Combining Breathtaking Illustrations with Scientific Fact
SPI’s Talk with Author-Illustrator Jason Chin
Jason Chin, a highly celebrated figure in children’s literature, joined the SPI collection in 2022 following the release of the critically acclaimed picture book Watercress. As the book's illustrator, Jason earned the prestigious Caldecott Award. Written by Andrea Yang, who was named a Newbery Honoree, Watercress garnered widespread praise for its powerful storytelling and visual artistry. SPI is proud to feature Jason’s inspiring story in its collection.
In his Story Preservation recording, Jason reflects on a pivotal moment from childhood: meeting renowned children’s book author-illustrator Trina Schart-Hyman when she visited his 2nd-grade classroom in New Hampshire. This early encounter grew into a lifelong friendship and mentorship that helped set the course of Jason’s life. In the talk, Jason also shares insights into his creative journey, exploring the dynamic relationship between pictures and text in his storytelling, and he reveals the inspiration behind his unique choice of subjects.
Jason’s skill in blending illustration, book design, and inquiry to explain complex scientific concepts serves as the foundation for an original SPI student project, "Create Your Own Science-Based Picture Book," which accompanies his recording. You can listen to his story and access the project on Jason’s SPI page, found here.
With his latest undertaking as artist-illustrator, Life After Whale (2024), Jason and author Lynn Brunelle “offer readers a poignant exploration of marine life and environmental change. Known for his ability to merge breathtaking illustrations with scientific depth, Jason’s new work continues to build on his passion for explaining the natural world through the lens of fiction and art. As with his previous titles, Life After Whale uses vivid imagery and thoughtful storytelling to engage young readers, making complex topics both accessible and inspiring.” (Reference: Holiday House)
Jason’s career has been marked by numerous accolades, a testament to his skill as both an illustrator and writer. In addition, he is a thoughtful man who spends much of his time visiting schools and talking to kids - a pay-it-forward way to honor Trina. Jason’s body of work, focused on the natural world, seamlessly weaves fiction with scientific fact, creating books that are as educational as they are visually stunning. For instance, Grand Canyon (2017) was both a Caldecott Honor and a Robert F. Sibert Honor book. Publishers Weekly praised it as a “stunningly illustrated story of a magical father-daughter hike” that also captures the rich geological history of the canyon.
Another of his notable works, Your Place in the Universe (2020), earned the Cook Prize and delves into cosmology, scale, and our place within the vast expanse of the universe. Chin describes it as an introduction to “the size of the known universe and our place in it,” helping young readers grasp the enormity of space and time.
In The Universe in You (2022), Jason shifts his focus to the microscopic world within us, exploring cells, molecules, and elementary particles. This book offers a glimpse into the building blocks of all matter, allowing readers to appreciate the universe on both a macro and micro level.
Through his books, Jason inspires young minds with a blend of art, science, and storytelling, making complex topics not only understandable but captivating.
Story Preservation Initiative
Our Mission: Story Preservation Initiative believes in the transformative power of story to connect people around our common humanity and create a better future.
Our Work: We are a leading producer and online distributor of original, content-rich audio-based narratives for K-12 students. SPI stories are the raw materials of history, roadmaps to scientific discovery, and windows to the minds of artists and skilled tradesmen and women. SPI also makes available original projects and educator prompts developed to deepen student engagement and learning.
What We Achieve: SPI brings listeners into personal contact with extraordinary people whose stories engage their hearts and minds, imparting content knowledge and fostering curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking as they open doors to possible career paths in professions associated with the arts, sciences, humanities, and skilled trades.
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