When I was approached by author Hanna Hymans Ostroff with her story about Aya, a curious little panda and her encounter with a kind Buddhist monk, I knew it would be a challenge to take on the project as it was the first time to illustrate an animal as a main character. In the end, I enjoyed capturing Aya’s expressions and child-like playfulness.

Learn more about the Aya here and enjoy some illustrations and sketches from the book below.