Authors Similar like Christopher Willard

Jerry Stanley

“I’ve learned there’s no such thing as wasted writing or bad writing. All writing leads to better writing.”

Jerry Stanley is the author of several highly praised books for young readers, including Children of the Dust Bowl, winner of the Orbis Pictus Award; I Am an American, an ALA Notable Book; and Hurry Freedom, a National Book Award nominee and winner of the Orbis Pictus Award. He is a former professor of history at California State University.

Being a writer is one of the great achievements of my life. As a teenager growing up in Detroit, Michigan, I hated school, all my teachers, and learning in general. When I was expelled from high school at the age of seventeen for fighting, I had passed two units—one in woodshop and one in gym. In bi

Buy books on Amazon

Chitra Soundar

Chitra Soundar is originally from the culturally colourful India where traditions, festivals and mythology are a way of life. After six great years in the island city-state Singapore, Chitra now lives in London.

Chitra's primary interest is in writing picture books and early & emergent readers. She enjoys retelling funny folktales from around the world, especially from India.

Buy books on Amazon

Chad Otis

Chad is the author & illustrator of OLIVER THE CURIOUS OWL, A LITTLE FERRY TALE, and THE BRIGHT SIDE. He's also the illustrator of CUDDLE MONKEY, and COLD TURKEY.

Chad spent part of his formative years living on a school bus that zig-zagged its way from Iowa to California. Then he got a BFA in Design from the University of Washington and spent years working with Disney, Nickelodeon, Mattel, Hasbro, and others as a game designer, creative director and animator for digital content before coming to picture books. Chad thrives on heartfelt, humorous stories - with unique, vibrant characters at their core.

Chad lives at the edge of the Rocky Mountains in Idaho (in a house without wheels) - with his wife Cathy and their Cockapoo, Riley.

Buy books on Amazon

Cindy Derby

Cindy Derby is an illustrator and author based out of San Francisco. How to Walk an Ant is her debut picture book, which has been praised as “[a] freaky, bizarre delight” (Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast) and named one of "The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children's Books of 2019" (100 Scope Notes). Cindy's background is in puppetry and she has performed all over the world.

Buy books on Amazon

Abby Wambach

ABBY WAMBACH is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA World Cup Champion, and the highest all-time international goal scorer for male and female soccer players. She is an activist for equality and inclusion and the New York Times bestselling author of Forward: A Memoir. Abby is co-founder of Wolfpack Endeavor, which is revolutionizing leadership development for women in the workplace and beyond through her champion mindset, individualized coaching, and team-bound focus. Abby lives in Florida with her wife and three children.

Buy books on Amazon

Sandra Salsbury

I'm Sandra Salsbury, a children's book author and illustrator.

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I received a BFA and MFA in illustration from the Academy of Art University.

I am the author/illustrator of THE BABY WHO STAYED AWAKE FOREVER (Doubleday Books for Young Readers 2025), BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD (Peachtree 2021), and SPRECKLE'S SNACK SURPRISE (Peachtree 2023), as well as the illustrator of various other books. I live in Berkeley with my husband, daughters, and numerous house plants. The chickens live next door.

Buy books on Amazon

Lisa Brown

LISA BROWN is the bestselling illustrator and/or author of a growing number of books, including How to Be, The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming, and Baby Mix Me a Drink. She draws the Three Panel Book Review cartoon for the book section of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lisa lives in San Francisco with her son and her husband, who is rumored to be Lemony Snicket.

Buy books on Amazon

Chelsea M. Campbell

Chelsea M. Campbell grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains a lot. And then rains some more. She finished her first novel when she was twelve, sent it out, and promptly got rejected. Since then she's written many more novels, earned a degree in Latin and Ancient Greek, become an obsessive knitter and fiber artist, and started a collection of glass grapes. Besides writing, studying ancient languages, and collecting useless objects, Chelsea is a pop-culture fangirl at heart and can often be found rewatching episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Parks and Recreation, or dying a lot in Dark Souls.

Buy books on Amazon

Megan McDonald

"Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," says Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, the Stink series, and THE SISTERS CLUB. "I'm certainly moody, like she is. Judy has a strong voice and always speaks up for herself. I like that."

For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."

Critically

Buy books on Amazon

Carmen Agra Deedy

Carmen Agra Deedy is an internationally known author of children’s literature, a storyteller and radio contributor. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1963 after the Cuban Revolution. Deedy grew up in Decatur, Georgia and currently lives in Atlanta and has three daughters.

Buy books on Amazon

Lisa Brown

LISA BROWN is the bestselling illustrator and/or author of a growing number of books, including How to Be, The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming, and Baby Mix Me a Drink. She draws the Three Panel Book Review cartoon for the book section of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lisa lives in San Francisco with her son and her husband, who is rumored to be Lemony Snicket.

Buy books on Amazon

Bob Shea

Bob Shea has written and illustrated over a dozen picture books including the popular Dinosaur vs. Bedtime and the cult favorite Big Plans illustrated by Lane Smith.

His characters and animations have appeared on Nick Jr, Playhouse Disney and PBS Kids.

Bob spends his days writing, drawing and having “conversations” with NPR.

Buy books on Amazon

Kate Messner

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.

Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com

Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner

...or f

Buy books on Amazon

Anna Humphrey

Anna Humphrey is the author of Rhymes with Cupid (HarperTeen, 2010), Mission (Un)Popular (Disney/Hyperion Books for Children, 2011), Ruby Goldberg's Bright Idea (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014) and Clara Humble & the Not-So-Super Powers (OwlKids Books, 2016)—all books for young readers. She lives in Kitchener, Ontario with her husband and kids.

Buy books on Amazon

Stacy McAnulty

Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, who’s also qualified to be a paleontologist (NOT REALLY), a correspondent for The Daily Show (why not), and a Green Bay Packer coach (totally!). She is the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Recipient for Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Her other picture books include Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield; Brave and Beautiful, both illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff; Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite, illustrated by Edward Hemingway; and 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. She’s also authored the chapter book series Goldie Blox, based on the award-winning toys, and The Dino Fil

Buy books on Amazon

Sandra Salsbury

I'm Sandra Salsbury, a children's book author and illustrator.

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I received a BFA and MFA in illustration from the Academy of Art University.

I am the author/illustrator of THE BABY WHO STAYED AWAKE FOREVER (Doubleday Books for Young Readers 2025), BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD (Peachtree 2021), and SPRECKLE'S SNACK SURPRISE (Peachtree 2023), as well as the illustrator of various other books. I live in Berkeley with my husband, daughters, and numerous house plants. The chickens live next door.

Buy books on Amazon

Chelsea M. Campbell

Chelsea M. Campbell grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains a lot. And then rains some more. She finished her first novel when she was twelve, sent it out, and promptly got rejected. Since then she's written many more novels, earned a degree in Latin and Ancient Greek, become an obsessive knitter and fiber artist, and started a collection of glass grapes. Besides writing, studying ancient languages, and collecting useless objects, Chelsea is a pop-culture fangirl at heart and can often be found rewatching episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Parks and Recreation, or dying a lot in Dark Souls.

Buy books on Amazon

Michael Hall

Michael Hall is the author/illustrator of The New York Times bestseller, My Heart Is Like a Zoo, as well as the critically acclaimed Perfect Square, It’s an Orange Aardvark, Red: A Crayon’s Story, and Frankencrayon.

Before becoming a children’s author, Michael was an award-winning graphic designer whose work — including graphic identities for the City of Saint Paul, Macalester College, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Hennepin County Medical Center — has been widely recognized for its simple and engaging approach.

Michael lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Buy books on Amazon

Steve Antony

Since his 2014 debut, Steve Antony has so far written and illustrated over 20 picture books, including the Mr Panda series, The Queen Collection, Unplugged, Green Lizards Vs Red Rectangles, Amazing and You Can. Steve has been nominated seven times and long listed once for the Kate Greenaway Medal. The Queen's Hat was adapted into a musical concert by the London Symphony Orchestra and won the Evening Standard's Oscar's Book Prize. His award winning Mr Panda series has so far sold over one million copies worldwide and has been optioned for TV. Steve also illustrated Tim Minchin's When I Grow Up, a cover of the Famous Five and the all-new Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (adapted by Peter Bently). He has contributed work to the LGBTQ+ Pride YA antholog

Buy books on Amazon

Corey R. Tabor

Corey R. Tabor grew up in Wyoming, where he once spent the night in a cave by an underground waterfall. He now lives with his wife in Seattle, where he draws and reads and explores. Please visit him at coreyrtabor.com.

from https://www.readbrightly.com/meet-ill...

Buy books on Amazon

Maddie Frost

Maddie Frost has written and illustrated many books for young readers, including Wakey Birds. She lives with her husband and dog outside Boston.

Buy books on Amazon

Chad Otis

Chad is the author & illustrator of OLIVER THE CURIOUS OWL, A LITTLE FERRY TALE, and THE BRIGHT SIDE. He's also the illustrator of CUDDLE MONKEY, and COLD TURKEY.

Chad spent part of his formative years living on a school bus that zig-zagged its way from Iowa to California. Then he got a BFA in Design from the University of Washington and spent years working with Disney, Nickelodeon, Mattel, Hasbro, and others as a game designer, creative director and animator for digital content before coming to picture books. Chad thrives on heartfelt, humorous stories - with unique, vibrant characters at their core.

Chad lives at the edge of the Rocky Mountains in Idaho (in a house without wheels) - with his wife Cathy and their Cockapoo, Riley.

Buy books on Amazon

Cindy Derby

Cindy Derby is an illustrator and author based out of San Francisco. How to Walk an Ant is her debut picture book, which has been praised as “[a] freaky, bizarre delight” (Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast) and named one of "The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children's Books of 2019" (100 Scope Notes). Cindy's background is in puppetry and she has performed all over the world.

Buy books on Amazon

Kaylin Melia George

Kaylin Melia George grew up listening to her mother's bedtime stories about Moloka'i. The planting of these early seeds inspired Kaylin to dedicate her life to storytelling. Kaylin began her professional journey in filmmaking as an internationally award-winning director and screenwriter. Her work has been recognized by the Academy and includes documentaries for some of the most prominent nonprofits in the world. With Aloha Everything, Kaylin found a story close to her heart and celebrates her Native Hawaiian ancestry. This is the story she has always dreamed of telling.

Buy books on Amazon

Channelle Desamours

Channelle Desamours is an author and a high school science teacher. When she’s not napping to recover from her five a.m. writing sessions, Channelle can be found building tiny homes on The Sims 4 or cheering for Atlanta United at soccer matches. NEEDY LITTLE THINGS is her debut novel.

Buy books on Amazon

Katie Venit

Katie Venit has been writing since the fifth grade when she and her friends passed around a composition notebook in which they took turns making up. But she didn’t know she wanted to be a writer for kids (the best of all audiences, as it turns out) until her son asked her to write a book about the solar system.

Katie has held quite a few jobs, from working at a barbeque catering company in Maryland to waiting tables at a beach in Delaware to teaching English in Japan. Now she lives in Wisconsin and works as an instructional designer helping college instructors put their courses online.

As a professional writer, Katie writes picture books and middle grade graphic novels, including Forts and Cassini’s Mission. Her nonfiction essays have appeare

Buy books on Amazon

Harshini Vankineni

Harshini Vankineni is a writer, and a perpetual student of literature and languages. She is an immigrant from India and lives in Southern California with two Light-bearers and a Rock, also known as children and husband. She knows four languages, which makes it impossible for her to ever finish her reading list!

Harshini writes picture books, young adult and new adult fiction. What Color is the Baby? : A Celebration of Skin Tones is her debut picture book by Candlewick Press. She is a member of SCBWI and loves writing conferences, retreats and coffee. In her spare time, you can find her snuggled with her Kindle E-reader or binging a web series.

Buy books on Amazon

C.S. Jennings

Christopher S. Jennings (AKA C.S. Jennings) is an illustrator, and sometimes author, working primarily in the children's media industries. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Buy books on Amazon

Christopher Willard

Total similar authors (28)