Christian Robinson: ‘Making things was my escape and the thing that grounded me’

BY RANDY MYERS

With a resume that includes stints at Pixar and Sesame Street Workshop and a chest full of awards — Caldecott and Coretta Scott King illustration honors among them — Sacramento artist Christian Robinson is a busy man.

His first solo visual storytelling venture, “Another,” couldn’t be more of the moment. Published in March, the wordless picture book finds a young girl scurrying after a curious tabby, then smacking into her double and venturing into another world below the stairs. Sound familiar? In Robinson’s hands, it’s a gentle tale about appreciating one another’s uniqueness. We caught up with Robinson recently to talk books, art and inspiration.

QWhat spurred you to create “Another”?

AI’ve been an illustrator of books for seven years. I’ve been able to work with some

5 Book Picks From Robinson

amazing authors, and I love being a visual storyteller — and I knew that any book I illustrated or wrote, I’d want it to be inclusive (so) all types of children could see themselves in it.

What’s the best thing about being an illustrator/storyteller?

AAll of us start off drawing and making pictures, but somewhere along the line, we maybe are not encouraged enough or don’t feel it’s like our strength. For me, making things was my escape and the thing that grounded me. I was raised by my grandmother, and drawing was the one place where I had some control or say over what the world looked like.

I’m particularly grateful that I get to work in children’s books, because I get out in the world and go to libraries and book festivals and talk with kids. Children are literally the future, and these stories they’re hearing are shaping the way they see the world. That’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly.

QWho are your heroes?

AQWhen dealing with life questions, I pretend to be in a board meeting with these three people: Oprah, Beyonce and Michelle Obama. And creatively? I’d say Jim Henson and Fred Rogers.

QWhat’s your favorite indie bookstore?

AI love so many. In San Francisco’s Noe Valley, Charlie’s Corner, this really cool children’s bookstore. There’s Kepler’s (in Mountain View), which is amazing. And here in Sacramento, Underground Books — it’s this black-owned bookshop that just has an amazing selection.

“My Heart” by Corinna Luyken: (A story that tackles) how to describe love and all the emotions you feel, but does it in a way that is accessible to children and not afraid to be real with them.

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama: Her life story is the embodiment of it not mattering where you come from. For all of us, there are infinite unbelievable possibilities in life.

“Kindred” by Octavia Butler: It’s one of those books — grounded in historicalness but also science fiction — that does all the things I hoped it would.

“Maus” by Art Spiegelman: One of my all-time favorite graphic novels. It opened history up to me in a different way.

“The Art of Power” by Thich Nhat Hanh: It’s a book that I always go back to. It’s my spiritual grounding book. It reminds me to let go of those things that I have no control over.