This interview originally appeared in the November/December 2022 Horn Book Magazine as part of the Publishers’ Previews: Picture Books and Graphic Novels, an advertising supplement that allows participating publishers a chance to each highlight a book from its current list. They choose the books; we ask the questions.

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Levine Querido

The Little Toymaker keeps busy at his chosen profession; his toys aren’t for children but rather for grownups…and they are magic.

1. What childhood toy do you wish you could get back?

My Sailor Moon cards. I grew up in 1990s Hong Kong, and my best friend and I had boxes and boxes organized by character. We made up our own stories about them.

2. How do you achieve those glowy colors?

When imagining the story’s setting, I thought of movies like Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle and Scorsese’s Hugo. Everything in those films had a glowy, shiny look. To give my illustrations that same feeling, I used a rainbow color palette. Having these colors blend and contrast, side by side, creates the illusion that the art is moving and shining. I also drew dozens of white sparkles around the edges of things inside the toymaker’s wooden tower, which I think adds to the effect.

3. What is “the most beautiful thing [you’ve] ever received from someone”?

In 2014, I worked at an art gallery in Hong Kong. One of the artists made a small clay sculpture of a person sleeping serenely, rolled up in a quilt with their tiny feet sticking out. I fell in love with it. Later, the artist gave it to me as a gift. It still makes me smile.

4. Name a picture book that inspires you as an artist.

Shaun Tan’s The Red Tree, about a girl experiencing great sadness, made me want to become a picture-book artist. I think picture books can help adults and children approach heavy topics in a safe and comfortable way. They can be a gentle way to open doors and start conversations.

5. Who listens to your stories?

I can talk to friends and family, but for certain stories, I turn to drawing to process complex thoughts and feelings. It calms down the storm in my head, and I can recognize what I truly think. I feel lucky to be in this moment, with more people caring about stories from unfamiliar voices. Publishers like Levine Querido are important to artists like me; I never imagined being able to share my stories. Creating something, sharing it with others, and hoping it speaks to them affirm that we’re all connected.

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Levine Querido

Photo courtesy of Cat Min.