Using his drawings of anxiety, inspiration and lobsters, illustrator Christian Robinson told his story about telling stories.  

Robinson presented at the UW HUB and over Zoom on Oct. 24 for the iSchool’s 32nd annual Spencer G. Shaw Lecture, the first in-person edition of the event since 2019. Before an audience of 460 registrants, Robinson told his personal story titled, “You Are Here: Finding yourself in picture books.”

From the moment Robinson began speaking, the audience instantly engaged with his charisma, personable wit and most significantly, his drawing of a lobster.

He explained, “I have been feeling like a lobster lately. … Some time ago, I learned a bit about how lobsters grow, how they're actually very soft and squishy creatures with hard, rigid shells. And in order for them to grow, they need to shed their shell. When they realize that they're feeling uncomfortable and confined is when they hide and rest, usually under a rock where they can stay away from any predatory fish. And they begin to shed.”

Reflecting on the growth process of the lobster, Robinson suggested that times of discomfort may actually signal a state of growth. “Maybe we are all in our lobster era,” he said. 

Robinson took the audience through his career, illustrating how he found himself through creating picture books. He highlighted the guidance of his teachers, inspirations and childhood caregivers who supported him along the way. His art has been an ongoing way for him to cope with his anxiety. 

“Art and making things has always been a safe space for me, and I'm grateful that I have a space dedicated to creating, and it's something I've done my whole life,” he said.

Robinson has illustrated award-winning books including the No. 1 New York Times bestseller “Last Stop on Market Street” and “Milo Imagines the World,” both written by Matt de la Peña. He is also featured alongside bookmakers Yuyi Morales and Mac Barnett in the documentary “Story and Pictures By,” which follows their stories as they lead a new age of children’s literature. Robinson and Michelle H. Martin, the iSchool Beverly Cleary endowed professor for children and youth services, hosted a screening of the documentary in the Allen Auditorium the day prior to the lecture. 

As an author and illustrator of children’s books, Robinson recounted his experiences with book bans. He noted, “I think [they are] disrespectful to the intellectual capacity of children” — a statement that drew enthusiastic agreement from the audience. 

He commended the educators and librarians who have to put their livelihoods on the line as children’s books are taken off shelves.  

“Milo Imagines the World” tells the story of a boy named Milo who imagines the lives of people around him on the subway as he travels to visit his mother in prison. Robinson shared that of all the books he's worked on, this one feels the most closely connected to his own childhood. “I really wish there was something available to help open the conversation to my classmates and to my teacher, so that people could have a window into my own world.” Despite its invitation into a child’s mind, “Milo Imagines the World” has been banned in some states.

“It's hurtful to think that someone would think I would ever want to put a book out there that would be harmful to a child,” Robinson said. “I recognize that words and pictures are tools to communicate, and it's important to me to make sure I'm telling stories and communicating ideas and messages that are empowering.”

Following an introduction by iSchool Dean Anind Dey, Professor Martin gave a special shoutout to the Beverly Cleary librarians who attended from the Seattle, Sno-Isle, Spokane County, Pierce County and King County library systems. 

Spencer Shaw, for whom the lecture series is named, was an African American University of Washington professor and later professor emeritus of library science. He was internationally known and recognized as a gifted teacher, librarian and storyteller. The iSchool celebrates his legacy by spotlighting the best authors and illustrators in the field each year.