A Teaspoon of Light by Peter O’Connor, illustrated by Nisaluk Chantanakom
WestWords/Dirt Lane Press
“One night, while Marley slept, the world changed. It tore her cloth in half. When she woke, her memories were already sliding off. She tied a knot to try to stop them slipping away. But they kept slipping. She grabbed at them to stop them falling off. But they kept falling.” (A Teaspoon of Light)
A Teaspoon of Light written by Peter O’Connor and illustrated by Nisaluk Chantanakom is shortlisted for the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year: New Illustrator.
Congratulations on A Teaspoon of Light being shortlisted by the CBCA, Nisaluk, and thank you for speaking to Joy in Books at Paperbark Words blog.
Illustrator Interview: Nisaluk Chantanakom
A Teaspoon of Light was a very special and deeply personal project for me. At the time, I was working on my portfolio and had sent my publisher Margrete three artworks for an assessment. To my surprise, she came back with an offer to illustrate A Teaspoon of Light.
When I learned about the story—Marley losing her home and grandmother—it was something I could personally connect to immediately. I had just lost my mother the year before and felt I had a lot of personal experience to draw on for this story.
After some research on Peter O’Connor’s work around trauma, I was drawn in. Having left my design career to work in mental health support and school learning support, I felt deeply connected to Peter’s mission of using art to heal trauma. I knew A Teaspoon of Light was formed after the Christchurch earthquake, and I had intended to base the story in New Zealand. However, after discussions with my publisher, we decided to open the story up so it could be based anywhere in the world, real or imagined. I began researching earthquakes from all over the world like Mexico or Nepal and decided I wanted to create an ethnically diverse cast with unique clothing. For example, Marley’s dress was inspired by Mexican attire, Craig’s by traditional Thai clothing (my own background), and Zyfer’s suspenders were influenced by characters from The Little Rascals.
This book was created using pencil, charcoal, and watercolor. These traditional media were then brought together digitally through collaging and painting in Photoshop. The final artworks contain many layers, including drawings, textures (watercolors, charcoal, rubbings, and coffee stains), and paintings. Each artwork was carefully considered and experimented on over the course of two years.
Additionally, I used Old Masters and architecture as references, such as Albrecht Dürer’s “Adoration of the Magi” and the inverted tower, also known as the “initiation well,” at Quinta da Regaleira in Portugal. In creating this world, I sought to bridge the gap between the old, the new, and the fantastical. This creates a tension where the place feels familiar yet strangely foreign
A Teaspoon of Light at WestWords
Process video on Nisaluk’s website https://www.nisaluk.com.au/teaspoon-activity
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