amanda and momo
and the banana moon

play & Research

My favorite part about creating this project was going to a kindergarten class at Malcolm X Elementary School and asking kids what they want from a children's book. We did art projects together (with plenty of glitter) and got to flex our creativity muscles.

write & illustrate

I drew inspiration from my own childhood experiences and got in touch with my inner kid to write this book. The most challenging part of this for me was actually illustrating. I used watercolor and let inspiration from other children's books guide my way.

present

At the end of the project, I read my book to the kindergarten students I had met before, at the start of the research. I was ecstatic when I finished and they asked me to read it to them again!

Front cover of book with watercolored illustration of rocket leaving Earth, going toward a banana moon.

a little girl, a purple monkey, and a banana moon

Amanda and Momo and the Banana Moon is a children's book following the adventure of a little girl and her purple pet monkey. Amanda lives in the city and has never seen a sky full of stars, but when Momo sees the banana moon, they set off for a journey to capture it.

Open book spread with skyline illustration and text reading "It was a cold rainy night in the city with not a single star in sight. In a tiny apartment was little Amanda Ly, and her purple pet, Momo the monkey."
Open book spread with illustrations of Amanda and Momo watching television.
Open book spread with text reading "They climbed in, but it was too dark inside! They needed stars to see, or else the moon would hide."
Open book spread with illustration of Momo watching Amanda blowing glitter into the air.
Open book spread with illustrations of Amanda and Momo in space suits.
Open book spread with illustrations of Amanda and Momo waving at happy-faced Earth in space.
Open book spread with text reading "Amanda quietly told herself, 'I can't wait to be an astronaut when I grow up.'"
Child's illustration of a purple dog with a pink face.

When I met with the Kindergarten students at Malcolm X Elementary, we did some arts and crafts activities to get started. One of the main inspirations for the character Momo came from this drawing that one of my students had made.