Making Magic for The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me: An Interview with Selom Sunu, Illustrator

by Jackie Lui for Storymix

Were you ever fascinated by magic tricks when you were a kid? I remember watching magicians perform to wide-eyed audiences as they marvelled at the seemingly impossible tricks they had just witnessed (7-year-old me included). This had me running to mess around with my brother’s magic set immediately afterwards, trying to shuffle cards with a grown-up flair that my tiny hands struggled to achieve. I had fun, though, and at least I was a glamourous magician in my own head… Magic is truly something that captures children’s imaginations, which is why all of us here at Storymix are incredibly excited to see The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me released into the world!

Book Cover for ‘The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me’ by Serena Holly

The first book in the Granny Jinks series was published by Simon & Schuster earlier this month, and it is a thing of beauty, if we do say so ourselves! Someone we must thank for a major part in this is Selom Sunu, who illustrated the book exquisitely. He has brought Granny Jinks, Jada, Luna the cat, and the rest of their world a lively vivaciousness in their looks that match perfectly with their written characters. We follow this endearing cast as they discover the magic of family, friendship, and fun — portrayed vibrantly on the cover and throughout the pages. It is fantastic to see a Black family at the centre of such a simply delightful and charming story.

Selom’s drawings are equally charming, and he has very kindly taken the time to speak to me about his work. In this interview, we take a look at his artistic process, what is important to him as an illustrator, and how he came to work on The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me.

Selom Sunu illustrates the Granny Jinks series.

Thanks so much, Selom! If you’d like to find out more and check out his work, visit https://www.selomsunu.co.uk/, follow him on Instagram @selomsunu86 and on Twitter @MrSunu. Find us @storymixstudio on those channels, too.

The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me is OUT NOW! Available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. (And hey, guess what — it’s Storymix’s first project to come out in audio format, too! We love to see inclusive accessibility in children’s fiction, so thanks Simon & Schuster for making this happen.) Take a look at Storymix’s other projects here.

Granny Jinks #1 is out now at bookshops and online.

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