ABOUT

Here are some illustrations I created for the picture book “Claire and the Chatty Daisy,” written by Matt Charvat. When I first read Matt’s manuscript, I was instantly transported back to the classical, beautifully illustrated fairy tales I grew up with. The story follows a young girl who befriends a talking daisy over one magical summer, gently exploring themes of friendship, nature, and even loss—a subject that can be difficult to approach with young readers, but one that Matt handles naturally and gracefully, leaving children with a sense of understanding and hope.

We chose a simple layout inspired by the original “The Velveteen Rabbit”—illustration on one side and text on the other—so that both the words and the artwork could stand on their own. And given its fable-like tone, I wanted the illustrations to echo the classic art styles I remember from the beautiful books of my childhood. This remains one of my favorite projects I’ve ever illustrated.