UK art student’s whimsical illustrations bring children’s book to life

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 29, 2025) — For University of Kentucky art studio major Millie Robinson, her first year in college was out of the ordinary. The Utah native and current Lexington resident collaborated with an author to illustrate a children’s book.

Kendall Hunt Publishing released the book, “Jennifer’s Monster,” in November 2024. Author Rob Jenkins, an associate professor at Georgia State University, commissioned Robinson, a student in UK’s School of Art and Visual Studies within the College of Fine Arts, to illustrate his story about a young girl and her fears of a monster that lives in her closet. In addition to being a story for children who need help overcoming a fear of the dark, Robinson said it’s also meant to tug at the heartstrings of adults who remember behaving that way when they were young.

“Truthfully it’s about (Jenkins’) daughter,” Robinson said. “When she was a kid, she would always be scared of a monster in her closet, so he wanted to kind of twist that into a more sentimental view of it.”

This is the first children’s book ever for both the published university professor and the freshman illustrator. Jenkins said he spent a decade looking for publishers for the book, and when he finally settled on one, the company had no in-house artists to illustrate it. Jenkins contacted several artists recommended by his editor, but said he wasn’t satisfied with their work.

“Then my daughter-in-law in Lexington told me about a young woman she and my son went to church with who could really draw,” Jenkins said.

The young artist was Robinson. She sent Jenkins concept drawings for the story and waited.

After viewing Robinson’s work and seeing her style, Jenkins knew he had found his illustrator.

“She absolutely nailed it,” Jenkins said. “Especially the monster, which is the most important part, but also the characters of Jennifer and her dad.”

Robinson had been interested in illustrating a story for a long time. She said she and her father would bounce ideas off each other. Getting an actual illustration job, though, showed her she had what it took to work on that professional level.

“I was jumping on this so fast,” Robinson said. “That’s the dream pretty much.”

The story’s illustrations are colorful and whimsical. Robinson said her own style comes through in the characters and the settings.

“It’s definitely more cartoony, but not super crazy,” she said. “You can definitely see emotion and be able to tell — even if you’re a kid who can’t read the words yet — what’s going on in the story.”

Jenkins said visual storytelling is an important aspect of the book, and that it draws children in.

“Millie’s illustrations really bring my story to life,” he said. “Whenever I do a reading for children, that’s what they focus on — how cute and expressive the monster is. Which is really kind of amazing, since it’s basically just a black furry blob with huge eyes. But Millie is able to make him convey so many different emotions. It’s an impressive feat for any artist but especially one so young.”

Although she is a first-year student, Robinson said she has been an artist for a long time.

“Ever since I could pick up a pencil,” she said. “I always enjoyed coloring. Like when I was a kid, even if I couldn’t draw the pictures yet, I wanted to color in the pictures and then it just grew to me just drawing my own.”

Robinson would create line art, like pages out of a coloring book, for friends and family for their birthdays or other special occasions.

When teachers gave her a visual storytelling assignment, she jumped into it with enthusiasm.

“In second grade we were prompted to make a kids’ book, and it was my favorite project I’ve ever done,” she said. “And at the bottom of my notebooks in third grade, I’d always draw a little picture illustrating my journal entry.”

Now, as a student and a professional artist, Robinson does most of her work digitally on a tablet using a special app, though she said she has a cabinet of art supplies at her home.

“I will occasionally try a new medium every once in a while, especially studying art,” she said. “I’ve done sculpture, drawing, painting, all that stuff. As a freshman, you have to.”

Of all those mediums, Robinson said she is gravitating toward drawing.

“I’ve enjoyed like the digital side of it. I’ve only taken one digital art class, which is more like photo editing, but like the combo of those two, like taking a drawing class and a digital class taps both of those interests for me.”

Now that she can add the words “published illustrator” to her resume, Robinson said she would like to do another illustration project.

“Rob and I are planning to do more like this,” she said, adding that Jenkins wants to write more books about his own children. “He said, ‘I want to turn these into kids’ books.’”

With this being Robinson’s first professional commission, she said it was a learning experience.

“I’d never done a commission before, so communication was important,” she said. “I also learned my work process. I’d procrastinate, but then I’d get a bunch of work done in one sitting.

“I learned I’m faster at drawing than most people in my class, so I will use that to help me pace myself,” she said. “But it all comes down to workflow and communication.”