Cover Reveal Q&A: LILY-MAY’S JOYFUL DAY by John Schu & Holly Hatam

Today we have an exclusive first look at the cover for Lily-May’s Joyful Day, written by John Schu and illustrated by Holly Hatam. The book comes out on September 1st, 2026 and is a companion to Ruthie Rose’s Big Idea.

But before we take a look at the cover, I wanted to talk with John and Holly about how the book was made.

Travis: Hi John and Holly! Thanks for taking my questions.

John Schu: Hi, Travis! Your questions about Lily-May’s Joyful Day’s landed in my email inbox five minutes after I returned from a restorative five-mile joywalk around Denver, Colorado. I spent most of the joywalk thinking about Lily-May and how excited I am to talk about Lily-May’s Joyful Day’s cover. 

Holly Hatam’s art is soooooooooooooo joyful, and I think the cover will really stand out on shelves and displays in libraries, classrooms, and bookshops! 

Travis: John, what was the inspiration for Lily-May’s Joyful Day?

John Schu: I’ve been trying to write a story about joywalking since 2017, but every attempt turned into a different story. I realized I was trying too hard and forcing the idea. 

I finally “cracked the code” during a joywalk in New York City, as I walked past the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. 

At the top of the fountain sits The Angel of the Waters. 

An angel who inspires, comforts, and helps me open up my heart.  

I sat down near the angel,

opened up my notebook, 

and wrote down these guiding words for a joywalking story: 

A joywalk is a time

to listen, 

to think, 

to wander and roam, 

to explore ideas, 

and, most importantly, 

to notice. 

To notice small details

To notice BIG details. 

To reflect on the day. 

In many ways, The Angel of the Waters helped me figure out how to write this story, just as she did when I was writing Louder Than Hunger, my verse novel about anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression, and the work it takes to muffle a loud negative voice. 

Travis: Holly, how did you approach creating the illustrations for Lily-May’s Joyful Day?

Holly Hatam: When I started drawing the pictures for Lily-May’s Joyful Day, I let myself slow down and listen. The characters were already part of my world from Ruthie Rose’s Big Idea, so it felt like meeting old friends again.

What I really had to think about was the feeling of the book. I wanted the colours to feel joyful but also calm, like the earth. Mindfulness has been a big part of my life for many years. It’s the one tool that has helped me through so much of my own anxiety, so I let that guide the art. When I think of mindfulness, I think of the sky, a deep breath and the calm I feel when I’m walking in the forest. That is how I drew Lily-May’s breath. I kept imagining what I needed as a shy, sensitive little girl who felt everything too deeply. Every page became a way of telling little Holly, “you are safe here and your feelings matter.” And somehow, when I drew from that place, the illustrations found their way.

Travis: John, what was it like writing a companion book (following Ruthie Rose’s Big Idea)?

John Schu: I loved returning to Ruthie Rose and Lily-May’s school. I wrote much of the companion book while revising Louder Than Hunger. My heart needed to focus on joy while I was writing about such heavy topics.

Lily-May’s joyful spirit helped me as I revised Louder Than Hunger. 

Thank you, Lily-May! 

Travis: Holly, how did you create the art?

Holly Hatam: I create all of my art digitally. I use a big 28” Wacom tablet that lets me draw right on the screen, the same way you would draw on paper.

My brushes look like real watercolour, oils, and pencil brushes because I love when people pause for a moment and wonder if the art is traditional or digital. I work in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and I mix in real photos and textures to give everything more life. 

Travis: Final question, Holly: What snack puts you in peak creativity mode?

I know this answer might break a few hearts, but… I’m not a sweet-snack person. At all. I’ve always been the salty one in the room. When I’m working, you’ll usually find me with popcorn, or a giant warm pretzel that’s the size of my face.

The bigger it is, the happier I get. And the real secret to my creativity is tea. Endless tea.

If creativity had a heartbeat, mine would sound like a kettle boiling.

Travis: Last question, John: What’s your most memorable joywalk ever?

John Schu: I love this question! 

I could write about so many memorable joywalks!!! 

The ones we’ve taken together in San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Grand Rapids, and Vancouver; the ones with Jasmine Warga in Naperville, Illinois; or any of the hundreds I’ve enjoyed in New York City. 

I loved all of those experiences, but the MOST memorable joywalk I’ve ever taken was in Paris, France.

You can see three moments I captured during that joywalk HERE.

OK, I’m off to book a flight to Paris in honor of Lily-May’s Joyful Day . . . 😉 

Travis: Thank you John and Holly for taking my questions!

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And now, an exclusive first look at the cover for Lily-May’s Joyful Day (coming 9/1/26) written by John Schu and illustrated by Holly Hatam. Cover design by Chrisila Maida.

(Click to enlarge)

Filed under: Cover Reveal