Mike Wu was accepted into the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA. He graduated in 1996 with a BFA in Character Animation and was recruited by Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios where he worked for the next six years on such films as Hercules, Tarzan, Atlantis, and Mulan. Shortly thereafter, Mike followed his childhood dream of working for the studio that created Luxo Jr.. He moved to the Bay Area and started at Pixar Animation Studios where he animated on the Oscar-winning The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Toy Story 3, Coco and Soul among other films.  

Mike's first picture book Ellie, was selected as one of NPR's best books of 2015.  Ellie in Concert, released in spring 2017 is the heartwarming continuation of Ellie's adventures with her zoo friends.  He has also illustrated a debut middle grade series titled The Oddlethunks, written by the talented Adele Griffin. In 2018, the Pixar Artist Showcase Winner titled Henri's Hats was released, which celebrates the relationship with our elders and the wonder of imagination. Mike’s latest Ellie book called Ellie Makes a Friend, is inspired by his Chinese roots and focuses on the importance of accepting differences in others.

Mike is currently working on an exciting new #ownvoices project written by his wife, Korey Watari called I Am Able to Shine. It is set to debut in Spring 2022 by Two Lions and is the story about a young Japanese American girl named Keiko, who overcomes life’s obstacles by being true to herself to achieve her dreams.