Exclusive Cover Reveal: THIS IS A THEATER by John Schu, illustrated by Jaime Kim

Today is the 79th annual Tony Awards – the perfect day to reveal the cover of a book all about the magic of the stage.

This is a Theater (out March 2, 2027) is written by John Schu and illustrated by Jaime Kim. It’s the third book in Schu’s This is a . . . series of picture books. Today, we get an exclusive first look at the cover.

But first – I wanted to ask John and Jaime a bit about the book . . .

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Travis: Hi John!

John Schu: Hi, Travis! I’m super excited to celebrate the cover reveal for This Is a Theater with you and Jaime Kim today! Jaime’s illustrations are so, so, so JOYFUL! 

My two biggest passions are children’s literature and musical theater! As I wrote this ode to theater, I channeled the feelings I experience when listening to an original Broadway cast recording, anticipating a live performance, and entering a theater. I wanted to capture how it feels to sit in the audience as light bounces off the stage and reflect on how theater has always helped me feel less alone.

Theater inspires!

Theater saves lives!

Theater connects us!

Travis: What was your favorite part of writing This is a Theater?

John: My favorite part of working on this poem was that it gave me an excuse to see many, many musicals in New York City and London!

Travis: What was the most challenging part?

John: This Is a Story, This Is a School, and This Is a Theater all follow a similar structure.

This Is a Story opens with

This is a word.

This Is a School opens with

This is a kid.

Figuring out the first line for This Is a Theater was the hardest part of the process.

Once I landed on

This is a light.,

the rest of the poem flowed out of me in a rather beautiful and inspiring way.

Travis: Which musical have you seen the most times and why?

John: I’m actually listening to the Original Broadway cast recording of the musical I’ve seen the most times while I respond to your wonderful questions.

The musical opens with:
Sugar

Sugar

Sugar, butter

Sugar, butter

Sugar, butter, flour

Sugar, butter, flour

Sugar, butter, flour

Which musical is it? Waitress, which I saw more than 30 times on Broadway!

I think I’ve seen it so many times because I love Sara Bareilles, who wrote the music and lyrics. The songs are catchy, and the show always makes me smile, laugh, and cry. I always leave the theater feeling inspired to write and eat pie! 

Travis: Thanks, John! Jaime – How did you approach creating the illustrations for This is a Theater?

Jaime Kim: When I first read John’s manuscript for This is a Theater, it already felt so vivid and playful that I could immediately sense the lively, theatrical atmosphere through the text alone. I wanted to carry that same feeling into the illustrations as much as possible.

Because the story is centered around theater, I felt that the overall visual concept and composition were especially important, so I spent a great deal of time imagining and developing those aspects of the artwork.

Rather than referencing one specific performance or theater, I imagined many different kinds of stages and performances in my head and translated those impressions into the illustrations. The scenes became a blend of many things — theaters and performances I’ve experienced in real life, childhood memories, and imaginary moments that felt lively, playful, and theatrical.

Some of the inspiration came from my childhood memories of ballet recitals and backstage moments. I was also inspired by documentaries about Broadway performers.

Travis: How did you create the art?

Jaime: This is a Theater was created primarily digitally, with small touches of texture added using traditional media. I worked in Procreate on the iPad and mainly used a combination of four or five digital brushes throughout the process. Depending on the project, I sometimes focus more on linework, and other times more on shapes and color fields, but for this project I tried to create a balance between all of those elements. Because the story takes place in a theater setting, I wanted the lighting, shadows, and dramatic colors to feel rich and atmospheric. I used heavier textures in certain areas while also keeping expressive, rough lines throughout the artwork to maintain a sense of movement and energy. Since the book features many different characters, it was also really fun to explore a wide range of colors and costume designs across the illustrations.

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

Jaime: Like many creative people, coffee is definitely part of my creative energy. But my slightly unusual preference is adding cinnamon and salt to it. So.. I can say salty cinnamon coffee puts me in peak creativity mode. 

I mostly work at home, but I often feel more creative when I work outside. The ambient noise, the smell of coffee, and being around people help me slip into a creative mindset more naturally.

Travis: Thanks, Jaime!

And now, for the first time, the cover for This is a Theater (out March 2, 2027) by John Schu and Jaime Kim. The book is published by Candlewick Press and the cover was designed by Maryellen Hanley.

(Click to enlarge)

About the book, from the publisher:

Raise the curtain on the third book in John Schu’s celebrated This Is Our World series—an exciting introduction to the magic of the theater.

Whether you’re on the stage crew, a performer, or a member of the audience, this follow-up to This Is a School and This Is a Story offers an exhilarating homage to the people of all ages who make up a theater’s beating heart. Inviting readers in through the stage door, where costumes, scenery, songs, and rehearsals take shape, author John Schu and illustrator Jaime Kim peek out at the rows of velvet seats where attendees are ushered in as anticipation builds. The view returns to the young actors in the wings, who are experiencing all the expected jitters and worries— but remind themselves that they’ve practiced well together and will soon be rewarded with rapt attention and applause.

In a story with appeal for both newbies and those who have already caught the theater bug, this lyrical look behind the scenes at opening night is certain to spark enthusiasm and provide reassurance.

Filed under: Cover Reveal