Let's Talk Illustrators #371: Vikki Zhang

Today I am pleased to share my interview with Vikki Zhang. We're talking about If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe, written by Cynthia Mackey, which is a beautifully thoughtful look at what happens when we take a moment to just be. Enjoy!

About the book:

When a bumblebee lands unexpectedly, one child is prompted to pause, breathe, and simply be.

Check out the endpapers:

Let's talk Vikki Zhang!

LTPB: How did you become the illustrator of If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe? What were the first images that popped into your mind when you saw Cynthia Mackey’s text? How did your illustrations evolve as you got to know the text?

VZ: I was introduced to Yang Lu, the chief editor at Yeehoo Press, through our collaboration on The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup back to 2020. When she received Cynthia’s manuscript, she thought I could bring a poetic and imaginative perspective to the story—and I was immediately intrigued.

The first image that came to mind was a humanized bumblebee, delicate and whimsical, like a ballerina. In fact, the very first illustration I completed was the cover, which helped set the tone for the rest of the book.

It took me about three to four months to settle on the visual language of the book. I needed time to think deeply about how to reflect the story’s inner journey through imagery—how to create a world, not just pictures. After a trip to Paris, I became enchanted by the Opéra Garnier. That visit reignited my love for theater and performance, which ultimately became the visual setting for the story.

I initially drafted four spreads and shared them with Yang. She liked them individually, but felt they lacked visual cohesion—they didn’t quite feel like a sequence. So I began to weave in more details and transitions, creating a stronger narrative flow. For example, I connected the boat from the frozen lake spread to the design of the dress on the previous page. This kind of surreal layering helped bridge the pages and brought more richness to the visual storytelling.

LTPB: What did you find most difficult in creating this book? What did you find most rewarding?

VZ: The biggest challenge was finding a second narrative layer as I mention in the previous question—a visual container that could hold and elevate the story. I didn’t want to simply depict a bumblebee flitting through flowers and animals. I wanted to add charm, mystery, and emotion through the setting and atmosphere.

The most rewarding part was arriving at the concept of setting the story inside a theater, like a ballerina’s dream inside a music box. That gave me so much freedom and joy to draw from beginning to end. It allowed me to interpret the text in a way that felt personal and full of wonder.

LTPB: How do you keep your process fresh with every new book? Are there any topics or stories you’re still hoping to explore in the future?

VZ: I try to forget the books I made.

I don’t worry too much about consistency in my artistic style. I believe style reveals itself naturally—what’s meant to stay, stays; what’s meant to evolve, evolves. Even when I don’t consciously think about maintaining a certain look, people still recognize the book as mine.

For future projects, I’d love to explore themes that feel more universal—emotions or experiences that speak to both children and adults.

LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Is this your preferred medium? How does your process change from book to book?

VZ: The cover was created with ink and finished in Photoshop, while the interior illustrations were done entirely digitally.

Typically, I prefer using traditional media—watercolor or ink with a nib pen—because I love the textures and imperfections. But for this book, I was experimenting with a new visual direction and wasn’t sure how it would develop, so I chose to work 100% digitally. That gave me a sense of safety and flexibility while taking creative risks.

LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us?

VZ: I’m working on a few commercial projects at the moment. One is inspired by the 2023 Chinese animated film Deep Sea, and another is a visual collaboration with a luxury department store in Kunming.

On the publishing side, I’m designing a sci-fi book cover and developing an exciting picture book project with the Hachette Group New York. I can’t share visuals just yet, but I’m really enjoying the variety and play in these projects.

LTPB: If you got the chance to write your own picture book autobiography, who (dead or alive!) would you want to illustrate it, and why?

VZ: Guy Untereiner, Joyce Lankester Brisley, Jean de Boschère, or Else Wenz-Vietor—any of them! I’d be absolutely thrilled to have any one of them illustrate my autobiography. Their drawings and color palettes are full of tenderness and love. That’s the kind of visual feeling I dream of achieving—waking up one day and being able to create something with that kind of warmth and grace.

Thank you to Vikki for answering some questions! If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe published from Yeehoo Press in May.

Special thanks to Vikki and Yeehoo for use of these images!

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