Donna Kay Lau is an Emmy-honored TV animator, award-winning author, and illustrator, best known for creating the Surf Soup children’s book series, which now spans 74+ books. As a Chinese American storyteller, Donna’s diverse cultural background deeply influences her creative work.
Her extensive career in animation includes working on iconic animated shows like Dora the Explorer, CatDog, Oswald, Regular Show, and Generator Rex. Donna brings her storytelling expertise and vibrant visual style to both books and animation.
Currently, she is expanding her Surf Soup universe by developing the Surf Soup TV cartoon series, which combines the magic of surfing, whimsical adventures, and ocean conservation. Her stories teach young readers about friendship, creativity, inclusivity, and environmental awareness.
Donna continues to inspire and captivate audiences with her ability to blend creativity, diverse cultural narratives, and important life lessons in both her books and animated projects.
Read More:
Donna Kay Lau is an animator, artist, author, clothing designer, model, fitness trainer and owner of Donna Kay Lau Studios-Art is On in ProDUCKtion Ink. Creator of the Surf Soup series of books and journals (Gratitude, Field, Songwriting, Sketch and Travel). Lau is also the host of the Surf Soup Talk Story podcast and the Surf Soup TV podcast for kids.
Donna's work on the following animated series: the Emmy Award-winning Nick Jr. series, "Dora the Explorer", "CatDog", "Oswald the Octopus", the movie "CatDog", "Oswald the Octopus", the Emmy Award-winning live-action series, "Generator Rex" and the crossover special "Ben 10 Ultimate Alien & Generator Rex: Heroes United", as well as the Primetime Emmy Award-winning animated short and series; "Regular Show," and has freelanced for numerous productions, including the PBS series "Danger Rangers," as well as creating her own children's clothing line "Art is On!".
Donna Kay Lau was recently honored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with a Primetime Emmy.
She has worked at numerous studios, including Nickelodeon Animation, Nick Jr., and most recently at Cartoon Network (Warner Bros./Time Warner), an animation studio in California.
In Donna Kay Lau's studio, Surf Soup TV is a cartoon based on her Surf Soup book series (10 books in the series currently) and is also writing a Kindle Vella of "The Making of Surf Soup-A story of Chinese American Donna Kay Lau, A TV Host and Author Illustrator" and will be the subject of a short documentary film that she is producing with Eli Reed, Director of Photography.
Donna enjoys training her clients, training her mind and body, surfing, modeling, painting surfboards and painting on found objects and things (Art is On!), and loves working with ocean and related charities.
Donna has participated in many galleries, where she exhibits her artwork, paintings, drawings, and hand painted surfboards, as well as her unique couture fashion made from found and recycled objects.
Donna enjoys painting on different things, such as surfboards and other objects that are not just canvas. She has a surf couture line for the "Surf Soup" project, and portions, or all of the proceeds, are donated to ocean charities, and more; these items will be available on "Etsy" and the Surf Soup website as well as live auctions for charities.
Donna Kay Lau's latest creation is "The Surf Soup Project".
Surf Soup is a children's picture book that teaches children how to surf and the lessons you learn from surfing and educates children about ocean conservation.
Surf Soup is the title of the first book in a series of books that will be written and illustrated by me, and later developed into an animated short film and pilot.
Lau funded her latest project for "Surf Soup", on "Kickstarter",
Donna Kay Lau currently lives in Southern California and Hawaii. She has also worked in the fitness industry for over 16 years and is a triathlete, 3-star SPINNING instructor, Schwinn cycling coach, indoor cycling master instructor, wellness coach, Kranking, yoga instructor, personal trainer and surfer.
Read more
Read less
