Mike Curato shares the story behind the story of his new picture book (and why Bina Bear is Purple)

Over at his blog, Mike Curato shares the story behind the story of Where is Bina Bear?

From the doodles/sketches that started it all, 

some of those sketches that inspired Mike's Bina Bear character

to the book dummy, to the illustration style and the meaning behind this story, it's a fascinating window into Mike's process. 

One highlight:

On the surface, Where Is Bina Bear? is a cute hide and seek book. One could read this book and quickly chalk it up to a funny story about a bear with social anxiety. But for me it’s even more about two people trying to be good friends as best they can with what they have to work with. Tiny sees past Bina’s anxiety with compassion and playfulness, and we come to learn that Bina only came to this party because of her love and loyalty to Tiny. In the end, the most important thing is being together, and the two find a creative way to do just that.

It's well worth checking out, and maybe inspiration for the rest of us to share the story behind the story of our books as well!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee