Jonell Joshua on How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir

In this post, we feature author and artist Jonell Joshua, whose previous work includes illustrations for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real Life Tales of Black Girl Magic. You can hear her speak about her authorial debut, How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir, which she both wrote and illustrated. You can also try her “invitation to imagine” activity and find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

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How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir

• Written and illustrated by Jonell Joshua
• Published by Levine Querido
• Release date: April 16, 2024

Jonell Joshua spent her childhood shuttling back and forth between Savannah and New Jersey, living in grandparents’ homes during the times her mother, struggling with mental illness, needed support to raise her and her brothers. Together, the family found a way to keep going even in the darkest of times. How Do I Draw These Memories? is an illustrated memoir about nostalgia, faith, the preciousness of life, and unconditional love. Mixed-media illustrations and clear moving text plumb the depths of what family can be—and how joy and hope can be found in the most ordinary and extraordinary moments.

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Explore How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir

Listen to Jonell Joshua talking with TeachingBooks about creating How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.

• Listen to author Jonell Joshua pronounce her name.
• Sample an e-book of How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir on Overdrive.com.
• Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir.

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Invitation to Imagine

Imagination Activity with Jonell Joshua

Think of one of your earliest or fondest memories. Who was there? What did you see? What colors do you remember? Write a visual description of either your earliest or fondest memory in whatever format you like! This can be written as a poem or a short story. After you have written down your memory, let’s draw it out! Create an illustration of this memory as a comic or an illustrated spread.

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Finish This Sentence . . . with Jonell Joshua

“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”

Dancing! While I work in my studio, when I get in the groove, I like to play DJ mixes from YouTube and take dance breaks while I work. This helps me fill my work space with good energy while working and have fun!

“I hope that my book encourages readers to think about…”

I hope that my book encourages readers to think about having conversations about mental health with family. Navigating mental health doesn’t have to be something you do alone, and having conversations with family members is a good place to start! This helps us understand what we as individuals are going through or a loved one is going through.

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Thank you!

To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Jonell Joshua for signing a book for all of us.

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More Connections to Jonell Joshua and How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir

• Discover books like How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir on TeachingBooks.
• Levine Querido’s page about How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir, written and illustrated by Jonell Joshua.
• Buy How Do I Draw These Memories? An Illustrated Memoir, written and illustrated by Jonell Joshua.

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Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Jonell Joshua and Levine Querido and may not be used without expressed written consent.