Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic
Stephanie has done a few things in life. She has sold women shoes and frozen yogurt as well as smelly, expensive body lotion and smellier, even more expensive cheese. She has worked on a Jacques Pepin cooking show and been a cookbook editor. She has written about books, food, parenting, TV, vampire dating habits, cocktail trivia, and picky eating.
She has lived in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Ann Arbor, England, Boston, and San Francisco.
She has attended a swank ball at University of Cambridge with Prince Charles (not that he was her date or anything just that he was also invited) and rebuilt trails with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
Now she writes children's books surrounded by a few kids, a few cats, and one husband. She lov
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Katelyn Aronson
Katelyn Aronson grew up in Southern California, where she went on to work in independent children's bookshops as a handseller, manager, and purchaser.
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She won her first trip to Paris in a bookstore window display contest, and the rest was history. She moved to France permanently a few years later.
She has a degree in Liberal Arts, a degree in Language Didactics, and a bilingual Master’s in English/French from La Sorbonne University, Paris. Today, she lives between France and Switzerland and works as a bilingual language instructor.
She has 8 children's books in the publishing pipeline, as well as poems published in various children's magazines. -
Kate Allen Fox
Kate Allen Fox is an award-winning children’s author from southern California. After working in public health, she combined her passions for science and the written word and began writing picture books that inspire wonder and curiosity about the natural world. Her debut picture book, Pando, A Living Wonder of Trees, was published by Capstone in 2021 and named one of the best books of the year by School Library Journal and Chicago Public Library and a finalist for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award. Little, Brown will publish her second picture book, A Few Beautiful Minutes, in 2023, and Beaming Books will publish Solstice Wish in 2024. Her essays have appeared in several publications, including The New York Times and McSweeney’s. In addition to b
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Veera Hiranandani
Veera Hiranandani is the author of THE NIGHT DIARY, THE WHOLE STORY OF HALF A GIRL, and the chapter book series, PHOEBE G. GREEN. She has an MFA in fiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College and spent six years as a book editor. She now teaches creative writing at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College and lives in New York with her family. She is working on her next novel.
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Jackie Morera
Jackie Morera is a Cuban American author of books for young-at-heart readers. Born and raised in Miami, Jackie now lives with her family in Central Florida. She is a wife, mom, and wildlife lover who is never far from her animal familiar: currently, a floppy black Lab named Tanner. Outside of writing, Jackie enjoys talking to the bees, caterpillars, and butterflies that visit her pollinator garden, savoring pastelitos, and cozying up for a good nap. Jackie is an active member of Las Musas and a 2025 PB Rising Stars Mentor. Jackie is the author of TOGETHER WE REMEMBER, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación; ABUELO'S FLOWER SHOP, illustrated by Deise Lino; and more!
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Christopher Denise
Christopher Denise spent much of his childhood in Shannon, Ireland, exploring castles and dreaming of great adventures. He is the illustrator of many critically acclaimed books for young readers, including Anika Denise’s Bunny in the Middle, Alison McGhee’s Firefly Hollow, and Rosemary Wells’s Following Grandfather, as well as several in Brian Jacques’s award-winning Redwall series. His books have appeared on the Indie Next List and the New York Times bestseller list. Knight Owl (march 2022) marks his author-illustrator debut. Christopher’s current adventures include exploring coastal Rhode Island, where he lives with his family.
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Peter Cheong
Peter Cheong lives in Perth, Western Australia, with his very understanding wife and less understanding cat. He is the illustrator of I’m a Hero Too and the Pow Pow Pig series. Every Night at Midnight is his first book as both author and illustrator. Peter unfortunately cannot turn into a wolf himself but is still trying. You can see more of his work at petercheong.com.
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Shira Boss
Shira Boss lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, three blocks from Central Park. Up In The Leaves is her second book. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Columbia University, including a master’s in journalism. When her Japanese maple tree needed pruning, several people suggested she call arborist Bob Redman. He said it was the smallest tree he has ever worked on (about four feet high, in a pot). Now they have two sons, two whippets – and many more trees.
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Kyle Lukoff
Kyle Lukoff writes books for kids and other people.
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Before becoming a full-time writer, Kyle worked at five bookstores, in four libraries, for three schools, as two genders, through one intersection: people, and books. -
Lauren Castillo
Lauren Castillo received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor winning book Nana in the City, and the new early chapter book series Our Friend Hedgehog. Lauren has also illustrated several critically acclaimed picture books, including Kirkus Prize finalist Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera, Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, and Yard Sale by Eve Bunting. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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Ana Siqueira
Ana Siqueira is from Brazil where she is an award-winning published author. Ana teaches Spanish to elementary children. Besides BELLA’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS, - Beaming Books 2021, and IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA, 2022, Ana also published a book for the educational market El Pato Quiere Uvas.- Teacher’s Discovery. Soon, Ana will have more news about other books. Ana loves being an Abuela and a Vovó. She lives in Florida with her Cuban husband.
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Christina Shawn
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I am a wisdom-seeker, a wonder-weaver, and a magic-believer. What thrills me the most is writing about it all.
I am an author, Reading Specialist, Literacy Coach, English teacher, and mom of 3.
My first book, Lucas Plays, is about the magic of the music that is inside us all.
I have two traditionally published picture books releasing in 2025. There's Always Room for More (Maydani, Chronicle Books, March 2025)
and
No Love Potion (Miller-Gass, The Little Press, Sept 2025)
Find out more about these books and updates on new publications at ChristinaShawn.com -
Breanna J. McDaniel
Top Eight Things to Know About Me:
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1) I’m from Atlanta, GA. To be more specific I grew up in College Park and East Point, GA surrounded by my siblings and cousins. While I will always love how vibrant my home community is, it’s changing quite a bit. I just hope some things never change, especially the menu at Big Daddy’s on Old National! Yum!
2) I write children’s books, my favorite genre is picture books and my first picture book,Hands Up!will be published in 2019 by Dial Books for Young Readers.
3) Growing up I dreamed of being a combo archaeologist/lawyer. I would make huge historical finds and then use my law degree to protect the artifacts that I found. My friends who are attorneys now tell me that’s not exactly how it works¯_(ツ)_/¯ Soooo -
Ann McCallum Staats
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A former educator with a master's degree in education, Ann McCallum Staats is an award-winning author. Her book "Fantastic Flora: The World's Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants" (Candlewick/ MIT Kids Press) shares how some of the weirdest plants survive and thrive. She is also the co-author with astronaut Karen Nyberg of "A Quilt of Stars," releasing Fall, 2026. When she's not writing, Ann travels, mentors, and connects with audiences. Find out more at www.annmccallumbooks.com or on Instagram @annmsbooks or other social media. -
Beatrice Alemagna
Beatrice Alemagna was born in Bologna, Italy in 1973. She graduated from the Istituto Superiore for industrial arts in Urbino, Italy. She has won numerous international awards for her illustration. She now lives in Paris, France, where she works as an author and illustrator as well as a designer of childrens books, posters and collages.
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Cherry Mo
Cherry Mo grew up in Hong Kong and moved to the United States at the age of ten. HOME IN A LUNCHBOX is her debut picture book and was inspired by her first days of school in America. Cherry writes and illustrates stories that she hopes bring young readers a sense of comfort and belonging.
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Praises for HOME IN A LUNCHBOX:
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
July/August 2024 Kids' Indie Next List Pick
"In an exceptional debut, Mo deploys digital illustrations that expertly use selective coloring to depict an experience of finding common ground." — Starred review from Publisher's Weekly
"Inspired by Mo's move from Hong Kong to the United States at the age of 10, this remarkable story about finding comfort in a new home by bringing along fam -
Stephanie Seales
Stephanie Seales is the California-born daughter of Panamanian immigrants. She's also a storyteller, dreamer, doer, and children’s book expert who’s worked in nearly every aspect of the industry. She understands the power of story and follows Toni Morrison’s advice, writing the books she wants to read. She dreams and creates with her magical canine companion, Pan, near the water in the Hudson Valley, NY.
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Randy Cecil
Randy Cecil has illustrated many books for children, including LOOKING FOR A MOOSE by Phyllis Root, And HERE'S TO YOU! by David Elliott, He is also the author-illustrator of GATOR and DUCK. Randy Cecil lives in Houston.
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Buffy Silverman
Author of nonfiction and poetry for young readers. Nature lover with a camera on hand.
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Antwan Eady
Originally from Garnett, South Carolina, Antwan Eady is author of the award-winning picture book Nigel and the Moon, illustrated by Gracey Zhang.
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Down the dirt roads of South Carolina’s Low Country is where Eady’s understanding of—and appreciation for—family, community, and nature unfolded. Now he shares those stories with the world. His upcoming titles include: The Last Stand, Poemhood: Our Black Revival (a Young Adult poetry anthology), The Gathering Table, Micah’s Rise, and Before the Bridge.
When he isn’t writing, he’s visiting schools, libraries, and colleges throughout the country.
A graduate of Clemson University, Antwan now lives in Savannah, Georgia. -
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.
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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 -
Christine Alemshah
Christine Alemshah (she/her) is a biracial Filipina-American children’s author and classically trained vocalist; she is the author of Bea’s Balikbayan Box of Treasures. Christine writes children’s picture books championing innovation and celebrating multiculturalism, often with musical or percussive vibes. She hopes readers will see themselves in the stories she writes. Christine studied psychology and music, earning a bachelor of arts degree from Whittier College. When not writing, Christine enjoys singing karaoke and reading with her husband and two daughters under cozy blankets at their Lake Forest, California, home. Find out more about Christine at christinealemshah.com.
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Matt Hunt
Matt Hunt started out as a fine artist and then developed a love for children’s illustration. He works in mixed media and enjoys creating new and interesting characters influenced by old movies, classic illustration, cartoons, and books. He currently shares a house in Worcestershire, England, with his wife, Hayley, and two cats.
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Danna Zeiger
DANNA ZEIGER, Ph.D. is a former biology professor and researcher who enjoys finding ways to make STEM accessible. After rewriting her own rules, Danna is now a homeschooling mama and passionate children’s book author. As a young scientist, she was lucky to be mentored by the master rule-rewriter and subject of this book, Dr. Kathleen Friel. Danna lives in Massachusetts with her husband, three curious children, two pet chickens, and a bookcase always filled with the maximum number of checked-out library books. Rewriting the Rules is her debut book, and it has earned a starred review from School Library Journal. Learn more about Danna, her books, and her love of all things science at www.dannazeiger.com.
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Daniel Nayeri
Daniel Nayeri is a writer and editor in New York City. He wrote and produced The Cult of Sincerity, the first feature film to be world-premiered by YouTube. He has had all kinds of jobs around books, including book repairman, literary agent, used bookstore clerk, children's librarian, Official Story-Time Reader Leader, editor, copy-editor, and even carpenter (making bookshelves). He's also a professional pastry chef. He loves Street Fighter 2, hates the word "foodie," and is an award-winning stuntman.
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Daniel and his sister/co-writer Dina were both born in Iran and spent many young adult years in Europe. There they learned several languages between them and tried Frosted Flakes for the first time. -
Andrea L. Rogers
Andrea L. Rogers is a writer from Tulsa, Oklahoma and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She graduated from the Institute of American Indian and Alaskan Arts with an MFA in Creative Writing. Currently, she is splitting time between Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she is a Ph.d. student at the University Arkansas and Fort Worth, Texas, where her family lives. Her book Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story was named an NPR Best Book of 202) by both NPR and American Indians in Children’s Literature.
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Ms. Rogers is on the Board of the Fort Worth Public Library.
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, she is currently revising a middle grade mystery, writing an adult literary horror nov -
John Agard
John Agard was born in Guyana and emigrated to Britain in 1977. He has worked as an actor and a performer with a jazz group and spent several years as a lecturer for the Commonwealth Institute, travelling all over Britain giving talks, performances and workshops. He has visited literally thousands of schools and enjoys the live contact and the joy of children responding although it can be hard work.
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John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.
"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."
It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to ch -
Dorson Plourde
Dorson Plourde is a writer and K-5 art educator living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is influenced by the philosophical questions posed in children’s picture books (and by children themselves) as well as the compulsion to stay present in an age rooted in distraction. His work focuses on the intimacies embedded within suburban riff-raff, early onset nostalgia, and the anxieties that determine the day-to-day.
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He is also an expert in owning a falcon, creating shelters, and climbing down Mount Katahdin because books about surviving in the wild are a must in Maine, which is where he grew up.
His debut picture book Garbage Gulls and the Spring 2025 follow up Unnaturally Blue were released by Kids Can Press. -
Lisa Tolin
Lisa Tolin (she/her) is a longtime journalist and picture book author. Her debut picture book, How to Be a Rock Star, illustrated by Daniel Duncan, publishes in 2022.
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Danielle Sharkan
Danielle Sharkan is a former teacher with a background in history, politics, and languages. She has degrees in Political Science and Jewish Studies as well as Middle Eastern Studies and Secondary Education, and taught ESL for ten years. Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, she now lives with her family in Boulder, Colorado. You can find her on Twitter at @DaniraeShark.
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Ann D. Koffsky
Ann D. Koffsky is the author and illustrator of 40+ books, including Ping Pong Shabbat, (Little Bee) and the Kayla & Kugel series, (Apples and Honey Press). Several of her books have been PJ library selections, and her book Noah’s Swimathon received a Sydney Taylor notable designation from the Association of Jewish Libraries.
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Ann is represented by agent Joyce Sweeney at The Seymour Agency. -
Karen Gray Ruelle
I'm a professional writer and illustrator, with 23 children’s books published so far and several others in the works. I write for all ages, from toddlers to adults, and enjoy working on my own, as well as in collaboration with other authors and illustrators.
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In terms of style, my illustrations tend to be more whimsical than realistic, and I've worked in watercolor, oils, pastels, pen and ink, and collage. Lately, I've been experimenting with layering colors in oils and using the resulting swatches to create collage. It makes me happy to work with so many gorgeous, rich colors.
My writing ranges from extensively researched, powerful non-fiction narrative to humorous fiction and poetry, with some folktales and other stories thrown in for fun. I -
Christopher Denise
Christopher Denise spent much of his childhood in Shannon, Ireland, exploring castles and dreaming of great adventures. He is the illustrator of many critically acclaimed books for young readers, including Anika Denise’s Bunny in the Middle, Alison McGhee’s Firefly Hollow, and Rosemary Wells’s Following Grandfather, as well as several in Brian Jacques’s award-winning Redwall series. His books have appeared on the Indie Next List and the New York Times bestseller list. Knight Owl (march 2022) marks his author-illustrator debut. Christopher’s current adventures include exploring coastal Rhode Island, where he lives with his family.
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Lesléa Newman
Lesléa Newman (born 1955, Brooklyn, NY) is the author of over 50 books including Heather Has Two Mommies, A Letter To Harvey Milk, Writing From The Heart, In Every Laugh a Tear, The Femme Mystique, Still Life with Buddy, Fat Chance and Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear.
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She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations.
Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists.
Ms. Newman wrote Heather Has Two Mommies, the first children's book to portray lesbian families in a positive way, and -
Loren Long
I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky in the 1970’s. We had no artists of any kind in the family. We didn’t know any artists. I liked sports, especially baseball. My mother read to me a lot. But I have to admit, my favorite subject in school was gym class. I also liked to draw. My parents encouraged me to keep drawing.
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Kyo Maclear
Kyo Maclear is an essayist, novelist and children’s author. She was born in London, England and moved to Toronto at the age of four with her British father (a foreign correspondent and documentary filmmaker) and Japanese mother (a painter and art dealer).
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Her books have been translated into eighteen languages, published in over twenty-five countries, and garnered nominations from the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction, the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards, the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, the National Magazine Awards, among other honours.
Unearthing: a Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets (2023) was a national bestseller and awarded the Governor General’s Literary Award for No -
Anita Yasuda
Author of UP, UP, EVER UP: JUNKO TABEI'S PIONEERING EVEREST CLIMB, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu (Clarion, 2024)- a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, DIWALI: A FESTIVAL OF LIGHT, illustrated by Darshika Varma (Penguin Random House, 2024), and BOLLYWOOD BEAT, illustrated by Devika Oza (Kids Can Press, 2026), as well as many other children's books. Represented by Lori Steel of SteelWorks Literary.
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Lauren Castillo
Lauren Castillo received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor winning book Nana in the City, and the new early chapter book series Our Friend Hedgehog. Lauren has also illustrated several critically acclaimed picture books, including Kirkus Prize finalist Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera, Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, and Yard Sale by Eve Bunting. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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Matthew Cordell
Matthew Cordell is the acclaimed author and illustrator of the 2018 Caldecott winner Wolf in the Snow. He is also the author and illustrator of Trouble Gum and the illustrator of If the S in Moose Comes Loose, Toot Toot Zoom!, Mighty Casey, Righty and Lefty, and Toby and the Snowflakes, which was written by his wife. Matthew lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife, writer Julie Halpern, and their daughter, Romy.
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Daniel Nayeri
Daniel Nayeri is a writer and editor in New York City. He wrote and produced The Cult of Sincerity, the first feature film to be world-premiered by YouTube. He has had all kinds of jobs around books, including book repairman, literary agent, used bookstore clerk, children's librarian, Official Story-Time Reader Leader, editor, copy-editor, and even carpenter (making bookshelves). He's also a professional pastry chef. He loves Street Fighter 2, hates the word "foodie," and is an award-winning stuntman.
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Daniel and his sister/co-writer Dina were both born in Iran and spent many young adult years in Europe. There they learned several languages between them and tried Frosted Flakes for the first time. -
Kyle Lukoff
Kyle Lukoff writes books for kids and other people.
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Before becoming a full-time writer, Kyle worked at five bookstores, in four libraries, for three schools, as two genders, through one intersection: people, and books. -
Aaron Becker
Aaron Becker has worked as an artist for such film studios as Lucasfilm, Disney, and Pixar, where he helped define the look and feel of characters, stories, and the movies they become a part of. With Journey, he has created characters and worlds of his very own, using traditional materials and techniques. Aaron Becker lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with his wife, daughter, and cat. This is his first book.
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"I’ve made several memorable journeys in my lifetime. I’ve lived in rural Japan and East Africa and backpacked through the South Pacific and Sweden. But to this day, my favorite destination remains my imagination, where you can often find me drawing secret doorways and magic lanterns." — Aaron Becker -
Brendan Wenzel
Brendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator based in upstate New York. His debut picture book, They All Saw a Cat, was a New York Times bestseller and the recipient of a 2017 Caldecott Honor. An ardent conservationist, he is a proud collaborator with many organizations working to ensure the future of wild places and threatened species.
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Stephanie Seales
Stephanie Seales is the California-born daughter of Panamanian immigrants. She's also a storyteller, dreamer, doer, and children’s book expert who’s worked in nearly every aspect of the industry. She understands the power of story and follows Toni Morrison’s advice, writing the books she wants to read. She dreams and creates with her magical canine companion, Pan, near the water in the Hudson Valley, NY.
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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.
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from https://www.readbrightly.com/meet-ill... -
Breanna J. McDaniel
Top Eight Things to Know About Me:
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1) I’m from Atlanta, GA. To be more specific I grew up in College Park and East Point, GA surrounded by my siblings and cousins. While I will always love how vibrant my home community is, it’s changing quite a bit. I just hope some things never change, especially the menu at Big Daddy’s on Old National! Yum!
2) I write children’s books, my favorite genre is picture books and my first picture book,Hands Up!will be published in 2019 by Dial Books for Young Readers.
3) Growing up I dreamed of being a combo archaeologist/lawyer. I would make huge historical finds and then use my law degree to protect the artifacts that I found. My friends who are attorneys now tell me that’s not exactly how it works¯_(ツ)_/¯ Soooo -
Jamie Sumner
Jamie Sumner is the author of the critically-acclaimed middle-grade novels, Roll with It, Tune It Out, and One Kid's Trash. Her forth middle-grade novel The Summer of June hits shelves on May 31st, 2022 with Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She is also the author of the nonfiction parenting books, Eat, Sleep, Save the World and Unbound.
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She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com -
Traci Sorell
Best-selling author and Cherokee Nation citizen Traci Sorell writes inclusive, award-winning fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. In 2023, she shares Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series, a Kirkus Reviews starred nonfiction picture book biography illustrated by Arigon Starr, and Mascot, a middle grade fiction novel-in-verse co-authored with Charles Waters. Traci is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree for her nonfiction work. Her first five books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association. Learn more at www.tracisorell.com.
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Andrea L. Rogers
Andrea L. Rogers is a writer from Tulsa, Oklahoma and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She graduated from the Institute of American Indian and Alaskan Arts with an MFA in Creative Writing. Currently, she is splitting time between Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she is a Ph.d. student at the University Arkansas and Fort Worth, Texas, where her family lives. Her book Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story was named an NPR Best Book of 202) by both NPR and American Indians in Children’s Literature.
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Ms. Rogers is on the Board of the Fort Worth Public Library.
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, she is currently revising a middle grade mystery, writing an adult literary horror nov -
Winsome Bingham
Winsome Bingham is an author and literacy advocate for reading and authentic representation of children and communities in children’s literature. She is a connoisseur of soul food and a master cook (at KidLit dinner parties, reunions, and get-togethers).
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Winsome is a teacher by trade and a US Army war and disabled veteran by circumstance. She received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
You can find her cooking up soul food on Sundays or taking THE WALK to the polls with friends and family. Winsome can also be found writing on a deck while waiting patiently with a camera to capture a submarine shooting out of the water. She lives on a fictional army post called FORT GOODE whe -
Antwan Eady
Originally from Garnett, South Carolina, Antwan Eady is author of the award-winning picture book Nigel and the Moon, illustrated by Gracey Zhang.
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Down the dirt roads of South Carolina’s Low Country is where Eady’s understanding of—and appreciation for—family, community, and nature unfolded. Now he shares those stories with the world. His upcoming titles include: The Last Stand, Poemhood: Our Black Revival (a Young Adult poetry anthology), The Gathering Table, Micah’s Rise, and Before the Bridge.
When he isn’t writing, he’s visiting schools, libraries, and colleges throughout the country.
A graduate of Clemson University, Antwan now lives in Savannah, Georgia. -
Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Shifa Saltagi Safadi was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a young girl. She is a bilingual Arabic/English speaker, and is very familiar with the challenges of learning English and navigating two languages.
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As a mom to four Arab American children and a former English teacher to Middle School students, (and an author!) she now spends her time helping kids develop a love of reading and writing too.
You can learn more about her books on her website shifasafadi.com -
X. Fang
Hello! I’m X. Fang. I am a visual artist and maker of books for young readers. I was born in Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, bounced around Brooklyn and Philly before settling down in Midcoast Maine with my husband, son, and dog.
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Jess Hannigan
Jess Hannigan is an illustrator and author living in Hamilton, Ontario. Her debut picture book was Spider in the Well, followed by her second, The Bear Out There. She has also illustrated for the New York Times, Readers Digest Canada, the Washington Post, and more.
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Cherry Mo
Cherry Mo grew up in Hong Kong and moved to the United States at the age of ten. HOME IN A LUNCHBOX is her debut picture book and was inspired by her first days of school in America. Cherry writes and illustrates stories that she hopes bring young readers a sense of comfort and belonging.
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Praises for HOME IN A LUNCHBOX:
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
July/August 2024 Kids' Indie Next List Pick
"In an exceptional debut, Mo deploys digital illustrations that expertly use selective coloring to depict an experience of finding common ground." — Starred review from Publisher's Weekly
"Inspired by Mo's move from Hong Kong to the United States at the age of 10, this remarkable story about finding comfort in a new home by bringing along fam -
Winsome Bingham
Winsome Bingham is an author and literacy advocate for reading and authentic representation of children and communities in children’s literature. She is a connoisseur of soul food and a master cook (at KidLit dinner parties, reunions, and get-togethers).
Buy books on Amazon
Winsome is a teacher by trade and a US Army war and disabled veteran by circumstance. She received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
You can find her cooking up soul food on Sundays or taking THE WALK to the polls with friends and family. Winsome can also be found writing on a deck while waiting patiently with a camera to capture a submarine shooting out of the water. She lives on a fictional army post called FORT GOODE whe -
Karen Gray Ruelle
I'm a professional writer and illustrator, with 23 children’s books published so far and several others in the works. I write for all ages, from toddlers to adults, and enjoy working on my own, as well as in collaboration with other authors and illustrators.
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In terms of style, my illustrations tend to be more whimsical than realistic, and I've worked in watercolor, oils, pastels, pen and ink, and collage. Lately, I've been experimenting with layering colors in oils and using the resulting swatches to create collage. It makes me happy to work with so many gorgeous, rich colors.
My writing ranges from extensively researched, powerful non-fiction narrative to humorous fiction and poetry, with some folktales and other stories thrown in for fun. I -
Kirsten Pendreigh
Kirsten Pendreigh is a children’s author and poet from Vancouver.
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Her books include: MAYBE A WHALE (a JLG Gold Standard and Horn Book Fanfare Book),
WHEN A TREE FALLS (a PW Starred Review), WHAT FISH ARE SAYING (a SLJ Starred Review) and LUNA'S GREEN PET (a Today Show best book pick).
Kirsten’s poems are found in Canadian literary magazines and anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2021. Kirsten is a former CBC and NPR journalist. -
Kelly Crull
Kelly Crull is the author of a parenting book, Becoming Dad , a children's book, Clara Has a Baby Brother, and a parenting blog, spaindad.com, which was one of Google's top-ranked "baby blogs," syndicated by a number of online dad networks and featured as a link at Glamour.com. He has been featured as a new voice in parenting in various La Leche League newsletters, The Father Life magazine, AttachmentParenting.com and DIYFather.com. His parenting videos have appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Slate.com, Marca.com and have received YouTube's "Top 50 Videos of the Week" award. Kelly is originally from Iowa. He lives with his wife and two children in Madrid, Spain.
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Download a significant chunk of Kelly's most recent book, Beco -
Kelly Conroy
Children’s book writer and poet, Kelly Conroy, is 50% silly, fun-loving, never-grow-up big kid and 50% hard-working, focused, analytical actuary. She loves all things magical, whimsical, and numerical, and her goal in life is to make people smile.
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Her books include YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING (Tiger Tales, 2024) and I SEE YOU IN THE STARS: A ZODIAC BOOK FOR BABIES (Familius, 2026).
She was initially inspired to write by her cousins, Stan and Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berenstain Bears, and continues to be inspired by her two rambunctious sons and mini goldendoodle, Chewy. To learn more about her, please visit www.kellyconroy.com or follow her on Instagram @KellyConroyBooks. Kelly is represented by Sarah Stephens at Red Fox Literary. -
Brendan Wenzel
Brendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator based in upstate New York. His debut picture book, They All Saw a Cat, was a New York Times bestseller and the recipient of a 2017 Caldecott Honor. An ardent conservationist, he is a proud collaborator with many organizations working to ensure the future of wild places and threatened species.
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Loren Long
I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky in the 1970’s. We had no artists of any kind in the family. We didn’t know any artists. I liked sports, especially baseball. My mother read to me a lot. But I have to admit, my favorite subject in school was gym class. I also liked to draw. My parents encouraged me to keep drawing.
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Ty Chapman
Ty Chapman is an author and poet based in Minnesota. He is the author of SARAH RISING (Beaming 2022); LOOKING FOR HAPPY (Beaming 2023); STOKES, written with John Coy (Lerner 2024); JAMES FINDS THE BEAT (Free Spirit 2024); and TARTARUS (Button Poetry 2024). Ty was a 2022 Center for Arts + Social Justice Fellow; an award used to support a speculative work in progress with social justice themes. He was also a Mirrors & Windows fellow, as well as a Mentor Series fellow.
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Suzy Levinson
Suzy Levinson is a children’s author and poet whose work has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines. ANIMALS IN PANTS (Abrams) is her debut picture book–length poetry collection. Her next, DINOS THAT DRIVE (Tundra Books), will hit shelves in 2025. She lives in New York.
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Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is a Grammy Award winning singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She is known as a prolific artist (having released nineteen albums) and is widely celebrated as a feminist icon.
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Nathan Christopher
Nathan Christopher is a former child and aspiring adult who enjoys spreadsheets and—perhaps more useful to his writing aspirations—making people laugh. He pens his stories (and his letters to Santa) in Windsor, Canada, where he lives with his wife and children—who ensure endless material and a conveniently sleepless schedule for writing.
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Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis is a teacher, artist, writer, and innovator who uses her words and pictures to light up the world with kindness. After losing her father at a young age, Amanda turned to art and writing as an outlet. It became her voice. A way to cope. A way to escape. And a way to tell her story. She was thus inspired to teach art and pursue her passion for writing and illustrating children's books. Through her work, Amanda empowers younger generations to tell their own stories and offers children and adults an entryway into a world of discovery. A world that can help them make sense of themselves, others, and the community around them. A world where they can navigate, imagine, and feel inspired—over and over again. When she’s not busy creatin
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Ronald L. Smith
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I grew up on Air Force bases and have lived in Japan, Maine, Alabama, Michigan, South Carolina, Delaware, Washington, DC, Illinois and a bunch of other places I don’t remember. After reading Ray Bradbury’s R is for Rocket and Eleanor Cameron’s Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet I fell in love with books.
I haven’t stopped reading since.
HOODOO is my debut middle-grade novel. My second novel, THE MESMERIST, is available February, 2017.
My work is represented by Adriann Ranta of Foundry Literary + Media.
My publisher is Clarion, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. -
A.J. Irving
A.J. Irving grew up in Boise, Idaho, writing stories and daydreaming about becoming an author. Now, she writes picture books and poetry beneath an old elm tree in Salt Lake City. A.J. is the author of Dance Like a Leaf, The Wishing Flower, and The Bi Book (Knopf BFYR, May 2025).
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As a children’s author and former bookmobile librarian, A.J. is passionate about inspiring kids to love books. When she’s not reading, writing, or dancing, she enjoys exploring Utah with her husband, two children, and their English bulldogs. Learn more at www.ajirving.com -
Polly Carlson-Voiles
Polly Carlson-Voiles grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, spending memorable long summers in Hawaii, Virginia, and the north woods of Minnesota. Stray animals, wild animals, deep woods, ocean waves, storms and lakes helped shape her love for science and the natural world. During high school and college she discovered the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness, which became a lifelong magnet. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in English and Art, she lived in California for several years before moving back to Minnesota to teach special education and English.
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Polly's interest in writing for children ranges from poetry, picture books, non-fiction, and middle grade novels. Her teaching spanned grades K-12 in settings from elementary t -
Carlos Matias
Carlos Matias is second-generation Dominican born and raised in Queens. He currently resides in the Bronx, and he received a master’s in branding + integrated communications with a copywriting concentration from City College of New York. His writing has been featured in the New York Times, Taste, Bon Appétit, and Edible Bronx. Emergency Quarters is his first picture book.
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Moniza Hossain
Moniza Hossain is a Singaporean author who writes books full of magic and wonder for children. When she’s not busy writing, she teaches English literature and paints dragons.
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Nancy White Carlstrom
Nancy White Carlstrom has written more than 50 books for children, including the Jesse Bear series with illustrator Bruce Degan.
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Born the daughter of steel mill worker William J. and Eva (Lawrence) White, Nancy White Carlstrom was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, on August 4, 1948. She practiced writing poetry, enjoyed reading books like Little Women, and wanted to become a children’s book author at an early age. Carlstrom worked in the children’s department of her local library in Washington during her high school years. She graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, majoring in Elementary Education and earning her B.A. in 1970, also studying at Harvard Extension School and Radcliffe from 1974 to 1976. In September of 1974, she m -
Gabriela Orozco Belt
Gabriela Orozco Belt is a children’s book author who lives in a small town in the Mojave Desert. Inspired by her experiences of growing up bilingual and bicultural, she writes stories for children so they can see themselves in books. Gaby’s debut picture book, Only for a Little While, serves to soften and process the feeling of being uprooted and see change as a temporary difficulty that families can get through with mutual support. When not teaching, writing, or reading, she can be found spending time with her husband, three children, and extended family.
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Sarah Hovorka
Sarah Hovorka writes lots of stuff. Unlike Goldilocks, every genre she tries feels just right. Her three sons provide her plenty of fodder for her children’s books while her reading list influences the rest.
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Beyond reading and writing, Sarah loves to play games, bike ride, eat chocolate, and enjoy trees…when she’s not too busy homeschooling. You can find out more about her, her books, and follow her blogs at www.SarahHovorka.com. -
Frank Berrios
I was born and raised in Spanish Harlem, Queens, and the Bronx. As a New York kid, I remember riding graffiti-covered subways and hearing hip-hop blaring from parks and passing cars on the street. I loved my city. It was always buzzing with activity and different things for kids to see and do.
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But I also loved to just sit and read. It started with daily comic strips like Peanuts by Charles Schulz. Then I discovered Mad Magazine and superhero comics like Batman, Spider-Man and Black Panther. These stories dealt with heroes and villains, innocence and guilt, freedom and justice. I became interested in justice and the legal system and was encouraged to become a lawyer. I had enjoyed working with kids as a counselor at a summer day camp, so I al -
Deborah Chancellor
Deborah Chancellor is a writer of fiction and non-fiction books for children. To date she has written nearly 100 books and worked with many leading publishers. Deborah is a versatile author who has written biographies for teenagers, adapted Bible stories for pre-school children, and teenage fiction for older children with reading difficulties. She is a prolific writer of children's non-fiction on a wide range of subjects.
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She has been translated into many languages and is sold all over the world. Her books have been shortlisted for awards, such as the Little Rebels Award (Harriet Tubman, 2014) and Gourmand World Cookbook Awards (Being a Vegetarian, 2010).
Deborah is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund, and was RFL Fellow at Newnham -
Norma Kassirer
Norma Kassirer, a native of Buffalo, NY, is best known for her classic children's book Magic Elizabeth, a chapter book for middle-grade children that is featured in Eden Ross Lipson's New York Times Parents Guide to the Best Books for Children (Revised and Updated Edition). It was first published by The Viking Press in 1966 and subsequently by Scholastic, Random House, and Harper Collins in paperback editions. Generations of children continue to enjoy this timeless story, which has garnered 78 ratings on Amazon.com and 50 five-star rave reviews. Another chapter book, The Doll Snatchers, was also published by The Viking Press a couple of years later.
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And now, a previously unpublished beginning chapter book of hers, The Knitting Witch, will b -
María J. Guarda
I am María Jesús, a Chilean illustrator living in Santiago. I studied graphic design at the Catholic University of Chile, a Master's in Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts (University of the Arts in London) and a Master's in Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Arts (Anglia Ruskin University). I currently work as a freelance in illustration and design and I also teach illustration classes in the Art Diploma course at the Catholic University of Chile.
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Jenny Liao
Jenny Liao was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is a proud child of immigrants and her writing focuses on inspiring readers to find pride in every part of their identity. Her work has been featured in the New Yorker and Bon Appétit.
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When Jenny isn't writing, she’s eating. No matter where she is in the world, she’s always searching for the local form of fried potato or Chinese food. Jenny currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two calico cats, Donut and Beignet. She is the author of Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia, Everyone Loves Career Day but Zia, and With You In Spirit.
You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @jeliao or jeliao.com. -
Chris Monroe
Chris Monroe's humor and intricate illustrations draw high praise from reviewers and bloggers alike. Chris is also the author and illustrator of Totally Uncool and the long-running comic strip Violet Days. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.
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Cheryl Lawton Malone
Cheryl Lawton Malone spent much of her youth migrating with her family to places like The Hague and London. She was a biotech attorney for 25 years before she decided to write full-time. Following the award of her MFA from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, she taught creative writing at Lesley and at Grub Street in Boston, and now writes and consults from her home in MA. She has an amazing husband, three grown children, a gorgeous grandson, and two Irish Wheaten terriers that give her an excuse to travel to Ireland whenever she can. Her debut picture book, the acclaimed Dario and the Whale (Albert Whitman) released in 2016, followed by Elephants Walk Together (Albert Whitman, 2017). In 2023, she'll launch her newest picture book, Featherita
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