LAS MUSAS BOOK BIRTHDAY - Xavier’s Voice

Today we celebrate the book birthday of Xavier's Voice illustrated by Musa Tatiana Gardel and written by Ashley Franklin. We sat down with Tatiana to learn more about the inspiration behind this book.
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Xavier wishes his small voice was bigger and the anxious feeling he gets when trying to make friends was smaller. He makes many attempts to be louder, but he still isn't able to connect with any of his classmates. As Xavier withdraws into the world of his sketchbook, he wonders will he ever be able to make friends with such a small voice?

What a sweet story! Learn more after the link...

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What 3 words would you use to describe your book?
Friendship, imagination, connection

Where did you get the idea to illustrate this particular story?

Xavier is an introverted and creative boy who struggles to use his voice to connect with other children. As an introvert myself, I was inspired by my memories as a child. Ashley’s manuscript brought me back to feelings and experiences I’ve had in the past, and part of my creative process is to find ways to connect emotionally to the story I’m working on. I was also inspired by one of my animation students and his love for anthropomorphic characters. Xavier is an artist himself, and it was fun to create his art style.

Can you share your path to publication for this book?

This book is very special to me because it was my first book deal. Asia Citro, from the Innovation Press, emailed me asking if I would like to work on a project with them. I was so excited to receive that email back in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. I was already a fan of Ashley’s work, and I connected to Xavier’s Voice the minute I read it. They asked me to do a quick character sketch as they had another illustrator under consideration, and I was over the moon when they shared the news that they picked my design. Asia also helped me to connect with my agent.

What was the most difficult scene to illustrate in this story?
The scene where Xavier and BJ are drawing on the mud with sticks was challenging to me. I love using vivid colors when I paint, and it was challenging to make the scene look lively with such a limited color palette. The text reads “With sticks, mud, and imagination, Xavier and BJ created a new world.”

What message are you hoping readers will take away from this story?

To always be true to yourself. All voices big and small are equally important and deserve to be celebrated.

​Tatiana Gardel is a New York City-based artist whose work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and American Illustration. Books she illustrated include
Xavier’s Voice (The Innovation Press, 2024), Abuelo, the Sea, and Me (Roaring Brook Press, 2024), The First Day of Peace, (Candlewick Press, 2023), and the  forthcoming title Painting the Sky with Love (Feiwel & Friends, 2024).

Born and raised in Brazil, her art is inspired by her culture, mythology, nature, and childhood memories. She is a co-founder of #LatinxPitch and teaches Animation to young artists at the Harlem School of the Arts. You can visit her at tatianagardel.com.

Instagram: @GardelTatiana
Twitter: @GardelTatiana

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