Creator Corner: Author Stephanie Ellen Sy and Illustrator Julien Chung
Welcome to Creator Corner, a blog series where we interview the creators of our recent and upcoming books. For this post, we interviewed You Can’t Tame a Tiger author Stephanie Ellen Sy and illustrator Julien Chung, whose book published September 16, 2025!
Owlkids Books: Stephanie, how did you begin writing children’s books?
Stephanie Ellen Sy: During COVID, I started a virtual writing group with my sister and cousin to pass time while stuck at home. I was writing adult nonfiction, but when I hit interview fatigue, they encouraged me to try a children’s story. That became You Can’t Tame a Tiger. I immediately fell in love with writing for children and the power to shape young perspectives.
Owlkids Books: Julien, how did you begin illustrating children’s books?
Julien Chung: I began exploring different forms of illustration as a way to reenergize my creativity. I started by drawing comics to learn how to develop characters. Then I experimented with putting those characters on objects—like beer glasses and stationery. Eventually, illustrating children’s books felt like the perfect challenge: could I bring a character to life not just in one image, but across an entire story? It also gave me a meaningful way to keep creating beyond retirement.
OKB: Stephanie, what inspired you to write this book?
SES: I’m a third culture kid who grew up in Hong Kong’s international community, moving fluidly between cultures. Identity and belonging fascinate me because in that environment, appearance doesn’t dictate who you are. I wanted children to celebrate what makes them different.
OKB: Julien, what was the most enjoyable part of illustrating this book? What was the most challenging part?
JC: Definitely discovering the characters and figuring out their personalities was the most enjoyable part. Since they weren’t described in the text, I had lots of freedom to decide who they were—how they looked, how they moved, and how they felt. That freedom was both fun and creatively energizing.
Creating Imran, the white tiger, came with a surprising challenge. I knew right away that he couldn’t be on a white background—he’d disappear! So I sketched him on a neutral grey, thinking I’d try out different colors later. But everyone loved that original grey. I had a hard time believing it would work. I tried tons of color tests—all rejected. In the end, I had to let go and trust the simplicity of that first idea.
OKB: Stephanie, what was the most enjoyable part of bringing this story to life? What was the most challenging part of the process?
SES: The humor was most enjoyable! I loved creating this confident tiger who doesn’t care what anyone thinks, paired with a moody boy who just wants to fit in—their opposing personalities made for great dialogue. The challenge was keeping the story light while honoring the nuanced message about identity and belonging in a way children could understand.
OKB: Julien, what was the inspiration for your illustrations in this book?
JC: I was inspired by traditional Chinese ink brush paintings. I wanted to capture that same energy and elegance, but in a way that felt more contemporary. So I used a set of digital brushes to recreate the feeling of ink on paper, but with a modern twist.
OKB: Stephanie and Julien, what do you hope readers will take away from this book?
SES: I hope they’ll learn that you can’t tell someone’s story just by looking at them, and that they’ll embrace what makes them unique.
JC: I hope they laugh first—and then realize it’s not about what you look like, but who you are on the inside. That’s what really matters.
OKB: Stephanie and Julien, what’s an interesting fact people may not know about you?
SES: I was terrified of dogs my entire life for no apparent reason. I had never been chased, never been bitten, but I was petrified. Then, just before COVID, a sweet dog transformed my fear into a friendship.
JC: I’m a collector. Once I have three of something, I suddenly need more! I collect postage stamps, greeting cards, illustrated maps, enamel pins, toy double-decker buses, Lego sets with thousands of pieces—and, of course, more picture books than I could ever count.
Thank you so much Stephanie and Julien for taking the time to do this interview and creating a wonderful book! We hope readers enjoy You Can’t Tame a Tiger as much as we did!
Grab your copy today!
