Congratulations to Misako Rocks! on the publication of the third book in her “How to Draw Kawaii Manga” series: CHIBI Big Emotions! I recently caught up with her about everything she’s doing this year — it’s a whirlwind!

You have a new book coming out, How to Draw Kawaii Manga: Chibi! Tell me a bit about it. What kind of a book is it? Who is it for?

This is my third activity book in the How to Draw Kawaii Manga series from Quarto. This one is called “CHIBI: Big Emotions!”

It’s perfect for anyone who loves drawing bubbly, kawaii (cute) characters and creating manga stories with chibi characters. It also makes a great gift!

Why are chibi characters so popular right now?

“Chibi” means “small” in Japanese.

Chibi characters are adorable little characters with oversized heads and tiny bodies. In manga, artists often turn characters into “chibi” versions when their emotions go wild, helping to show excitement, surprise, or strong feelings in a fun way! They’re usually funny and wildly expressive, so that’s why kids (and everyone) love them!

What are some of your favorite pages or moments in the book?

My favorite pages are pages 34 and 35, where I show regular manga bodies versus chibi bodies. Readers can clearly see the differences between the two styles. I hope this helps inspire them to create their own characters.

You’ve been posting drawing videos aimed at kids on YouTube for a while now, and you’ve posted some really fun ones recently! Why do you like teaching drawing to elementary aged kids so much?

I love how curious and passionate they are! They’re eager to learn manga and even Japanese culture. I’m constantly inspired by them while teaching.

What is different about teaching drawing to kids, versus teaching it to adults?

Older students enjoy learning more advanced manga drawing techniques because they’re able to focus on details.

Younger students can get overwhelmed by those details, so I try to keep things simpler. I love how they use their imagination to create fun manga characters.

I always keep their different capabilities in mind when teaching both groups.

You have a lot of fun stuff coming up this year to promote both of your book series, the Bounce Back series with Macmillan, and the How to Draw Kawaii Manga series with Quarto. What are some of the things you’re looking forward to?

I’m incredibly grateful to do what I do. This year, I’m especially excited to be releasing THREE fun and kawaii books (How to Draw Kawaii Manga Chibi, How to Draw Kawaii Manga Pets, and the fourth volume of the Bounce Back series, Double Trouble: Lost in Japan). It still feels a bit unreal to have that many books coming out!

I’m looking forward to visiting library conferences, book festivals, and schools to talk about my book projects and connect with readers and educators. I try to keep the events calendar on my website updated, but so much is always happening, it’s hard to keep up!

I’ve also started putting more focus into my YouTube—finally—and I’m excited to share even more drawing content with young artists.

Where can people connect with you and find out more about How to Draw Kawaii Manga: Chibi?

Please sign up for my newsletter on my website, www.misakorocks.com  to receive a FREE coloring book!

I’m also active on YouTube and Instagram. Please come visit me there too.

You can purchase How to Draw Kawaii Manga: CHIBI at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, and your favorite local bookstore. Thank you!