Back to News

Astound llustrator Junissa Bianda Featured in The Guardian

Published on 07/09/2023

We are delighted to share that new release ‘Nabil Steals a Penguin’ (Nosy Crow, 3 August), illustrated by the Astound US Inc‘s Junissa Bianda and written by Nishani Reed has been featured in The Guardian.

Read the glowing review below here:

The child hero of Nabil Steals a Penguin (Nosy Crow, 3 August) gets more than he bargains for on a trip to the zoo. A vibrant tale about being welcoming to others (and the deliciousness of curry), Nishani Reed’s debut co-stars Pierre the penguin, a lively chap in a crimson hat who is bored of the fish he’s fed at the zoo. When Pierre tries a mouthful of Nabil’s biryani he’s hooked – his cheeks speckled with rice in one of illustrator Junissa Bianda’s characterful pictures. Pierre promptly launches himself into his new pal’s rucksack, but with all the honking and hopping around, he’s not an easy bird to hide. Thankfully, when he’s finally discovered by Nabil’s parents they’re happy to make him part of the family.

Check out the full review here.

‘Nabil Steals a Penguin’ has also been featured in the Guardian Bookshop, The BookTrust and previewed in The Bookseller. Congratulations to Junissa, Nishani and the lovely team at Nosy Crow.

 

The ITSme Society is a collective of top creative agencies that represent award-winning talent worldwide. The ITSme Society agencies represent illustrators and writers across 7 agencies: Advocate Art, Astound US Inc, Illo Agency, Artistique, Yeon, CWLA, and Collaborate.

Other News

How to Beat AI and Catch the Client’s Eye

  Illustration by Camipepe As AI art tools become more sophisticated, it becomes more important to emphasize our value and status as authentic human artists. Crafting a great bio and portfolio is an excellent way to make an immediate impact. They should allow the client to get to know you in a matter of seconds,…

Be A Pro at Curating your Portfolio!

You asked, and we listened! Be A Pro at Curating Your Portfolio; our new course is here! Learn all the secrets to crafting a standout portfolio with 4 Hours of Expert-Led Content! One of the biggest challenges you face in your illustration career is presenting your work in a way that catches the eye of…

Why Using AI in Art Briefs Can Stifle Creativity

Illustration by Beth Goody. Why Using AI in Art Briefs Can Stifle Creativity Edward Burns CEO ITSme AI art tools such as Midjourney or Flux are becoming more and more capable, and that fact is impossible to ignore. With these developments, it can be tempting to use AI-generated art as reference material when briefing a…

Mentorship in Review: Transforming Illustrators

Our illustration mentorship program is meant to bring portfolios to a new level, and we mentors were incredibly pleased by the way mentorship program graduate Zhiheng Andy Su completely transformed his portfolio during the spring 2024 session. Over the course of weeks, Zhiheng went from two very different digital and hand drawn styles before to…

Interview with Sally Garland

Sally Anne Garland is a prolific author/illustrator who has been working with both Advocate Art and Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency for many years. Her authored books include The Moon Seed, The Chalk Garden and Poppy’s Perfect Crayons. She has rave five-star reviews from The Guardian, Kirkus, Reading Zone, and more. Here, we ask Sally about…

What Is Comp Shopping? And Why Is It Important?

What Is Comp Shopping? And Why Is It Important?

Menu