Creator Spotlight: Tanya Lloyd Kyi

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Tanya Lloyd Kyi!

About the Author:

TANYA LLOYD KYI is the author of more than thirty-five books for children and young adults, including Emily Posts and Me and Banksy. She grew up with a racoon-sized tortoiseshell cat named D.C. (for Darn Cat), who would have felt right at home in The City. Tanya has worked in the past as a graphic designer, an editor, and a dishwasher. (She considers herself entirely qualified for that last one.) Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is cheese, and her favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time. When she’s not telling cat tales, Tanya teaches at the UBC School of Creative Writing in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Fast Five with Tanya Lloyd Kyi:

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I would live exactly where I live now, in Vancouver. I moved here for a co-op work term at a publishing house when I was 23 years old. Soon after I arrived, a friend’s aunt took me to see a reading at the Orpheum. I fell in love with the theatre, and the thought that I could spend my evenings hearing people read from their books, and basically the whole idea of living in this city forever. I haven’t changed my mind yet!

What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?

My dog, Coby. Look at this face!

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Breakfast. Which my husband very kindly cooks for me every morning. (Really. This may be why I married him.) I need to be fed every few hours and I get grumpy if I don’t eat. It’s possible I’m actually a Tamagotchi. 

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

My first concert ever was Kiss, Slaughter, and Winger in Spokane when I was seventeen. If I remember correctly, the guitarist in Winger was famous for playing his guitar with an electric drill, and the members of Slaughter were famous for whipping their long hair in giant circles. There were no assigned seats, so we spent the whole time squashed with thousands of sweaty people on the floor. I loved every second of that concert, but . . . I don’t actually listen to music. I like to write in silence, and I’m probably the only person in the world who works out to podcasts instead of songs. I’m weird that way! 

You grew up with a racoon-sized tortoiseshell cat named D.C. (for Darn Cat), what’s the story behind their name?

My parents owned a restaurant and they found D.C. in the dumpster behind the building. My dad called him “that darned cat,” because he kept jumping out and scaring the restaurant staff. After Dad brought him home, D.C. spent the next decade or so terrorizing our tiny terrier cross, monopolizing sunbeams, and ruling the household. So I of course had to dedicate The City of Lost Cats to D.C.!

Photo:  My dad and D.C., circa 2000

Books by Tanya Lloyd Kyi:

The City of Lost Cats
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
288 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882108 | Tundra Books
When Fiona wanders into an abandoned mansion down by the harbor, she discovers the house is full of stray cats (and two chaotic parakeets). Fiona feels a great deal of sympathy for the animals; she understands what it’s like to need a safe home. Ever since her parents died, she’s been struggling to adjust to the tiny apartment where she and her Aunt Tanis now live. And Aunt Tanis has little time to spare for Fiona, between her job at The Municipal Hall and her horrible, hair-gelled boyfriend. When the mansion is threatened by a demolition team, Fiona is determined to save “The City” and its residents. But the cats have their own priorities. Cot (short for Cottonball Fluffikins Magnificent III, a name he refuses to acknowledge) has lived in the mansion for two years and is the self-proclaimed king. He’s convinced the demolition effort has been organized by the recently arrived parakeets. Those birds have got to go! Cot’s feline rival, Piper, is sure she can intimidate the demolition team and force them to leave, if Fiona will simply stay out of her way. And the parakeets . . . well, the parakeets just want to go home. As the demolition team begins tearing down the house next door, Fiona looks for any help she can find – at the library, the butcher shop, and even at The Municipal Hall. Can the efforts of one small girl and an assortment of animals stop a luxury condo development? Can they create something better in its place? It’s going to take some quick thinking on the part of Fiona, not to mention the cooperation of all the cats, to give The City a future.

Emily Posts
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
256 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882047 | Tundra Books
Emily is the ringleader for her school podcast, Cedarview Speaks – Sponsored by CoastFresh! But her plans for middle-school fame and social media influence are derailed when Amelie joins her eighth-grade class. The new arrival has a seemingly endless supply of confidence and a gift for leading people. Or leading them astray, as far as Emily’s concerned. Emily puts her old-fashioned sense of etiquette into practice. Rather than confronting Amelie, she focuses her energy on creating a podcast story about an upcoming climate march. But her story is censored by the school principal. When she protests, Emily gets cut from the podcast crew . . . and Amelie takes her place! Can Emily use her influence to spread the news of the climate march, reclaim her place on the podcast team and expose the flaws of CoastFresh? Can she balance her impeccable manners with twenty-first century activism? And how will she ever manage to work alongside Amelie? With a light touch and plenty of humor, Emily Posts explores issues of social media, influence, corporate sponsorship . . . and the fraught waters of middle-school friendship.

Me and Banksy
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
272 Pages | Ages 10+ | Paperback
ISBN 9780735266933 | Puffin Canada
Dominica’s private school is covered in cameras, and someone is hacking into them and posting embarrassing moments for the whole school to see. Like Ana picking her nose. When Dominica quickly changes her shirt from inside out in what she thinks is the privacy of a quiet corner in the library, she’s shocked – and embarrassed – to discover a video has captured this and is currently circulating amongst her schoolmates. So mortifying, especially since over the past three years, they’ve had a half-dozen school talks about social media safety. Who has access to the school security cameras and why are they doing this? Dominica and her best friends, Holden and Saanvi, are determined to find out, and in the process start an art-based student campaign against cameras in the classroom.

Mya’s Strategy to Save the World
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
200 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9780735265264 | Puffin Canada
Mya Parsons runs her school’s social justice club with her best friend, Cleo. Her lifelong desire is to work for the United Nations and change the world, and then bask in all the ensuing adulation. Her more immediate desire is to get a phone, preferably one like Cleo’s, with a leopard-print case to match. When her distracted dad and her long-distance mom (temporarily in Myanmar taking care of Mya’s grandmother) both say no, no way, and possibly never, Mya launches a campaign to prove herself reliable and deserving. She advertises her babysitting services, takes on more responsibility around the house, and attempts to supervise her sister’s skateboarding lessons. Her efforts leave her ego bruised and the kitchen slightly scorched. She’s no closer to touch-screen victory, let alone the Nobel Peace Prize she deserves. But all that changes after an accident leaves Mya to take charge-an experience which helps her realize how much she’s grown, with or without access to proper communications.

Tuesdays with Tundra

Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. These titles are now available in stores and online!

A Garden Called Home
By Jessica J. Lee
Illustrated by Elaine Chen
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774880470 | Tundra Books
Mama was born in a country far away from here. I love her stories about warm rain in winter and green mountains. And now Mama’s taking me there!
When a young girl and her mother go to visit her family, the girl notices a change. At home, her mother mostly stays inside. Here, her mother likes to explore and go hiking. The girl has never seen her so happy! Her mother tells her about the trees, bushes, flowers and birds. Did you know that tree roots make mountains strong? And that ài hāo (mugwort) is used to make delicious, sweet dumplings? But her mother’s smile goes away when they return home. It’s cold and she doesn’t want to go outside. She goes back to wearing her big quilted jackets and watering her houseplants. How can the girl show her mother that nature here can be wondrous too?

Emily Posts
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
256 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882047 | Tundra Books
Emily is the ringleader for her school podcast, Cedarview Speaks – Sponsored by CoastFresh! But her plans for middle-school fame and social media influence are derailed when Amelie joins her eighth-grade class. The new arrival has a seemingly endless supply of confidence and a gift for leading people. Or leading them astray, as far as Emily’s concerned. Emily puts her old-fashioned sense of etiquette into practice. Rather than confronting Amelie, she focuses her energy on creating a podcast story about an upcoming climate march. But her story is censored by the school principal. When she protests, Emily gets cut from the podcast crew . . . and Amelie takes her place! Can Emily use her influence to spread the news of the climate march, reclaim her place on the podcast team and expose the flaws of CoastFresh? Can she balance her impeccable manners with twenty-first century activism? And how will she ever manage to work alongside Amelie? With a light touch and plenty of humor, Emily Posts explores issues of social media, influence, corporate sponsorship . . . and the fraught waters of middle-school friendship.

Emily Posts is also available today in audiobook!

We can’t wait to see you reading/listening to these titles! If you share these books online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.

Emily Posts: Cover Reveal and Q&A with Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Ericka Lugo


Tundra is excited to be publishing Emily Posts on February 6, 2024! We hope you enjoy this exclusive cover reveal, and keep scrolling to read our Q&As with author Tanya Lloyd Kyi and cover illustrator Ericka Lugo!

Cover Illustrator: Ericka Lugo

Emily Posts
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi
256 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882047 | Tundra Books
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Emily is the ringleader for her school podcast, Cedarview Speaks – Sponsored by CoastFresh! But her plans for middle-school fame and social media influence are derailed when Amelie joins her eighth-grade class. The new arrival has a seemingly endless supply of confidence and a gift for leading people. Or leading them astray, as far as Emily’s concerned. Emily puts her old-fashioned sense of etiquette into practice. Rather than confronting Amelie, she focuses her energy on creating a podcast story about an upcoming climate march. But her story is censored by the school principal. When she protests, Emily gets cut from the podcast crew . . . and Amelie takes her place! Can Emily use her influence to spread the news of the climate march, reclaim her place on the podcast team and expose the flaws of CoastFresh? Can she balance her impeccable manners with twenty-first century activism? And how will she ever manage to work alongside Amelie? With a light touch and plenty of humor, Emily Posts explores issues of social media, influence, corporate sponsorship . . . and the fraught waters of middle-school friendship.

Q&A with Tanya Lloyd Kyi

What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

I read a news story about a high school journalist whose story about a protest march was censored. The principal said her piece didn’t represent the views of all students within the school. This raised an assortment of questions for me – about why a principal might really censor a student journalist, about how many viewpoints you need to represent in order for a story to be valid, and about the slightly fuzzy position of students in the world of journalism. (They don’t always get much control over their work.) But all of that makes it sound like this is a super-serious book, and it’s definitely not. I had a lot of fun exploring these issues through the slightly skewed (and maybe a teensy bit self-centered?) worldview of my main character. 

Without spoiling anything, what was your favorite moment to write in Emily Posts?

One of my favourite characters is Emily’s pseudo-brother, Ocean. As soon as he appears in any scene, chaos follows. At one point, Emily finds Ocean with licorice stuffed up his nose. He and his best friend are surrounded by a sea of candy, and she tries to decide whether she could be held in any way responsible for the mess. Then she finds out they didn’t exactly buy the candy with their own money…

Which character is the most like you or the most like someone you know?

Emily spends much of this book trying to juggle varying responsibilities. Some of them, like running her school podcast, are legitimate. Others, like arranging the social connections of the entire eighth grade, are really none of her business. I have been accused of being controlling when I’m stressed, although – like Emily – I’m quite sure this is an exaggeration and my organizational talents are entirely necessary.  

What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?

I hope Emily inspires readers to raise their voices when they see injustices. And maybe to raise their voices in creative, unexpected ways. 

What have you been reading lately?

I’ve been rereading Judy Blume, of course, along with the rest of the world! I’ve also been reading the latest in Michael Hutchinson’s Mighty Muskrat series (I’m a fan), and Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney. Oh, and I’ve recently discovered the wonderfully weird books of British author Frances Hardinge. Hmmm… apparently I’ve been reading a bit of everything!

Q&A with Ericka Lugo

Did you read Emily Posts before starting on the cover? If so, what stuck out to you the most?

I sadly didn’t get to read the book before I started working on the cover but the art director did a great job at providing me with the tools I needed to work on it confidently.

Were you given any guidance from the author/editor?

Yes! Art director Gigi Lau sent me a very detailed brief with lots of info like the book description, synopsis, character details and key words to describe the feel the cover should have. She also sent thumbnails and rough sketches of what she had in mind, alongside a description and passages from the book that inspired that idea. 

How did you create the cover? What tools or programs did you use?

I started with a rough sketch, then created separate layers on top of that, with the lineart and colors. I worked from start to finish in the Procreate app on iPad using custom-made brushes. 

How many drafts/designs did you go through before you got to the final version?

I did quite a bit! I focused on making rough sketches of the main four cover ideas that were proposed first. Then, once the team decided which of those ideas they wanted to go with, I made a separate round of sketches with different variations of the same cover. Little changes can sometimes make a big difference in the feeling of the cover so I wanted to give them as many options as possible.

What are some other book covers you’ve worked on? Do you have any coming up?

Some of the covers I have worked on include Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado, Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera and the upcoming middle grade novel North of Supernova by Lindsey Leavitt, which comes out this summer!

Tundra Book Group