The Picture Book Buzz - Interview with Olga Ptashnik

Olga Ptashnik is an award-winning illustrator and naturalist. She has a Master Degree in Biophysics and creative non-fiction is her main passion. Olga finds her inspiration in nature, looking at little leaves and big rocks.

In her illustrations she shows poetic moments of nature through delicate details, textures and observation. Olga uses pencils and tempera to create a tender atmosphere in every piece. When not drawing she would hike or bike in the mountains or try to spot dolphins in the Black Sea.

Her illustrations appear in magazines, animation, packaging, and other projects.

Olga has 5 books published in 7 languages; including The Monster’s Forest by Xuhua Xie (2024) and Journey Above The Earth, Diary of a Swallow by Pavel Kvartalnov (2019).

Her English language debut as author/illustrator, Fly Like a Bird, releases on September 2^nd.

Welcome Olga,

Dear Maria, thank you for having me and for the opportunity to share the story of Fly Like a Bird.

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write and illustrate? How long have you been writing and/or illustrating? What is your favorite book to write and/or illustrate?)

My path into children’s books was quite unusual: it started with an MS in biophysics. Only after university did I find the courage to break my family’s scientific tradition and become an illustrator. At first, I worked in scientific illustration and even received an award from the Russian Academy of Sciences as the best scientific illustrator. But later, I became more and more interested in storytelling and realized that it is something I want to do for the rest of my life.

My favorite book to work on is always the next one! Every time an idea sparks in my mind, I feel butterflies in my stomach. Thrill, excitement, and impatience fill my heart; sometimes I can't sleep, dreaming about a new script. But of course, being both author and illustrator is very special. I think it is a different art form from the traditional author-illustrator partnership. In this case, I can choose what to express in words and what to show in pictures, and these creative mind games are endless.

It is so great to "meet" you, Olga. What is one of the most fun or unusual places where you’ve written a manuscript or created an illustration?

It is my little tradition to collect photos from unusual places where I have worked. For example, one time I was working on the porch of a rented motorhome somewhere in the desert near Las Vegas. 

That sounds like fun! What a great collection of memories. What was your inspiration or spark of interest for Fly Like a Bird?

It was during a journey through Asia Minor, an incredible place for birdwatchers, where I saw many different birds in a short period of time—flamingoes, pelicans, swallows, bee-eaters. It struck me that every bird is perfectly adapted to its lifestyle, eating habits, and habitat. This resonated with my thoughts about the uniqueness of every human on the planet, and I wanted to convey this message subtly between the lines.

As a fellow birder, that sounds like an amazing journey! And I love your message woven between the lines. What was the hardest or most challenging thing about writing and/or illustrating Fly Like a Bird? And what was the most fun?

My favorite part is always drawing birds. I could do it all day, every day; it is an endless source of inspiration. Since this was the first book I wrote myself, writing was definitely the most difficult part—especially finding the right voice for the readers’ age. I hope I found it. But of course, it is a long learning curve.

Well, I for one, think you captured the parent and baby bird's voices in their discussion of the diversity in wings and lifestyles of the birds beautifully. How many revisions did the text and/or illustrations of Fly Like a Bird take from first draft to publication?

The illustrations were pretty straightforward for me, but the text took some time. The editors at Eerdmans helped me a lot to complete it. 

Is there a spread of which you are especially proud? Do you have favorite or particularly special spread?

© Olga Ptashnik, 2025.

The spread with common swifts is very personal and nostalgic because their voices are my favorite sound of summer in the city.

Gorgeous! I am so in awe of the way you portrayed the intricate (and varied) fights of each bird species in the silhouetted flow across each spreads. What has been the most rewarding part of the publishing process for Fly Like a Bird?

The most rewarding part of publishing a book for me is seeing a child reading it. I still can’t believe that the things I write or draw spark interest in the most unbiased minds. These moments are the most precious.

I totally agree. What's something you want your readers to know or learn about Fly Like a Bird?

I want readers to look up at the sky. I think it’s such an important thing—to stare at the sky sometimes—not just for the birds, but for ourselves.

Generally, observation is a wonderful and powerful skill. It’s important to nurture it, and I hope this book can be helpful in doing so.

It does make me want to spend a little more time watching the "how" of the bird's flight and not just locating and identifying them. Hopefully, it will affect others, too. Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

I just finished illustrations for a new non-fiction book (with a French author) about mountain adventures. It will be published in France this autumn.

Now, I will start working on my new book as an author-illustrator.

Intriguing. I can't wait to see what you create next. Best of luck! Last question,  what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park (anywhere in the world)? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?

Ah, this question takes me far away! Let me share couple of places:

© peakvisor

The Urals—the mountains of my childhood and one of my favorite places on Earth. Pines, moss, stones, and clear cold lakes.

© NPS

Yosemite National Park—the first national park I visited in the United States. I still remember the moment I saw the valley—it was breathtaking.

I hope to see Patagonia one day. There was a popular book in my childhood by Jules Verne called In Search of the Castaways. The main characters cross South America along the 37th parallel south, searching for a lost expedition. This book was one of my favorites, and I dream of going there myself.

I hope you get to see it. Thank you, Olga, for sharing with us a bit about yourself and your new book.

Thank you, Maria!

Be sure to come back on Friday for the Perfect Picture Book #PPBF review of Fly Like a Bird.

To find out more about Olga Ptashnik, or to contact her:

Website: https://olgaptashnik.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olga.ptashnik/

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

Behance:  https://www.behance.net/helka