Picture Book Palooza Contributors Bios
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Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing, banana-boat riding, and visiting critique buddies all around the world. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences and on her blog, Picture Books Help Kids Soar where she hosts the #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest and the #50PreciousWordsforKids Challenge. She is the author of numerous picture books. You can connect with her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, or just about any place people where picture books are found.
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Nancy's books include The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game; Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank; Manjhi Moves a Mountain; Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring; and Charlie Takes His Shot: How Charlie Sifford Broke the Color Barrier in Golf
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A native New Yorker, Nancy Churnin is a graduate of Harvard University, with a master's from Columbia University. She lives in North Texas with her husband, a dog named Dog and two cantankerous cats. You’ll also find her hanging out with her friends and fellow children’s book authors as one of the Nonfiction Ninjas on Nonfiction-Ninjas.com, as one of the Nonfiction Chicks organizing the annual nffest.com and as one of the Book Meshuggenahs, organizing an annual Chai-ku contest for kids. Nancy is a proud member of 12X12 and the PALS coordinator for the North Texas chapter of SCBWI. She loves to Skype and do in person Author Visits.
www.nancychurnin.com/ |
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Alice Faye Duncan is a National Board Library Media Specialist who writes books for children. She is the author of Honey Baby Sugar Child, A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks, and Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop, a 2019 Coretta Scott King Honor Medal. Her new book Just Like a Mama is a lyrical read-aloud that celebrates children who are chosen, cherished and loved. Free lesson plans are available at www.alicefayeduncan.com.
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Sue's books include 13 Ways to Eat a Fly; Diet For a Changing Climate; Food As Fuel; Super Science Are Ants Like Plants?; and How Muscles Work (The Human Machine)
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Sue Heavenrich is a curious naturalist and is particularly amazed by the diversity of insects that visit her garden. After years as a journalist she is trading in her reporter's notebooks and writing for children. Her 2018 book, DIET FOR A CHANGING CLIMATE: FOOD FOR THOUGHT (co-authored with Christy Mihaly) shows how we can help reduce greenhouse gases - and maybe help solve global hunger - by putting bugs, weeds, and invasive species on our plates. Recipes included. When not writing, Sue volunteers as a citizen scientist, counting bees and monitoring water quality in local streams.
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Melissa Stoller is the author of The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection Series; four picture books: Ready, Set, GOrilla!, Scarlet's Magic Paintbrush, Sadie's Shabbat Stories (coming 2020) and Return of the Magic Paintbrush (coming 2021); the adult flash fiction compilation Kvelling, Kvetching, and Kibitzing: Celebrating Jewish Life (coming 2020); the family book club guide The Parent-Child Book Club: Connecting With Your Kids Through Reading; and many parenting articles. Melissa is an active member of SCBWI, a volunteer with SCBWI Metro-NY, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a Moderator for the Debut Picture Book Study Group, an Assistant and Blogger for the Children's Book Academy, and a Member of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge. A former practicing attorney and legal research and writing instructor, Melissa lives in Manhattan with her husband, three daughters, and one puppy. When not writing, she can be found observing the stars, swimming in the sea, and searching for treasure.
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Claire's books include Evie's Field Day: More than One Way to Win; Out and About with George in Stanislaus County; Out and About with George in Kern County; and George Makes a Splash
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Claire Noland is the author of easy readers, board books, and picture books for young children. She knows that everyone who reads is a winner and as a children’s librarian, reading specialist, and author, her life’s goal is to excite kids about books and reading.
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Bryan Patrick Avery discovered a love of magic and mystery at the age of four, after receiving a magic set and his first Bobbsey Twins Mystery book. Today, he is an award-winning poet and author, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Mystery Writers of America. He's also a life member of the Society of American Magicians (which was once led by Harry Houdini) and charter member of the International Association of Black Magical Artists. Bryan's greatest joy is making stories appear out of thin air.
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Sandra books include The Real Farmer in the Dell and Stan's Frightful Halloween.
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As far as stories go, Sandra Sutter's journey to becoming a children's book author would take too much time to read and be incredibly boring. The condensed version is that she became a writer "for real" after attending her first SCBWI conference in the winter of 2017. After that, I was hooked and off on a new adventure. You can find her working on multiple projects at any given time. Maybe a picture book with humor and word-play, a concept book, narrative non-fiction or historical fiction, a quiet bedtime story, or even a rhyming text or two. She also writes chapter books and middle grade, and have a young adult novel in the works. Every once in a while, a poem or sketch will make it into the mix. She lives in the beautiful town of Saratoga Springs, New York with her husband, Wes, and their two spunky, adorably sweet kids. Originally from Northern Colorado, Sandra's love of the West tends to get sprinkled throughout her stories, including her debut picture book, The Real Farmer in the Dell.
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Tina's debut book is Walkout
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Tina Shepardson was that child who LOVED to write stories on paper (yes, on paper), draw pictures, hole punch them, tie with string and yarn, and read them to the younger kids in her neighborhood. The crinkling sound of the pages was her favorite sound in the world! She even made paper doll characters to act out the scenes. This was a huge door opener for her into babysitting and eventually teaching. As an author, she is thrilled to share her stories! Tina's mission is to inspire children to be the best person they can be and to nurture their love of reading.
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Jolene Ballard Gutierrez was born in Sterling, Colorado in 1974. She grew up on a farm in northeastern Colorado and has many fond memories of farm life, including riding horses and looking for arrowheads. She also has many nasty memories of farm life, including falling in a puddle of pig poop and eating Rocky Mountain Oysters before she learned that they aren't really oysters. Jolene met her soulmate in high school and eventually married him. They have 2 amazing children, a girl and a boy. They live near Denver, Colorado. Jolene's been a school librarian for the past 25 years and loves helping students find their perfect book. Her dream is that the books she writes will become someone's perfect book. One of her other dreams is to change the world, one reader at a time. She has lots of dreams. None of them include Rocky Mountain Oysters.
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Vincent's books include How I Learned to Fall Out of Trees; Can You Find Pup?; From Archie to Zack; Noah Webster and His Words; and The Hole Story of the Doughnut
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Vincent X. Kirsch is an author, illustrator, playwright and screenwriter living in Asheville, North Carolina. In the past, he has lived in Florence (Italy), New York City and Boston. His most recent illustrations are two-dimensional adaptations of the "Paper Box Playhouse" toy theaters that he has been fiddling around with for most of his life. Vincent's work is very influenced by theater, puppetry, poster art, classical painting techniques and Hollywood films. His whimsical character designs and storylines range from the fantastically out-of-this-world to inspiringly down-to-earth.
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Mindy's books include In My Mosque and One Wish: How Fatima al-Fihri Built the World's Oldest University (both coming out soon).
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M.O. Yuksel is a multi-cultural children's book author with a passion for research and writing stories about diverse historical figures, whimsical characters, and fascinating cultures. She has a B.A. in English Literature from Fordham University, and an M.A. in Central Asian History and International Affairs from Columbia University. When not writing, M.O. Yuksel is usually on the soccer field cheering for her kids, or traveling to exotic places, immersing herself in the local culture. She loves nature, bike riding, and eating shameless amounts of chocolate. She teaches yoga and meditation when she's not bouncing off the walls from indulging in shameless amounts of chocolate. Once in a while, she'll venture to teach her friends how to pronounce her real name - Munevver (Mar-vel-ous). But her friends never make it past the Mar and prefer to use her nickname - Mindy. She lives in New Jersey with her three sons, one husband, and a flying carpet. She has written several picture books and a middle-grade novel. She can't wait to share them with you in the near future.
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Karen’s debut book Whole Whale is coming out soon. She is also the creator of Conscious Style Guide,, Editors of Color, and AP vs. Chicago
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Karen Yin is a debut author whose picture book, WHOLE WHALE (Barefoot Books, May 2021), is a #DVpit success story. Acclaim for her writing includes a Lambda Literary Fellowship (which promotes LGBTQ+ voices), a Tending Space Fellowship, and a grant from Table 4 Writers Foundation. Winner of the ACES Robinson Prize in 2017 for furthering the craft of professional editing, Karen founded Conscious Style Guide to spread mindful language. Karen belongs to the Authors Guild, the Dramatists Guild, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives with her partner and their cat friends on a mountain not too far from Los Angeles. Find her at karenyin.com
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Patricia's books include Neema’s Reason to Smile; Sea Otter Heroes; Plastic, Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch; Biofuels; and Water Power
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Patricia Newman’s books inspire young readers to seek connections to the real world. She writes about social justice issues such as the environment and equal access to education to encourage readers to use their imaginations to solve real-world problems and act on behalf of their communities. Titles include Planet Ocean (March 2021); Neema’s Reason to Smile; Sea Otter Heroes; Plastic, Ahoy!; Zoo Scientists to the Rescue; and Eavesdropping on Elephants. She is the recipient of a Robert F. Sibert Honor from the American Library Association, and her books have received starred reviews, Green Earth Book Awards, a Parents’ Choice Award; been honored as Junior Library Guild selections; and been included on Bank Street College’s Best Books lists.
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Kimba's books inlcude Irma the Inventor & the Vampire Spiders; Demon’s Ink; and Morgaine LeFay and The Viking.
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Kimbra Kasch grew up in a family with 9 kids with her grandma living in the back bedroom. So, I guess it's not surprising that she has a few stories to tell. Kimbra has been writing stories since she was a little girl and has had five books published with three different publishing companies. She has one middle grade novel and three young adult novels as well as an adult romance and multiple magazine articles published. Kimbra is an Oregon Co-Regional Advisor for The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a nonprofit organization, is the only professional organization specifically for individuals who write and illustrate for children and young adults. Membership in SCBWI is open to anyone with an active interest in children’s literature, from picture books to young adult novels.
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Mira's books include Just Like Me; Where Fireflies Dance; Baby Rattlesnake; Uncle Nacho’s Hat; and Leaving For America
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Hullo, I'm Dr. Mira Reisberg AKA the Picture Book Whisperer and now I'm whispering other things as well. I'm one of those that creativity saved and now I have a fabulous life helping others with their creativity. This is my personal website, which I tend to neglect, but here you'll find out about the children's books that I've made, my personal art, and a little about the Children's Book Academy, a fabulous international, online children's book writing and illustrating school that I founded way back in 2012 after leaving academia.
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Maggie's debut book is Joy The Pandacorn
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As soon as Maggie Lauren Brown could talk, she began telling stories. She "wrote" my first story at age 2, dictating it to her mom, complete with a (pretty exciting!) plot line. These days, she aims to spark little imaginations with a sense of wonder and delight through picture books and middle grade novels. After studying Creative Writing and Political Science at The University of Minnesota, she logically chose beluga whales as coworkers and became a professional synchronized swimmer. She performed for 10 years in cirque shows—Le Reve at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas and Azul at SeaWorld in San Antonio—and worked as a mermaid-for-hire. From there, she began a new sort of performance career--as a teacher. She taught high school English and elementary Language Arts, and credits her students for teaching her exactly what makes kids fall in love with books. My current starring role of “Mama” is perhaps the most important of all. You can find her telling stories to her son, husband, and hairless cat in The Woodlands, Texas. she is a member of SCBWI and 12X12 Picture Book Challenge, a Children's Book Academy Graduate, and is represented by Adria Goetz of Martin Literary Management.
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Lynne Marie literallylynnemarie.com is the author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten - illustrated by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic, 2011), Hedgehog's 100th Day of School – illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic, January 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play -- illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books, 10/16/2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares -- illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling, 2019) and her first non-fiction picture book, Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World -- illustrated by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books, 2019) and more forthcoming. When she’s not cruising around the world, she lives on a lake in South Florida with her family, a Schipperke named Anakin and several resident water birds.
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Jen's debut book is Little Medusa's Hair Do-lemma
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Jen Buchet has spent 15 years in the advertising field but doesn’t really enjoy marketing herself. Here are 5 Fun Facts about her, in no particular order: 1) she loves talking to people & connecting, just not over the phone; 2) Jigs, reels & hornpipes--all the way!; 3) An ancient castle was once her playground; 4) Painting is right up there with ironing for her, unless it’s painting with kiddos; 5) she loves trying out new flavors & cuisines, but she's not a fan of jellyfish or bleu cheese. And of course, she LOVES writing!
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Shannon's books include Can U Save the Day and How One Deaf Girl Changed Percussion, coming out soon.
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Shannon Stocker is an award-winning author and proud word nerd who loves all letters equally. She lives with her husband, Greg, and her children, Cassidy and Tye, in Louisville, KY, where she molds the alphabet into picture books and songs all day. Shannon currently serves as SCBWI social co-director for Louisville, a judge for Rate Your Story, and created the blog series, Pivotal Moments: inHERview, highlighting transitional life stories of female picture book authors. To subscribe to her blog, visit her website, http://www.shannonstocker.com/blog/. She can also be found tweeting positive quotes, mantras, and adorable animal pics @iwriteforkidz. Shannon is represented by Allison Remcheck of Stimola Literary Studio.
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Miri's books include Penny and the Plain Piece of Paper and Scribble and Author
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Miri Leshem-Pelly is an author and illustrator of children’s books. She loves using her imagination to create new worlds out of words and colors. Miri has published 15 children’s books so far, and she loves meeting with her young readers on author visits (in-person or virtually). She is also the regional advisor of the Israeli chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Miri lives in Israel, in a city called Hadera, with her husband and two children, and when she's not writing or illustrating, she enjoys reading books, going on nature hikes, and watching funny movies.
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Daniells's books include Fantastic You; Waiting Together; and You Are Your Strong
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Danielle Dufayet have been an artist all her life. Her mother, Artist, Suzanne Sable, www.suzannesable.com and father, Pierre Dufayet were extraordinary artists. Both came to the United States from Paris, France. She was born in Yonkers, New York and raised in Monterey, CA. She has studied art through private tutorship, various classes and workshops by renown and accomplished artists. When she was young, Danielle learned cartooning. She also went on to do my own stain glass designs, ceramics, fused glass, collage, oil painting and acrylic painting.
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Shannon's books include Y is for Yet; Penelope Perfect; Coasting Casey; Monster & Dragon Write Poems; and Maggot Man
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Shannon Anderson is an award-winning author, teacher, and national speaker. She served as an SCBWI Regional Advisor for Indiana for four years, was named one of the top 10 teachers who inspired the Today Show in 2019, and was named the JC Runyon Person of the Year for her work writing about social and emotional issues for kids.
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Kathryn's books include Zero; One; Two; Beautiful Hands; and Draw the Line
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Kathryn Otoshi is a multi-award winning author/illustrator and national/international speaker best known for her character-building book series, "Zero", "One", and "Two". She goes to schools across the country to encourage kids to develop strong character assets, and helps teachers find customized, creative methods to engage and connect with their students through art, reading and the power of literature. Her latest book, "Beautiful Hands", co-authored with Bret Baumgarten, is a call-to-action book reminding kids to use their hands to do something positive and inspirational for each other and our communities. Her upcoming book, "Draw the Line", about boundaries and conflict-resolution, will be coming out in 2017.
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Callie's books include Ben's West Texas Snow and How to Babysit a Logan
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Callie Metler-Smith www.calliemetlersmith.com is the CEO and founder of Clear Fork Media Group in Stamford, Texas. She answers to the following titles: Publisher of Books, Newspaper Chick, Bookstore Owner, Writer, Illustrator, Mom, and Friend. Callie is the illustrator for the Enchanted Snow Globe Chapter Book series written by Melissa Stoller, and she has also written two other books: Swensons, Penick, and the TCR and Ben’s West Texas Snow. Callie’s third book, How to Babysit a Logan tells the reader about autism from the perspective of her son Logan’s cat and was released last year.
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Mira's books include Just Like Me; Where Fireflies Dance; Baby Rattlesnake; Uncle Nacho’s Hat; and Leaving For America
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Dr. Mira Reisberg is a multi-published award-winning children's book illustrator and author whose books have sold over 600,000 copies. Besides running the Children's Book Academy, she is also an acquiring Editor and Art Director at Clear Fork Publishing's children's book imprint Spork. Mira is also a former children's literary agent, and a university professor who taught kid lit writing and illustrating courses as well as teacher ed. She has a PhD in Education and Cultural Studies with a focus on children's literature and has helped MANY writers and illustrators get published. Her job at Spork allows her to help even more people.
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Rosie Ahmed is an assistant editor with Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers. Before that, she was an editorial assistant at Dial and the former Kathy Dawson Books. Rosie has interned with Bloomsbury Children’s and the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency, and earned her MA in Creative Writing at the University of South Dakota. She works on picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, and nonfiction that give children the stories they need in order to thrive.
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Kaitlyn Sanchez is a mom, wife, associate literary agent at Olswanger Literary, middle school math teacher, and picture book author. She's also the co-creator and co-host of the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest, creator and co-host of the Kidlit Fall Writing Frenzy Contest, and one of the hosts along with her critique group 6 Ladies and a MANuscript, of Kidlit Zombie Week. For her literary agent wishlist and submissions information, check my Literary Submissions page or her Publisher’s Marketplace profile. In her free time, she plays soccer, binge-watches shows on Hulu, and, of course, reads. Kaitlyn's favorite stories are historical fiction; short stories are her jam. She's recently gotten into dramas, fantasies, mysteries, and romances. And of course, she LOVES picture books! Especially when her husband, daughter, and she all cozy up and read together. Her blog on this website consists of her original pieces, reviews, contests, and author interviews!
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Lisa's Book include Sadie's Shabbat Stories; Teddy; Ted and Todd: A Toad Tale - Part I; and Ted and Todd: A Toad Tale - Part II, all coming out later this year.
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Lisa Goldberg is an illustrator with a background in architecture. She's illustrated two picture books coming out in 2020: Sadie's Shabbat Stories and Teddy. A member of the SCBWI and graduate of the Children's Book Academy, she lives on the Lower East Side of New York City with her husband, daughter, and two spoiled cats.
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Chantelle and Burgen's books include The Real Farmer in the Dell; Stan's Frightful Halloween; Wanda; and Mommy Loves You.
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Chantelle and Burgen Thorne are internationally published illustrators with over 25 years experience in publishing. The two are now focusing on picture books for children with several titles being released this year. The magic of children’s books is that they’re not just for kids. Avid bookworms themselves, they take great delight in the visual storytelling of picture books, art and text working together, every word and every image adding to the reader’s experience. Both have fond memories of being read to as children and this inspires them to make their illustrations as engaging, honest and relevant to young readers as they possibly can – what a wonderful way to spend one’s working day!
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Fia's books include My Trip to the Alphabet Zoo, a personalized picture book with Shutterfly, and Joy the Pandacorn, coming out later this year.
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Fia Kilbourn is a confirmed bookworm who was once kicked out of math class for trying to sneak in the ending to a novel. (She was so close to the end! She just had to know what happened!) Her background in graphic design and literary studies shines through in her artwork. In 2018, Fia illustrated My Trip to the Alphabet Zoo, a personalized picture book with Shutterfly, written by SueAnn Kiser. In 2017, she was awarded honorable mention in the SCBWI San Francisco North & East Oktoberfest Portfolio Showcase. When she's not expressing herself through drawing, Fia is also knitting, crocheting, or tik tok dancing. She also considers selecting the perfect gift an art form. Joy the Pandacorn, her debut picture book, is coming out soon.
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Carol's debut picture book, The Star Festival, is coming out soon.
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Like many authors who write for children, Carol Kim grew up as an avid reader. Books were her portal into the world. They allowed her, a cautious and introverted child, to be a bold explorer. As a child of Korean immigrants, Carol didn't see herself in a lot of those books she read. Now, as a children’s writer, she loves being able to create stories for kids that pique their interest in new subjects, that entertain them, and that expand their worlds. She also loves being able to include characters and subjects that share the Korean-American experience with kids. Carol has lived on both coasts and is now in the middle south in Texas. She writes picture books, chapter books, nonfiction and fiction, and hopes to branch out into middle grade as well. Carol is also a member of SCBWI, a Children’s Book Academy graduate, #PBChat 2019 mentee (with Katey Howes!), and 2020 Austin SCBWI Cynthia Leitich Smith Writer Mentee (with Liz Garton Scanlon!).
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Moni's debut picture book, The Star Festival, is coming out soon.
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Moni Ritchie Hadley grew up in a military family and bounced back and forth from the USA to Japan. Daydreaming was a favorite pastime. She received a BA in Psychology at UCLA and later became a home/hospital teacher for the LAUSD, where she taught students unable to attend regular school due to medical needs. Today she lives in Los Angeles, where she turns her sky-gazing daydreams into stories for children. She is a graduate of the Children’s Book Academy and published in Highlights Magazine. THE STAR FESTIVAL marks her picture book debut (April 1, 2021, Albert Whitman & Co.).
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Doris's debut picture book, Meet Frieda Amenze Friday, is coming out soon.
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Meet Doris Imahiyerobo, a first-generation Nigerian-American with a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Development. Together with her trusty 4-year-old son's help, she crafts fun and meaningful stories. Doris is an entrepreneur with a passion for marketing, funny gifs, and creative writing. She loves spending time with her huge hilarious family and is an active SCBWI member and the kidlit community.
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Natasha's books include Mulan's Lunar New Year; Goldy Luck And The Three Pandas; and Luna's Yum Yum Dim Sum
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Natasha Yim is an American Chinese author of fiction and nonfiction works for children and young adults. Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Natasha Yim grew up in Singapore and Hong Kong where she was captivated by many of the old Chinese legends she heard as a child. Natasha later moved to the U.S. where she received her B.A. in English Literature with a Writing Emphasis and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Dominican University. She is the author of Otto’s Rainy Day (a Kids’ Pick of the Lists selection), Cixi: The Dragon Empress, Sacajawea of the Shoshone, and Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas (a 2014 Junior Library Guild selection and 2015 Scholastic Book Club selection). Natasha’s nonfiction articles have also appeared in the children’s magazines Highlights for Children, Appleseeds, and Faces. Natasha is currently at work on a multicultural middle-grade novel and a multicultural historical young-adult novel. Natasha lives in Ukiah, California, with her husband, three children, and two cats named Chicken and Moo.
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Sue Ganz-Scmitt is a children’s book author, musical theater producer, SCBWI member, and a philanthropist. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in writing for children and young adults. Sue has performed in RENT on Broadway, run a marathon, and pursues other improbable and exciting challenges—as often as she can. Sue has served as a NASA Social Media correspondent, as a volunteer for The Planetary Society, and as a space advocate representing the Space Exploration Alliance to Congress. She has also written and produced a STEAM video featured by The Planetary Society (The Galaxy Girls Save Pluto). You can often find Sue at her home in the Los Angeles mountains with her eyes to the stars.
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Alexandria Giardino is a writer, translator, community college professor, and mom. She is the author of three picture books: Ode to an Onion (2018), The Good Song (2020), and the forthcoming Me + Tree (2021), as well as the Spanish translator of Smarty Marty's Got Game: En Español (2017). Ode to an Onion was a 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection and the recipient of the 2018 NCBA award for best children’s literature. Marie Russo, the NY Times children’s book editor, called her work a “treat for the eyes and ears.” Ode to an Onion has been translated into French, Italian, and Spanish. Follow Alex on social media: @Alex__Giardino
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Sharon's books include Bedtime for Daddy.
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Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia, with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career and has been a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind. She now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Sharon’s debut picture book BEDTIME, DADDY! (EK Books) was released in 2020. She was awarded The Paper Bird Fellowship for Writers in 2019, during this time she wrote her early middle grade book SAMARA AND THE UTILITY BELT, which will be released in 2021 through Clear Fork Publishing’s new imprint &MG.
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Mira's books include Just Like Me; Where Fireflies Dance; Baby Rattlesnake; Uncle Nacho’s Hat; and Leaving For America
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Dr. Mira Reisberg is a multi-published award-winning children's book illustrator and author whose books have sold over 600,000 copies. Besides running the Children's Book Academy, she is also an acquiring Editor and Art Director at Clear Fork Publishing's children's book imprint Spork. Mira is also a former children's literary agent, and a university professor who taught kid lit writing and illustrating courses as well as teacher ed. She has a PhD in Education and Cultural Studies with a focus on children's literature and has helped MANY writers and illustrators get published. Her job at Spork allows her to help even more people.
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Shirin's books include The Girl Who Dared and Laila and the Sands of Time.
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Shirin Shamsi was born and raised in the U.K. and now resides in the US. Laila and The Sands of Time is her debut Middle-grade novel, published by Spork, an imprint of Clear Fork Publishing.
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Megan and Jorge's books include Zombies Don't Eat Veggies!
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Artist Jorge Lacera was born in Colombia, and grew up in Miami, Florida drawing in sketchbooks, on napkins, on walls, and anywhere his parents would let him. After graduating with honors from Ringling College of Art and Design, Jorge worked as a visual development and concept artist for major gaming studios and entertainment companies. As a big fan of pop culture, comics, and zombie movies, Jorge rarely saw Latinx kids as the heroes or leads. He is committed to changing that, especially now that he has a son. Jorge is currently helping to create the next chapter in the Bioshock franchise as the Associate Art Director at Cloud Chamber Studios in Montreal, Quebec. Writer Megan Lacera grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, with a book always in her hands. She became a writer and creator of characters and worlds for entertainment companies like American Greetings, Hasbro, and Goldieblox and later formed her own creative company where she creates original content and consults on marketing, social media, and strategic direction for start-ups and large corporations. After reading many stories to their son, Megan realized that very few books reflected a family like theirs--multicultural, bilingual, funny, and imperfect. She decided to change that by writing her own stories.
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Masha' debut picture book, YogaGirl, will be out soon.
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Masha Sapron emigrated from Russia in the 1980’s when Russia was considered the evil empire and changed her name to Marsha to mask her soviet inception. Used to living under cover, she was an actress in New York while working on Madison Avenue in advertising and worked for a restaurant guide while living in Paris. Masha became a yoga teacher to keep her sanity. She became a mom only to lose it. She became a writer to document it. She is the creator of MothersYoudLikeToFriend.com where she’s made more than 12 million of her mom friends laugh. She writes about yoga, motherhood and writing at ayogiisborn.wordpress.com. Her debut picture book, (Super?)YogaGirl will be out in 2021. She hopes it will empower kids to believe they don’t need external approval to feel good about themselves and to align themselves with an ancient yogic philosophy: “All you need is inside.”
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Rock star Roxie Munro (Visual Thinker) is the multi award-winning author/illustrator of more than 40 nonfiction, STEM/STEAM, and concept books for children, many using "gamification" to encourage reading, learning, and engagement. Her books have been translated into five languages and always take an innovative approach to visual and written storytelling. In addition to picture books, Roxie has created 3 interactive children's book apps, including "Roxie's Puzzle Adventure" (SLJ Top Ten of the Year), and 9 educational apps for KIWi (Kids Interactive Walk-in) Storybooks. Awards include the New York Times Best Illustrated Award, Smithsonian's Best Science Book for Children, Society of International Librarians Honor Award, and Bank St College Best Book with Outstanding Merit award, along with many starred reviews in top journals. Roxie's work is in numerous private, public, and corporate collections. From Dec 12, 2020, to April 25, 2021, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, will host a solo exhibition: "Inside-Outside Dinosaurs: Creating a Book with Roxie Munro."
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Jenna's books include Wild Style: Amazing Animal Adornments; Finn Finds a Friend; and I See Sea Food.
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Jenna Grodzicki is the author of both fiction and nonfiction picture books. She lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband, two crazy awesome kids, two cats, and one dog. Jenna has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Boston College and a Master’s in Education from the University of New England. She recently traded in her librarian hat to become a full time writer. At all hours of the day (and night) she can be found at her desk, drinking iced coffee and working on her next story.
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