The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/Tonka Uzu and Review of Peggy Goes for a Walk

Tonka Uzu grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has always loved observing and drawing people and animals, especially children.

After eight years in Bologna where she studied Art at DAMS, she moved to Cambridge, England. In 2011, she obtained a Master’s degree in Illustration for Children at the renowned Cambridge School of Art, where she now teaches as an Associate Lecturer. Her works have been part of important international exhibitions such as the Illustrators Exhibition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Illustrating Life IV, Beijing and CICLA,Shanghai.

Tonka is the author/illustrator of two mini-series of picture books published in Italy: Olga and Olaf in Spiaggia (2020) (finalist at the Nati per Leggere prize in 2020), and Olga and Olaf (2014), and the four-book Peggy series, published by Camelozama 2024/2025 (the fourth book is forthcoming in late 2025). She is the illustrator of Elki is Not My Dog by Elena Arevalo Melville (2024) (highly commended in the UK Teach Early Years Award and Nominated for the Carnegie Medal for illustration 2024), Finding our Story by Imogen Alexander (2021) and I Love My Family A Lot, Lot, Lot! by Liza Charlesworth (2019).

For more information on Tonka, see our earlier interview (here).

Tonka’s newest author/illustrated picture books, available in English language, are Peggy Goes for a Walk, (8/7/2025) and Peggy Goes Gardening (4/24/2025) (first published in Italy by Camelozampa and shortlisted for Nati Per Leggere Award in 2024).

Welcome back Tonka,

Thank you, Maria, it is lovely to be back with more book talk!

Having author/illustrated other books, do you have a particular process? Such as starting with the illustrations or the text? Did it change at all for Peggy Goes for a Walk and/or Peggy Goes Gardening?

I have learned through past experiences that it is best to take as much time as possible to develop the character and the storyboard resisting the temptation to create any finished illustrations in the initial stages of book development. This allows me to then make all the final images in a short space of time, and this ensures both that the images feel fresh and spontaneous, but also the consistency of the character features and the colours when using watercolours, as in the books in question. Once the storyboard has been approved, I like to work quickly without interruptions and am always impatient to see how the different scenes will look in colour. Obviously later edits and subsequent stories are drawn months apart, so there is a good alternation between vigorous sketching, editing, and tweaks in the story/text, and frantic bursts of illustrating activity.

I am not an illustrator, so it is lots of fun to hear how the illustration side works. What was your inspiration or spark of interest for Peggy Goes for a Walk and Peggy Goes Gardening? 

The books were inspired by and are dedicated to my little neighbour, who is the daughter of close family friends. I was on the lookout for stories for toddlers at the time and her interactions with her mum in the garden in particular were the first seed from which the rest developed. I have layered my own experience as a parent and observations of my own children at that age. I have always found toddlers fascinating to observe and draw, so I have a big bank of images in my head.

I love Peggy and I adore the cover with Peggy carrying a cat as big as she is. Did you initially come up with a plan for a series? Do you have more Peggy books in the works?

Yes, the books were conceived as a series for the very young for the Italian publisher Caummelozampa who were looking for linear stories featuring real children characters. I decided to link the four stories to the seasons and feature her relationship with a different family member each time. I also was keen to include sensory experiences and had to work hard to distil all these initial ideas in the eight available double spreads. So, we have spring in the garden and an autumnal walk. The summer story, published in Italy last spring sees Peggy helping her family find lost objects around their home and I am finalising the final book in the winter in which Peggy bakes some biscuits with her dad.

I'm excited to see these next two in the series. Eight spreads of a board book are very tight indeed. But you did a great job with them. Which part was the hardest part of creating Peggy Goes for a Walk and Peggy Goes Gardening, the writing or the illustrating? What was the most fun part?

There were several challenges. Firstly, developing the stories took longer than what I expected, and they underwent a few transformations to make them as simple as possible without being boring. The images too had to be synthetic yet realistic. The most unexpected challenge was probably having to fit the big bodies of the grownups and that of Peggy together on the page. I wanted to have as much detail in Peggy’s body language and expressions and have close ups of her and had to include the whole bodies in the scenes, as advised by the educational consultants who worked with us on the series.

I love one of your solutions of having the adults kneeling on Peggy's level. How long did it take from the first “seed” of the idea to publication for Peggy Goes for a Walk and Peggy Goes Gardening?

Well, the little Peggy has recently turned 7, so it has been a few years, as usual with my projects. I feel this simmering period is probably a good thing too, but the actual drawing stage once everything fits into its place only takes a week or so, with some digital editing.

Is there a spread that you were especially excited about or proud of? Or perhaps one of your favorite spreads in Peggy Goes for a Walk and in Peggy Goes Gardening? 

Text & Image © Tonka Uzu, 2025.

I was very excited about the aerial views in both books (the last page in Peggy Goes Gardening) as this is my favourite moment in the book, but I also enjoyed drawing the image of Peggy plucking out the basil and the tomatoes.

 Text & Image © Tonka Uzu, 2025.

The image of Peggy and Grandad laying down in the autumnal leaves is probably the image I am most proud of, and I also am pleased with the look of Peggy running in her yellow dungarees. 

Both of those are such precious moments in the stories. What was the most rewarding part of the publishing process for Peggy Goes for a Walk and Peggy Goes Gardening?

The most rewarding part is always the reactions and approval of the children. I had the pleasure to take the Italian books to two nursery schools in Bologna during the book fair last spring. For Peggy Goes Gardening and Peggy goes For a Walk I have had some lovely conversations with parents and educators about family experiences, in addition to them recognising the setting of the walk in the forest which is a local landmark in Cambridge. The little hill in the story is actually the narrow space between two ancient ring roads which runs parallel to each other and form the paths of the wonderful Wandlebury park, beloved by families, dog walkers and nature lovers of all ages.

It is lots of fun finding familiar locations within books. Many illustrators leave treasures or weave their own story (or elements) throughout the illustrations. Did you do this in Peggy Goes for a Walk and/or Peggy Goes Gardening? If so, could you share one or more with us?

I have included plenty of details in the illustrations for multiple rereads for the young readers. The plants and animals are simplified but realistically drawn to encourage taking the books and the storytelling outdoors in the real world, which is what young children nowadays seem to lack compared to previous generations. The four books in the series are also linked to the seasons and have some sensory links to try and tap into what matters to children and how they experience the world.

A fun game to play could be to try and find the objects from the end papers inside the books.  I have also consciously thought about the reader experience of the grownups, since I have vivid memories of reading books to my children at that age and what made the experience rewarding for me too. There are references to real places in the stories, which locals to Cambridge consistently spot, which is very satisfying. I have also had wonderful conversations about common situations and everyday experiences. My hope is to spark conversations within the family.

Thank you so much for sharing these tidbits with us! What's something you want your readers to know about Peggy Goes for a Walk and Peggy Goes Gardening?

I think I probably already answered this question above. I think the real-life inspiration is quite important to me too, both in the sense of the experiences but also visually. I have used objects and situations that hold special meaning for me which I hope translates in the images. Simple things, like the fact that I was obsessed with snails during my childhood or that the real Peggy did once pick all the green tomatoes from the plant, and I have pictures of my own toddler and family dog discovering the raspberries in or back garden.

Ha! Snails, worms, and kids just go together! Are there any upcoming books or new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

Again, I mentioned the fourth book in the Peggy series above which is due to be published in Italy this autumn. I have been quite busy this year working on a few non-book projects such as illustrating a research report, doing character design, live drawing, and teaching, but am hoping to start working on a new book very soon.

Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?

I would love to learn the names and to identify more plants, trees and mushrooms. I enjoy foraging very much.

Thank you Tonka for sharing with us a bit about yourselves and your new picture book.

To find out more about Tonka Uzu, or to contact her:

Tumbler: https://www.tonkauzu.co.uk/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/tonkauzu

X(Twitter): https://x.com/tonkauzu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonkauzuillustration

Review of Peggy Goes for a Walk & Peggy Goes Gardening

Recently I stumbled upon the first two books in an exciting four-season board book series, about an adorable toddler and her fall woodland walk with her grandpa and her spring day in the garden with her mom. These heartfelt, fun books beautifully blend soft watercolor illustrations and gentle succinct text to create adorable, toddler friendly adventures in nature.

Peggy Goes For a Walk & Peggy Goes Gardening

Author/Illustrator: Tonka Uzu

Publisher: Post Wave Children's Books UK, Ltd ( August 7, 2025 & April 24, 2025)

Ages: 3-5

Fiction

Themes:

Nature, seasons, senses, family, and exploring nature.

Synopsis:

Peggy Goes For a Walk - Join Peggy and Grandpa on a delightful walk through nature! Determined to explore, Peggy slides down little hills, splashes in muddy puddles and snuggles up in the crunchy fallen leaves. And when her little legs get tired, Grandpa is always there to carry her all the way home.

This charming picture book celebrates the small joys of everyday life paired with heartwarming illustrations and endearing messages of persistence and determination. Perfect for gifting to grandchildren and little ones discovering the great outdoors!

Peggy Goes Gardening - Join Peggy in her garden adventures in a charming story about curiosity, determination, and the joys of everyday life.

Meet Peggy. She loves learning all about the world around her. Today she’s going gardening with Mom. Determined to help with every task, Peggy eagerly exclaims, "I'll do it, I'll do it!" as she plants beans, waters seedlings, removes weeds, and tastes raspberries. Though the results aren't always perfect, Peggy's cheerful spirit never waivers.

This charming book features the small stories of everyday life paired with heartwarming illustrations and endearing messages of persistence and determination.

Opening Lines:

Peggy Goes For a Walk - Peggy can’t wait to go

for a walk with Grandpa.

“Come on, Grandpa! Let’s go!”

Peggy Goes Gardening - Peggy and Mom are gardening.

What I Liked about these books:

These books are adorable encapsulations of a day spent walking in the forest with Grandpa and gardening with Mom. The sweet illustrations beautifully capture the seasons, the new experiences of Peggy, and the loving relationship between Peggy and her family.

Text & Image © Tonka Uzu, 2025.

I love the coziness of this opening spread, the color palate, and of course the cat curled on the back of the chair as Grandpa reads. A hint of Fall peeking through the window in the yellow leaves of a nearby bush. And I adore Peggy's yellow overalls and red galoshes.

 Text & Image © Tonka Uzu, 2025.

The blissfulness on Peggy's face, in this opening spread, as she rolls along to help Mom in the garden in infectious and you can't help but join Mom in smiling at the garden scene. Tonka Uzu did a spectacular job of capturing Peggy's emotions and discoveries, as she spends time with Grandpa and Mom.

Ingeniously showing Grandpa kneeling on the trail to point out mushrooms or Mom kneeling as she and Peggy plants beans and discover a worm, not only enables Tonka Uzu to portray the larger adults without having their heads (or feet) disappear off the page, but it places the adults on Peggy's level. (Look back at the illustrations in the interview).

As Peggy and Grandpa explore the woods, in Peggy Goes For a Walk, she discovers a woodpecker, the enormity of a tree, a slide of leaves, and a snail. When it starts to rain, Grandpa echoes an earlier call of Peggy's, "Come on . . . let's go!" But Peggy didn't wear galoshes for nothing. The ending is so sweet and tender. Young kids, and adults, will enjoy reading this again and again.

While the cat doesn't join the walk in the woods, it is featured in the illustrations around the garden, adding a little side humor and companionship. It isn't long before the refrain in Peggy Goes Gardening, "Uh oh!", comes into play. As a trip causes the watering can to spill, which Peggy turns into a marvelous moment of puddle fun. Any parent whose gardened with a toddler knows that surprises abound and patience is needed in spades. Once again, Tonka Uzu beautifully captured Peggy's focus, enthusiasm, and joy in spending a spring day in the garden with her mom.

I am looking forward to seeing the next two books in this four-season series (summer and winter). This will easily become a fun and beloved series of books for the younger picture book readers and their parents. it's a fun series encouraging families to spend time together and enjoy exploring and being outdoors.

Resources:

• make a picture, on a trail or a piece of paper, using fall leaves, nuts, rocks, & twigs.

• try out some of the ways to turn a walk into a fun exploration, like drawing in a notebook, using your senses or a magnifying glass, or doing a scavenger hunt.

• ask your toddler to draw how they think their favorite fruit or veggie grows. If possible start that plants seed in a pot (or garden) and let them help care for it.

• try some of these fun ways to garden with kids, from tiny egg-carton gardens to plastic bottle greenhouses.