Chadron State art student brings children’s book to life through illustrations

CHADRON – Maya Goss of Cheyenne, Wyoming, a senior art student at Chadron State College, has completed a four-year project illustrating the children’s book, Figgy the Snowbird. The story about a little cat, Figgy, who goes on a driving adventure with his family, was written by a Chadron author whose pen name is Mika.

To bring the story to life visually, Goss said during her freshman year she used storyboards to plan the illustrations, a method commonly used in film and animation, to determine how each page would flow visually. She completed the artwork digitally, then refined the final layouts using Adobe InDesign to adjust typography and page design.

Throughout the project, Art Professor Mary Donahue supported and guided her efforts. Goss said balancing the project with coursework and work proved challenging at times, but the experience helped her better understand how long-term creative endeavors progress from start to finish.

From a faculty perspective, Donahue said Goss gained excellent experience in seeing paragraphs and lines of type as shapes and incorporating them with her illustrations and white space.

“As a designer, it’s important to understand appropriate line breaks in typography and to think about readability and flow. This was good opportunity to practice the art of illustration in a real-life situation and work with a writer as well as the layout, proofing and finish work when sending a project to a printer. I am excited for Maya to continue her work in illustration and design,” Donahue said.

As part of her preparation to create the illustrations, Goss said she studied other children’s books. The opportunity marked a departure from much of her recent work, which typically included heavier line art and more muted colors. Based on her research, she decided to use bright colors, simple shapes, and a painted style. Goss said she intentionally focused the illustrations on the actions of the cat to keep young readers engaged.

Goss said the project reinforced her interest in illustration and visual storytelling and gave her confidence as she prepares to pursue creative work after graduation.

Looking ahead, Goss said she hopes children who read the book connect with the art and imagination in the illustrations.

“I hope they see a cat that is having fun and is curious to go on his road trip,” she said. “Even small slice-of-life stories are important for children’s learning. There’s always time to question and wonder within this world.”