This interview originally appeared in the November/December 2024 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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Is getting The Top Spot worth it? One little ibex finds out.

1. Why an ibex?

Ibexes are very funny animals. The large males headbutt each other violently to impress the lady ibexes, or maybe to impress one another. So, I wondered, what about scrawny, nonviolent ibexes — how would they navigate such a brutal culture?

2. What’s the farthest or furthest you’ve gone in search of an answer?

I’m a self-taught illustrator and writer, which might explain why it took so long, but it took me thirteen years of nights and weekends to make something worthy of publishing.

3. What was the question?

Can I be a picture book author?

4. When did you first realize you were good at something?

In preschool and primary school, grownups would make a fuss over my drawings. I was rebellious and this was the only positive attention I received from teachers, so it stuck. I think it gave me a rudimentary sense of purpose from an early age.

5. As far as you are concerned, who among illustrators, past or present, occupies the top spot?

This is a difficult question, but I would say the top spot goes to Júlia Sardà. Her work is inventive, courageous, and sensible all at once. Like a wonderful cake — packed with flavor but not too sweet, with sprinkles of genius. Also, there’s Victoria Semykina, but her pictures are so intimidating I can’t look at them for too long or my imposter syndrome flares up.

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