Sarah Lynn Baker illustrates with dip pen and ink, pencil, gouache, and digital media, delighting most in capturing the relationships and quiet moments between characters. She also writes picture books and serves as the executive director of SCBWI. Sarah lives in a small village in New York’s Hudson Valley with her husband, two daughters, two sweet rescue dogs, and one grumpy rescue cat. When she’s not drawing or working, you’ll find her hiking in the woods, swimming in hidden swimming holes, and fawning over the children’s section of every bookstore she can find. You can find Sarah on Instagram at @sarahlynnbaker and at her website SarahLynnBaker.com.
BECCA & BUBBE’S BUCKET LIST
Author: Laura Gehl
Illustrator: Sarah Lynn Baker
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books / Penguin Random House
Launches Thu. May 19th, 2026
Synopsis, via the publisher’s website:
“Becca helps her grandmother fulfill a lifelong dream during a vacation packed with “bucket list” fun in this endearing and lively summertime picture book.
After Becca learns the term “bucket list” from her grandmother, she decides to make her own summer bucket list, packed with everything from swimming in the ocean for the first time to baking turtle-shaped challah. But in between a water-balloon fight and a rooftop sleepover, she also has a plan to help Bubbe check an item off her bucket list.
Peppered with Yiddish and Hebrew words and full of affection, this is a joyful and inspiring story that’s perfect for family sharing.”
Q. How did you become illustrator for BECCA & BUBBE?
In September 2023, I got an email in my inbox that was so surprising, I ran downstairs and told my husband that it might not be real. But it was! The email was from Lauri Hornik, publisher of Rocky Pond Books, asking if I’d like to illustrate Becca & Bubbe’s Bucket List, and the manuscript was attached.
I was amazed at how personal the story felt to me. My sister’s name is Becca, my family had just discovered “Trash Can” ice cream at our local ice cream stand (it’s part of the book!) and I knew right away that it should be set on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where my cousin Lore Segal lived, and that Bubbe’s apartment could be based on Lore’s home.
I’ve heard illustrators talk about how they decide if they’ll illustrate a book or not, and I definitely felt a spark of connection, in addition to being so delighted just to be asked to illustrate a book with Rocky Pond!
Q. What was your illustration process?
First, I told lots of people I respect and admire about my impending book deal, and that I was very nervous, and asked for advice. Everyone was so encouraging, and I was reassured over and over again that everyone gets nervous, even illustrators who’ve published many books. I thought back on all the SCBWI Podcasts I’ve listened to over the years, and re-listened to a few, including the episodes with Shadra Strickland and Catia Chien.
I decided not to jump right into thumbnails, but to ruminate on things that would inspire my process, like my favorite books from childhood, photos of me and my sister with our grandmothers and my daughters with their grandmothers, photos of New York City and of Lore Segal’s apartment.
I reached out to my art director, and we had a lovely, long zoom meeting. She was incredibly kind and supportive.
I spent a whole day sketching different versions of Becca, over and over again–trying different shapes, different eyes, different smiles, until the character emerged. And then I finally worked on thumbnails, which was so fun. I thought a lot about a class Marla Frazee taught during a SCBWI Illustrators Intensive. I kept the first thumbnails extremely rough and tried to create a balance of full spreads, single pages, and vignettes, and tried to keep the energy flowing towards the page turns.
I did my first round of rough sketches, and got really wonderful, helpful notes back from Lauri Hornik and my art director, Jennifer Kelly, and the notes came back quickly. They helped me push some of the images further to have more impact, to tell the story more clearly, and to decide between different versions of pages I had offered.
When my revised sketches were due, I treated myself to two and a half days in a cabin to finish it all up at the end. I had a travel light box, a big pad of paper and pencils, and a laptop which was just for playing tv shows in the background (to keep my inner critic distracted from bothering me too much.) I also had my dog, Geordi, who’s the best art companion because he keeps your feet warm and encourages you to get up and take a walk every once in a while.
The notes I got back were a delight, because they were very specific and logistical, and felt totally in service of what I was trying to do with the art–they felt supportive of my vision as the illustrator.
When it was time to do the final art, that’s where my anxiety really took hold. I’d been scared of final art the whole time. I love to sketch and draw, but I’ve never felt confident about my “finished” pieces. I wanted to create something I’d never actually created before, and I didn’t know if I could do it.
A few things helped me. One was examining Tell Me a Mitzi, written by Lore Segal and illustrated by Harriet Pincus. It’s my favorite children’s book, and I’ve read it a million times, but I looked at it with new eyes. I realized that I wanted to draw the line art with black ink and dip pens, my favorite medium, and that I’d use markers for the color, and that I’d really try to go for color choices that felt playful. It also helped me decide on the level of detail I wanted to include in many of the scenes, and how to give the book a cozy, lived-in feeling.
Q. What do you hope young readers will take away from the book?
There are so many great take-aways from Becca & Bubbe! One is to treasure your close relationships with the elders in your life–whether that’s a grandparent, another family member, or a close friend. Another is that it’s so fun to make things by hand, even things that take time and might not be “perfect.” How fun it is to try new things, even ones that might feel scary at first. And, how important it is to ask for help when you need it, and that helping others feels great, too. And they can learn a few Yiddish and Hebrew words, which are so fun and useful, like verklempt!
Q. What advice do you have for young illustrators?
I’ve been hoping and dreaming of becoming a children’s book illustrator since I was a kid, and actively working towards it for about 20 years. I think it’s important to know that the path looks different for everyone. Although I’d been showing my portfolio and getting portfolio reviews for years at SCBWI conferences, I didn’t have an agent when I was offered the book. Luckily I had already done a ton of research on agents and knew who my number one would be, and when I approached her about the book deal, Erica Rand Silverman offered me representation! That’s not the typical story you hear about landing an agent, but it worked out so well.
Look at other illustrators you admire to learn from them and for inspiration, but try not to compare yourself. At different times in my life, I’ve had to take breaks from focusing on illustration because I’d get too caught up in career goals and ego, when what I want to focus on is making art I’m excited about. It’s important to remember to let go of the career stuff sometimes and just play–and I’m definitely trying to take that advice myself right now, too!
Q. What are you excited about next?
I’m excited to promote and celebrate Becca & Bubbe! I’m also eager to set time aside to experiment with new mediums and finish some new portfolio pieces, and to develop some ideas for picture books and chapter books I have brewing!
Interested in seeing more interviews with book creators and other in the industry? See my Interview Archives. I’ve also compiled tips generously offered by interviewees in Advice For Young Writers & Illustrators For Industry Pros.