nahyun Chung capture the child's imaginative journey with LeVar on a boat, in the snow, or pushing a galimoto on a sandy beach. Colorful, misty bubbles represent each book's adventure. With the seventh story, Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter, the reader returns to Ezra sitting on the floor imagining a starlight moment, looking for the big dipper with his friend LeVar.
Written based on a true experience, Ezra Edmond follows these special television adventures with a description of the moment he met LeVar Burton in person, while shopping with his mom. And how his mom took a picture of LeVar hugging him. When he took the photo to school for show and tell, Ezra discovered how many of his diverse classmates also enjoyed Reading Rainbow and felt a connection, a friendship with LeVar.
Text © Ezra Edmond, 2024. Image © Jenna Nahyun Chung, 2024.
The ending is encouraging and inspiring, The real photo is included with an author's note - "The True Story of My Photo," and a brief note on LeVar Burton, Reading Rainbow, and the referenced books. This is an amazing reminder of the magic of books and the many experiences and worlds they offer us.
Resources:
create a reading chart or log book to record the books you read, along with LeVar (on Reading Rainbow episodes), or on your own. What did you discover in each book? Where did your imagination take you?
check out the Reading Rainbow episodes on Amazon Prime Video, the official Reading Rainbow Youtube, and on PBS Reading Rainbow Stories.
check out these reading activities from PBS.
explore the science and craft rainbow activities.
