Today we are very excited to share an interview with Illustrator Victoria Ying (Amber Brown is Not a Crayon)!
Meet the Illustrator: Victoria Ying
Victoria Ying is a critically acclaimed author and artist living in Los Angeles. She started her career in the arts by falling in love with comic books, this eventually turned into a career working in animation and graphic novels. She loves Japanese Curry, putting things in her shopping cart online and taking them out again, and hanging out with her husband and cat, Bandito. She is the author and illustrator of her own series “City of Secrets and City of Illusion” as well as the Marvel/Scholastic “Shang-Chi and the secret of Immortality” and the illustrator of the DC series “Diana Princess of the Amazons.” Her YA debut “Hungry Ghost” was the recipient of the Harvey Award for best YA/Children’s Graphic Novel in 2023.
Website * Instagram* TikTok * X
About the Book: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon – The Graphic Novel
Third graders Amber Brown and Justin Daniels have been best friends since the day they first met in preschool. How great of a team are they? Amber helps Justin with his handwriting, and Justin helps Amber with her fractions. They sit next to each other in class and hang out together after school every day—that’s just how it’s always been.
But when Justin finds out his family is moving away, everything starts to feel different. Amber gets sad whenever she thinks about Justin leaving, and Justin seems overwhelmed by all the change to come. Can the two besties figure out a way to say goodbye that will keep their friendship strong, no matter how far apart they are?
This graphic novel adaptation of Paula Danziger’s classic chapter book adds layers of nuance to all of Amber’s ups and downs, making her story burst from the page even more than before.
Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
~Illustrator Chat~
YABC: What are the challenges you faced with bringing someone’s story to life?
I was so honored to be trusted with a project as beloved as Amber Brown. Paula’s original story is so close to the hearts of so many people and I was definitely nervous when I was brought onto the project. I wanted to stay true to the original humor and heart of the story, but I also wanted to have a way to introduce it to a new generation of readers through the artwork. Paula’s direct storytelling style made it easy to adapt, but one challenging drawing aspect that I didn’t expect was how aware I had to be of all of the characters in every scene. Even if they weren’t featured in a scene, I had to know where all the characters were sitting in the classroom at all times!
YABC: How long did it take you to create the artwork for this book?
The artwork for this book took about six months from sketch to final. I also had help from the wonderful Lynette Wong for colors and she worked an additional three months on top of me. I think the book looks wonderful thanks to her hard work!
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
It’s a simple scene, but when Amber and Justin kangaroo hop home from school it was so much fun to draw! I got to explore Amber’s curious and imaginative mind and also draw two kids full of joy and exuberance racing home.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Drawing Amber was so much fun, she’s got so much personality and her hair was always wild and fun to scribble!
YABC: When did you start drawing?
I started drawing at the age everyone starts to draw! The moment I had a crayon in my hand, I was scribbling everywhere, on paper, on old bills, on walls, any surface would do. I think the biggest difference between me and most people is that I just simply never stopped. I kept drawing all through my life and now I get the privilege of doing it as my profession.
YABC: When did you know you wanted to be an illustrator?
When I wasn’t much older than Amber and Justin, I learned that the comic books I loved were written and drawn by one person. I wanted to do that, I wanted to draw and tell stories just like my favorite authors and illustrators and I never looked back. I feel very lucky that the dream I had as a child never left me and that I get to do what that kid wished for.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I have another Middle Grade adaptation in the works that I can’t quite talk about yet, but it’s another classic that I think many children of my generation grew up with! I also have another YA contemporary project with First Second called “Chasing Sunspots” about growing up in the 2000s as a young artist and navigating the adult world of comics.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
Yes! Last year me and some other comics publishing professionals started a non-profit called “The Comics Advocacy Group” (http://www.comicsadvocacygroup.org) that is focused on creating equity and longevity for comics creators! Our first project was giving away 35 mini-grants for creators to help with whatever they might need to bring their comics to life. We hope to continue our mission and bring more creators into the fold and raise up their stories.
Title: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon – The Graphic Novel
Author: Paula Danziger
Illustrator: Victoria Ying
Release Date: May 21, 2024
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Graphic Novel/Humor
Age Range: 7 – 10
