This month, multi-hyphenate, talented tattoo artist, vegan fashion designer, entrepreneur, and recording artist Kat Von D will release her debut children’s book “Leafar and The Magical Treasure Chest” through publishing house Lumilly. Inspired by Kat’s son, the book follows the adventures of a young boy named Leafar who is gifted a magical treasure chest by his mother.
Inspired by her experience both as a visual artist and a mother, Kat has created an art-driven story designed to be enjoyed by children of all reading levels as they use their imaginations to go on a journey through the artwork within the book. “For me as a kid, all of my favorite childhood books – I loved getting lost in the artwork more than anything.” Says Kat, “These are things I’ve learned as a mom and reading with my own son, half of the time he’s not really focused on the words per se but more on the art.”
To help bring Leafar’s journeys to life on the page, Kat enlisted iconic fine art painter Kevin Llewellyn to collaborate with her on all the artwork. “I hope the artwork invites the reader to delve into a world of pure imagination. A place where a child’s mind can explore other realms, far from the confines of reality. I want to create an escape into a dreamland of creativity, inspiration, and magic.” Llewellyn says of his artwork for the book.
This isn’t Kat’s first foray in the world of publishing, having already achieved New York Times Best Selling Author status in 2009 with her book “High Voltage Tattoo,” which the newspaper described as “steaming goat’s head soup for the rock-and-roll soul.” But on top of world-famous tattoos, a bestselling book, and a critically acclaimed album, Kat’s rock-and-roll soul is also the soul of a mother. “Leafar and the Magical Treasure Chest” is an endearing, heartfelt, beautifully crafted children’s book that simultaneously adds another talent to Kat’s ever-growing list of monikers while also peeling back the layers of her celebrity to reveal that before she is a rock star, tattoo artist, or author, she is a loving mother.
In the story, each time Leafar goes into the chest he turns into a new, different animal and uses his imagination to interact with fellow animals around him. He flies with bats through the night sky, looks for webs as a spider, and much more. “Leafar’s mom is asking him to guess which one of the treasures is her favorite of all throughout the book. At the end, obviously, the punchline is that her favorite treasure of all is you!” Kat says, “I know how much he loved to transform into these animals through his imagination.”
“It was a lot of fun creating this book with Kat! Imagination is the most powerful tool a child can possess, and books allow that to blossom tenfold. It was quite different from how I typically create art, painting models and subjects from life, where instead we used our raw creativity — just like kids do — allowing the viewer to add their own unique visions, ideas, and dreams” Says Llewellyn of the artistic collaboration.
“Leafar and The Magical Treasure Chest” is published by Lumilly, a publishing house that specializes exclusively in releasing children’s books written by celebrities. Having released the debut children’s books of other public figures, Lumilly’s partnership with Kat Von D is the latest in the publishing house’s effort to offer “an unparalleled opportunity for high-profile talent to enter the publishing space as an author.”
The book also contains a page of temporary tattoos for kids, paying homage to Kat’s work as a tattoo artist and granting children a safe and fun way to take a part of the story with them once they have finished reading.
About Kat Von D:
A world-famous tattoo artist, critically acclaimed recording artist, vegan fashion designer, New York Times Best Selling author, and entrepreneur, Kat Von D is one of the most accomplished creative individuals in the world.
Now also a mother, Kat Von D has combined her motherly instincts and experiences with her unparalleled artistic creativity and entered the world of children’s picture books, writing and creating the artwork for her first-ever title, “Leafar and the Magical Treasure Chest.”
Her passion and individuality are rich with values that set an example for the next generation of leaders. Whether looking through a lens of business, creativity, determination, empathy, or parenting, Kat Von D has left a legacy that resonates across multiple cultures and industries.
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
