Our Next Book

Mimochai Studio Letter | June 2025

Follow the river, step on the stones,
Look out for treasure wherever you roam.
Tucked into clouds and slivers of sky,
Whispers and clues float quietly by.

- from Treasure Everywhere by Mimochai

Ever since my first book Let's Go Explore, I've shared my book illustration process live as I go. This is very unorthodox in the book publishing world, but it itself has become part of my creative process. So I'm looking forward to continuing my Mimochai tradition with our third book :)

With that said, I'm happy to share that our next picture book is called Treasure Everywhere! I recently finished the manuscript and am starting to work on the illustrations, and felt this was a good time to start sharing my process.

Treasure Everywhere shares a simple but important message: that treasure isn't rare or in some far away place—it's all around us and within us, waiting to be noticed wherever we are. In many ways, it's a spiritual sequel to Let's Go Explore.

  • A very early exploration of cover design

The elusive creative process

This third book has taken shape gradually over time. It was first a feeling, then words started to form, and now pictures are taking shape. After a lot of back and forth, I'm finally at the point where I can share with certainty that this will be my next book. It's such a relief to be able to say that. It's hard to believe that it's been four years since Alphabet Adventure!

It's not that I haven't been trying. I'm pretty much always thinking about "my next picture book." My notes are filled with so many different book ideas. But having ideas is one thing, and bringing one to life is another. There were a few years where it seemed life was telling me, now's not the time. The harder I pushed, the more elusive it became. When I tried to let go, it seemed to drift even further away. I stayed the course, and showed up everyday, but it was definitely a hard feeling.

Then, a few weeks ago, something shifted. Questions and answers clicked into place. I found a new sense of "why" (more on that below). I finished the manuscript. And finally, I felt it: Yes, this is the next book I want to make. I'm going to make it.

  • Showing up everyday in the studio

  • Keeping inspiration close

Setting the art direction

So where do I start on a big project like this? With the manuscript in a good place and my overall intention clear, the heart of the picture book work this month is art direction: What should this book feel like? How do I create something that serves both children discovering wonder and adults remembering it?

I have a basic storyboard in place, and before I go any further into detail, I want to set the overall tone with some key illustrations. These are important establishing visuals, so I've been drawing the same scene with slight variations. I challenge myself to grow with each book, so I have to figure out these aspects anew every time.

Some considerations I'm working out at this stage include:

  • the character—what age? how defined? one or two?
  • the rendering style—more textured? more shape-driven?
  • the compositions—more negative space? more detailed?
  • the size format—consistent square size? or new portrait size?

Each aspect must serve the story and its intention. There are so many ways it could go, and there are so many decisions to be made. For me, the process involves a mix of looking at references, trying different approaches, and following my intuition.

  • Thumbnails and explorations

  • Iterating and refining

Embodying a daily practice

One thing I've really loved about my creative practice this year is integrating natural exploration into my process. As I explain in my class Natural Explorer, every week I make a habit of exploring my local area, collecting inspiration, and practicing nature studies based on what I find.

This practice has helped me more than once when I feel creatively stuck, because it gets me out of my thinking mind and into an observational flow. It's also a perfect match to the themes of Treasure Everywhere, and some of my observations have translated directly into illustration compositions.

  • Daily practice

  • Direct experience

A deeper why

Working through the foundations of this third book has clarified Mimochai's purpose. Our motto has always been Live in Wonder, and I've always championed values of curiosity, creativity, and mindfulness. But for a while, with everything going on in the world, I wondered if it was a bit self-indulgent.

But I came back around to seeing that actually, this is exactly what is needed as a balance to the rapid changes and complex challenges we are experiencing. As I've grown into my new role as a mom, I think a lot about what values I want to share with Esden and what I wish I was taught as a child. I feel a deepened desire to lift up these qualities even more. And I know I'm not alone—so many parents and even the most prominent tech leaders agree that in the age of AI, these traits of curiosity, creativity, and mindfulness will be more important than ever before.

I know this project is just a picture book, but looking back at my own life, picture books have made all the difference. The values and messages embedded in the finest stories were like secret codes and clues, without me even knowing it. I want there to be more stories that give children and grownups this inner sense of knowing as we navigate into an unknown future. This is the story I want to be a part of.

I'm excited to bring this one to life. I'll continue to share more monthly studio updates in these letters. Thank you for following along! 🙏 -M

  • Studio inspo & work-in-progress shelf