Adeola Sokunbi on Destiny Ink and illustrated chapter books for younger readers

What inspired you to write Destiny Ink?

Destiny Ink was inspired by the idea of what if...what if what you drew came to life!

What came first, the story, characters or illustrations?

The general story came first. Then came the design for Destiny. I went through a number of iterations before I got to what we recognise as Destiny today. After that came the rest of the pictures.

What message would you like young readers to take away from the book?

I’d love to spread the message that embracing your creativity is so therapeutic. I think it’s such an accessible and cheap hobby to have.

We were really struck by the way drawing helps Destiny and the way she feels about her worries. Is that something you can relate to?

100%. Destiny and I are quite similar in the sense that we both use doodling as a way to ‘self-soothe’ 

Can you tell us anything about what happens next for Destiny?

In the upcoming books, Destiny will be facing more childhood challenges such as stage-fright and feeling left out. Watch out for more fun adventures and a little bit of magic!

Why did you choose to write books for this age group?

I enjoy both the writing and illustrating aspects of children’s publishing and, with books for this age group in particular, I can have the perfect balance of both sides.

Do you have a favourite place to write and illustrate?

I get most of my best writing and illustrating done at my desk. If I’m writing, I like to put on one of my instrumental playlists on Spotify. And if I’m illustrating, I’ll play a TV series on Netflix or Disney Plus then draw for hours.

Which other illustrated chapter books for younger readers would you recommend our subscribers read next?

I love the wackiness of the chapter books from the Eliza Boom’s Diary series and would definitely recommend them.

Copies of our Destiny Ink pack, including a copy of the book and loads of fun activities to go with it, are now available for individual purchase. Grab a copy while stocks last!

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Destiny Ink is published by Nosy Crow.