A note from Kaien, founder of Juïno

It started with a child I love.

I wanted to give them a book they could call their favourite. One that felt meant for them.

A hand lifting the cover of a printed Joey Season book.

A gift that said, “You are so loved.”

I was seeing a child in my family again after a long time apart, and I wanted to find a gift.

I kept coming across the familiar toys and characters. But I wanted to give something that felt chosen just for them. Something that might become their favourite, and remind them how much they were loved.

I kept thinking about a book. A story they could see themselves in, with a part of their own in the adventure. Something they would be curious to follow, with pictures they’d want to look at again.

That thought became Juïno. I wanted to make the sort of book a child brings over to you again, even when you both know exactly what happens next.

Kaien, Brisbane

There’s something about turning a page.

Books have made my world bigger. I’ve seen them do the same for those I love.

I believe there’s something important in holding a book and moving through it at your own pace. You can stay with a picture, turn back or stop to ask a question.

I wanted to make more room for that in a child’s day. And for the time spent reading with a grown-up who loves them.

A printed Joey Season book, open at its first page.

A little of their world, on the page.

We look to Australian landscapes and wildlife for the world of our stories. We want children to find things they recognise, and things that make them curious about what’s around them.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the company a child keeps in a story, too. Doug, Effie and Banjo have personalities of their own. I hope children come back for them as well, and remember them fondly long after they’ve grown up.

Spread 1: Noah lying on Doug the wombat in the sun, Effie by the water tank

The little things I spend time on.

A child’s expression. The way they stand in a scene. The personality of the friend beside them.

We make our books with a process that includes generative AI. I shape the story concepts, characters and visual style, and work on details like the expressions and gestures you see on the page.

Those are choices I care about, because I want the child to feel part of what’s happening in the story.

A child turning a page of a picture book.

Something to come back to.

I started with a wish to do something good for the next generation. My way into that is a book a child might really love.

I hope a Juïno book earns a place among the books a family keeps. And that, years later, opening it brings back a little of the time they spent together.

A child and a grown-up reading a picture book together.

Explore the books