Interviews (scroll down) with book creators and others in the children’s book community. I’m still gradually moving these over from the old site; thanks for your patience.
Many of these book creators were kind enough to offer useful Advice For Young Writers and Illustrators.
Benson Shum is a children’s book author and illustrator. He uses watercolor, ink and digital tools to create his illustrations. His books, Anzu the Great Listener and Anzu the Great Kaiju were selected as Kid’s Indie Next List Recommended by American Booksellers Association, and received a starred review from School . . .
By Julie Damerell Tyler Charlton is an illustrator and children’s book author living in northern Virginia with his wife and three children. He is a native of Southern California and grew up near the beach where he played in actual, real waves. That experience gave him a way to think . . .
By Julie Damerell Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Jack Wong (黃雋喬) now calls Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) home, where he works as a children’s author/illustrator. A self-declared actual Jack-of-all-trades, he’s also tried his hand at bridge engineering, psychology research, bookkeeping, and running his own bicycle repair shop—a . . .
By Julie Damerell Karen M. Greenwald hopes that the stories she tells about real heroes hidden by history inspire, educate, and delight. She co-founded #SunWriteFun, an annual online kidlit nonfiction writing contest, and raises money for need-based kidlit charities. She is also an international award-winning brand strategist. Her debut, A . . .
MIRA AND BAKU is written by Sara Truuvert and illustrated by Michelle Theodore, and launches from Annick Press this fall! It will be Sara’s debut into children’s books. Annick Press found Sara through her poetry, and had no idea that Sara had both a mother and aunt in the children’s . . .
Paul Coccia is the author of Cub, The Player, I Got You Babe, the upcoming Leon Levels Up,and is co-author of On The Line with Eric Walters. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and is often found baking in his Toronto kitchen with . . .
Kaz Windness loves to make her readers laugh. Kaz is an award-winning, genre-crossing illustrator and author of heart-warming books for young readers. Proudly autistic, Kaz specializes in character-driven books celebrating inclusivity, grit, and kindness. Her fifteen books include “Swim, Jim!” (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, May 2022), “Worm and Caterpillar . . .
From time to time, I post a thread in Twitter inviting kidlit illustrators seeking representation to post an art sample. I’m always thrilled to hear when agents and illustrators find each other this way! Lori Steel of Red Fox Literary signed Christopher Thornock as a client as a result of . . .
Teresa Robeson is the APALA Picture Book Award-winning author of QUEEN OF PHYSICS (also ILA Nonfiction PB Honor and NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Recommended Book). Other publications include TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING and an essay in NONFICTION WRITERS DIG DEEP, edited by Melissa Stewart. More about Teresa at TeresaRobeson.com, Twitter, Instagram . . .
I met Molly Ruttan through the SCBWI Illustrator Mentee Program years ago, and I am excited about her upcoming new picture book, SOMETHING WILD, which launches soon from Nancy Paulsen Books/PRH. Molly’s story explores the butterflies of anxiety that come with stage fright, and the joy and magic of facing . . .