Making of Avocado Asks

It began in the fruit and vegetable aisle in a supermarket, just like the story of the book itself. I’m talking about the journey of my debut picture book, Avocado Asks (Orchard Books 2020), a story about search for one’s own identity and finding peace with it. In this post, I'm going to share the ideas and process behind making this book and my experience as a first-time author-illustrator. 

IDEAS

My guac-amazing three-year journey with my little avocado began with one simple question that popped into my head while I was doing grocery shopping - Is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable? Then I wondered what if an avocado itself doesn’t know the answer? That’s how I found a seed of the story! 

This story sprouted and grew from the simple character idea. I could instantly feel a connection to the character in identity crisis. As a Japanese who lives in UK, I don’t feel quite like Japanese nor quite like British. I used to hate this feeling of not knowing where I belong. The character also rem…