Jasmine Florentine is the author and illustrator of Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, a new graphic novel for kids. She also has written the book Hex Allen and the Clanksmiths. She is a mechanical design engineer and STEM content creator, and she lives in the UK.
Q: What inspired you to create Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, and how did you come up with your characters Yaya and Chuy?
A: When I was a kid, I was obsessed with The Magic School Bus. Not because I especially liked science, but because I loved magic! But while I watched for the magical adventures and characters, I ended up learning science along the way.
Fast forward to graduate school, where I was one of the roughly 25 percent of women in my mechanical engineering department (a number that, surprisingly, was better than many workplaces).
That’s when I realized I wanted to help engage more kids in STEM—especially girls and underrepresented minorities. That inspired me to create Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, to showcase how fun and accessible STEM can be—while also highlighting that it's basically a real-life superpower!
Chuy and Yaya are based off one of my best friends and myself—while our real-life interactions aren’t quite that zany, they get pretty close. He’s very much the level-headed nerd to my silliness.
Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?
A: I start first by writing out the scripts as text. From there, I create really rough storyboards that help me figure out how I’m going to divide up the action into different panels. Then I use those to create refined illustrations.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “Engineering and chemistry save the day in this sunny series opener.” What do you think of that assessment?
A: I love that assessment! I suppose the only minor change I’d make is “engineering and science,” since chemistry won’t be featured in every book. My goal is to rotate between the types of DIY projects, while making sure they’re still possible to make with materials at home.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?
A: I hope that kids pick up the story because they enjoy a goofy read, that they laugh at the wild hijinks Yaya and Chuy get themselves into… and somewhere along the way, they start thinking: “I could be like Yaya. I could be like Chuy. I want to try building this too.”
If that moment of laughter leads to tinkering—or even just a little more confidence that STEM can be fun and for them—then I’ve done my job as both an engineer and a storyteller.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on a few projects, including Book 3 of Maker Girl and Professor Smarts! I’m also pitching a STEM-themed animated series, which I’m very excited about.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I try to make as many of my STEM-related projects and resources freely available. You can check out my website (https://www.jasmineflorentine.com/steam-activities) for instructions to build DIY paper robots, YouTube videos on the engineering design process, and more!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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