How Eggwish Went From a Children’s Book Idea to an Illustrated Magical World

Every children’s book begins with an idea. For Maui children’s author Marissa Molina, Eggwish began with a question: What if wishes were not simply granted, but carefully protected by someone learning what hope truly means?

That idea eventually became the magical world of Eggwish and its central character, Everhop, a young bunny wish-keeper with an important purpose.

Creating Everhop and the Story of Eggwish

Everhop was created to represent the hope, uncertainty, and imagination children carry with them. His journey explores more than magical wishes. It introduces young readers to the idea that wishes can reflect who they are, what they value, and who they hope to become.

As the story developed, Everhop needed a world that felt just as imaginative as the character himself. The writing established the heart of that world, but the illustrations would determine how young readers experienced it.

Marissa Molina wanted to take a traditional character, the Easter Bunny, and use his image to inspire and empower children.

Bringing Eggwish to Life Through Illustration

Children’s book illustrator Jasper Salazar transformed the written ideas behind Eggwish into a complete visual world.

Through character expressions, movement, color, and imaginative details, Jasper gave Everhop, Alili the fawn, Lolo the Peepette, their personalities that extended beyond the words on the page. The illustrations made the world feel tangible while preserving the warmth, wonder, and emotion at the center of the story.

The collaboration between Marissa Molina and Jasper Salazar brought together two different parts of children’s storytelling: the meaning carried through the words and the emotions communicated through the art.

Building a Magical World for Young Readers

Creating Eggwish involved more than illustrating individual scenes. Each page needed to feel like part of the same magical world.

From the floral landscapes to winding rivers to the stunner Sunflower Vault, Jasper has a unique ability to create beautiful imagry through visual storytelling.

The characters, environments, colors, and visual details work together to guide readers through Eleanore's journey. The result is a children’s book designed to encourage imagination while giving children space to think about their own hopes and wishes.

For Marissa, imagination is more than fantasy. It is one of the ways children process their reality and explore who they may want to become. That belief continues to shape the stories and characters created through Imagination Reality.

From Eggwish to the Next Story

Eggwish also began an ongoing creative partnership between Marissa Molina and Jasper Salazar.

The author and illustrator are now collaborating again on Pumpkin Pact, an upcoming story with an entirely different atmosphere, cast of characters, and visual identity. While the worlds of the two books are distinct, both projects reflect a shared commitment to character-driven stories and immersive illustration.

From one imaginative idea to a fully illustrated children’s book, Eggwish became the beginning of something larger: a growing collection of books, characters, and magical worlds created to nurture children as they hope, imagine, and become.

Eggwish written by Marissa Molina | Illustrated by Jasper Salazar