As a group of avid readers in the LRP team we are very happy to have recently expanded our book offering online and in the showroom. We knew you would be interested in finding out more about some of the wonderful authors and illustrators who have created the ones we've selected. All books have a Hong Kong theme whether it be written or illustrated by someone who lives here or is about the city, the stories and the history of the place so many of us call home.
This week we are especially delighted to introduce one of our team at The Lion Rock Press to you - the very talented illustrator Catherine Choi. She has now illustrated two children's books alongside the writing of author Lindsay Varty. The most recent book is Pickle the Porcupine and the Wild Hong Kong Adventure which was published this month and previously, the first (and best selling children's book at LRP) is Welly the Wild Boar and the Quest for the Egg Puffs!
About You
Hello! I’m Catherine, one of the designers for The Lion Rock Press and a children’s book illustrator. I've created illustrations and designs for some of the LRP products released this year and currently have 2 published picture books - Welly the Wild Boar & Pickle the Porcupine (I will talk about the second one a little later!). I was born in Busan, South Korea and my family moved to Hong Kong shortly after, so I’ve been here pretty much since then.
In 2019 I was an intern for The Lion Rock Press (for only 2 weeks!) and worked with the lovely founder Claire to create notecards and wrapping paper inspired by the neon lights of Hong Kong. Although short, it was a wonderful introduction to the commercial design world and its possibilities.
After graduating with a BA in Illustration and Visual Media in 2023, I returned to Hong Kong and reconnected with LRP who offered me a position to work alongside the team full-time. It feels surreal knowing that I still remember what it was like before we expanded into a full-fledged team *and* before we even had a showroom, so this felt like a full-circle moment for me. Working with the team here has taught me so much and I really feel like it’s played a big part in my creative journey. I’m forever grateful!
Moving back helped me realise how much I enjoy living in Hong Kong and I think I’ve grown to appreciate it so much more now. London is wonderful, but there’s something about HK that feels so comforting and I always find new and exciting things about this city that I never knew about before. Having the opportunity to illustrate my second picture book, Pickle the Porcupine, is a great example of this. The book is about Pickle the porcupine, who gets lost in the city one day and has to find his way back to his home in the forest through Hong Kong transport. It’s sure to be a great introduction to some of Hong Kong’s most iconic modes of transport for children, and Lindsay and I had a great time working through this project together!
In 2019 I was an intern for The Lion Rock Press (for only 2 weeks!) and worked with the lovely founder Claire to create notecards and wrapping paper inspired by the neon lights of Hong Kong. Although short, it was a wonderful introduction to the commercial design world and its possibilities.
After graduating with a BA in Illustration and Visual Media in 2023, I returned to Hong Kong and reconnected with LRP who offered me a position to work alongside the team full-time. It feels surreal knowing that I still remember what it was like before we expanded into a full-fledged team *and* before we even had a showroom, so this felt like a full-circle moment for me. Working with the team here has taught me so much and I really feel like it’s played a big part in my creative journey. I’m forever grateful!
Moving back helped me realise how much I enjoy living in Hong Kong and I think I’ve grown to appreciate it so much more now. London is wonderful, but there’s something about HK that feels so comforting and I always find new and exciting things about this city that I never knew about before. Having the opportunity to illustrate my second picture book, Pickle the Porcupine, is a great example of this. The book is about Pickle the porcupine, who gets lost in the city one day and has to find his way back to his home in the forest through Hong Kong transport. It’s sure to be a great introduction to some of Hong Kong’s most iconic modes of transport for children, and Lindsay and I had a great time working through this project together!
Your Inspiration
Visually, the illustration style is a lot different to my first book, Welly the wild boar. It’s softer and there’s a slight texture now that I’ve changed my illustration style quite a bit during my time in university. Most of my last year of uni was spent thinking about my style and figuring out how to evolve it into something that I feel represents me in its truest form. Children’s book illustration was something I was still quite interested in pursuing as a career, but I needed to find the time and the right projects that I could do to build my portfolio for that industry. I think I experimented a lot during my studies abroad and honestly, I just felt Pickle would be a great way to see if my newer work would still apply to that genre of illustration.
In terms of developing the story and the work that went into creating Pickle as a character, my drive to show how much I had learned in my years abroad was what fuelled me to choose to do this project. While Welly was an amazing project that introduced me to the world of book illustration, I felt like I wanted to show more of what I could do in the next book.
My appreciation and love for Hong Kong were also a big part of the inspiration behind each illustration of the book. Something Lindsay and I wanted to highlight was the small details that you might find in certain locations that make Hong Kong… Hong Kong! Towards the end of the book illustration process, I was able to share the illustrations with some colleagues and their kids (shout out to them!) and I was able to gain valuable feedback on what makes Hong Kong unique for them. I wanted to show Hong Kong in different ways, from its nature and colourful flora, the grannies with trolleys filled with fresh fruits and vegetables from the market, to the aunties singing karaoke near the ferry pier. It was people’s experiences and the parts of HK that they cherished most which helped to tie this all together. This was something that I felt was lacking in the first Welly book, and I think we were able to effectively show more of Hong Kong this time around!
CATHERINE ALSO ILLUSTRATED LRP'S LATEST 1000 PIECE PUZZLE, VINTAGE HONG KONG
Favourite thing to do or see in Hong Kong (+fav transport)
Bonus - my favourite mode of transport is the double-decker bus! While it may take longer to go from A to B than the classic taxi or the trusty MTR, I love sitting on the top deck, right next to the window to watch the hustle and bustle of HK throughout my journey. Even better if I’m at the front & if I’m taking the bus specifically in the evenings - the experience of watching the lights of the city shine in the night sky is simply unmatched.
A close second is the iconic tram which I, admittedly, have only been in once (and only a few months ago). The tram tracks and the breeze flowing through the windows make it feel like I’m on a rollercoaster (just on flat ground). It’s really fun! I kind of wish they had trams in other regions of Hong Kong too though.
