Inspiration
One of the things that really inspired me to become a children’s book illustrator was the work of Richard Scarry. My favorite books of his include What Do People Do All Day? and Busy, Busy Town. His characters were mostly anthropomorphic animals, which I’ve always enjoyed more than human characters. Anthropomorphic animal worlds provide an escape from reality; an illustrator can use them to create atmospheres that seem safer and more innocent than any human world. Moreover, there are lots of opportunities to add funny details to animal characters and the scenes involving them. I love adding little touches like carrot themed prints for a bunny character or fish bone prints for a cat.