Meet Our Illustrators
We are proud to represent award-winning and up-and-coming artists from all over the world. Whether they are working hard on their own books or creating illustrations for others work, we are in constant awe of their imaginations and talent.
It is our pleasure to introduce you to a few of them.
Bryan Ballinger
Bryan has a degree in Illustration from the Columbus College of Art and Design as well as a Master’s Degree in Writing for Children from Lesley University. Bryan has done illustration work for clients such as Nintendo Power Magazine, Disney and American Greetings. He was also the first illustrator at Microsoft where he worked on children’s software titles. Bryan was head of the 3D Illustration Department at VeggieTales and started the Animation program at Huntington University. Bryan’s favorite project (so far) was writing and illustrating Animal Gas, a quirky scratch and sniff children’s picture book. Bryan is currently the visiting artist at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis though June 2024. He also received the Indiana Governor’s Art Award for 2023. You can see more of Bryan’s work at www.breadwig.com.
Bryan is extremely active in promoting and marketing his books. This includes social media, school visits, book signings, gallery shows, media interviews and through his connection at The Children’s Museum.
Website:
Illustrations:
https://www.breadwig.com/portfolio/2d-illustration/
Instagram:
Twitter:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/breadwigillustration/
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Ruth Barshaw
Ruth McNally Barshaw is the author and illustrator of the Ellie McDoodle Diaries, a six-book highly-illustrated middle grade novel series with Bloomsbury, and is also the illustrator of four books and the author of four funny short stories for Amazon Rapids.
She received her first sketch-journal from a prescient art teacher at age 15, and has been keeping journals ever since (now numbering hundreds). She's worked as an illustrator since her freshman year in college, and now lives in Lansing, Michigan, where she writes, paints, reads, plays harmonica, and celebrates visits from her kids and their kids. She and her author husband Charlie travel extensively doing school visits and presentations. See her work at www.ruthexpress.com
Website:
www.ruthexpress.com
Instagram:
@ruthmcnallybarshaw
Twitter-X:
@ruthexpress
Facebook:
Ruth McNally Barshaw
Represented by Gaby Cabezut.
Thornton Blease
Thornton Blease wants to live in a world where horses, dragons, and mermaids roam free, and everyone can reach their fullest potential.
As a teen, Thornton has won 26 gold keys and three National titles from Scholastic's Teen Art and Writing Awards and has been published in Scholastic's Teens' Best Writing. As a young adult, he is a judge for the same awards.
He has a BA from Sarah Lawrence and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School.
Conferences allow him to travel the country to hone his craft and encourage children, especially those with (dis)abilities to read and write. Thornton is a proud and active member of the SCBWI. 12X12 and GLVWG. He has also attended the competitive Southampton Children's Literature Conference, VCFA Writing for Young Peoples Retreat and Highlights.
Thornton has been published in Scholastic's Teens' Best Writing, The Underground, River of Words, Rewriting the Past Anthology, and CSA Journals.
Growing up in rural Stewartsville, NJ, Thornton jokes about being born in an animal hospital/shelter. Not quite. But he has learned about love, devotion, sorrow, and cruelty from his experiences at the clinic. He lives with his rescue cats, dogs, horse, and donkeys.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thornton.blease
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ThorntonBlease
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thornton-blease-28504744/
Website:
http://kidartistry-thornton-w-blease.com/
Represented by Joyce Sweeney.
Carrie Anne Bradshaw
Carrie Anne graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2001, with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio painting. A few years later, she earned a Master’s Degree in Illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
Carrie Anne loves getting her hands on all kinds of media to make art with, including recently adding digital to the list. Her illustrations are mostly rendered in watercolor with the use of ink, colored pencil, or gouache. She likes to challenge herself to create images that are full of color and give a sense of movement and whimsy.
In her spare time, Carrie Anne loves to oil paint, needle felt, and go on hikes with her kiddo. She is also obsessed with the ocean, fish that swim in it, ghost stories, good coffee, and baking.
Currently, Carrie Anne lives in the SF Bay Area with her husband Clyde, and daughter Lily.
She is a member of SCBWI.
Twitter:
Instagram:
instagram.com/CarrieAnneBradshaw_art
Website:
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Madison Brake
Madison Brake is a freelance illustrator currently based in Florida. She earned her BA in Illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design and her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Central Florida. She specializes in animal and fantasy imagery and has worked on book covers, children’s books, and interior illustrations. When not drawing or participating in artist alleys, Madison plays a lot of Final Fantasy XIV and does battle with her endless TBR list.
Website:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mad_brake
Twitter:
Bluesky:
bsky.app/profile/madbrake.bsky.social
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Isabel Brumley
Isabel Brumley is a children's book illustrator with a Bachelor of Arts. She specializes in whimsical, nature-inspired, illustrations with animal characters. Her work is done digitally but creates the cozy feeling you get from traditional mediums, perfect for young readers! As a KidLit artist she draws a lot of inspiration from her childhood, growing up surrounded by nature and exploring the forests and beaches of Southern Alaska has a massive influence on her work.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/izzystrations
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/isabel.illustrations/
Behance:
https://www.behance.net/isabelbrumley
Website:
https://isabelbrumley.myportfolio.com/
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Victoria K. Chapman
Victoria K. Chapman is a Massachusetts resident and native of New England. Inspired by the forests and natural lands of the places she has lived and visited, her art celebrates nature, animals, and the Earth, but also with a touch of magic and imagination. As the daughter of school teachers, books and stories were always an important part of Victoria’s life.
Victoria believes that an appreciation and respect for the Earth first comes from a simple enjoyment of the outdoors. She wishes to share stories and art that inspire children and grown-ups to appreciate the spirit and magic of the natural world and the Earth’s amazing diversity. She also values mindfulness and a gentle approach to viewing the world and our place within it.
Victoria holds a BFA from the University of Connecticut in illustration. In addition to making books, she teaches art workshops and participates in art exhibitions and events to inspire creativity in her community.
Website:
https://www.weyakindesigns.com/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/weyakindesigns/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/weyakindesigns
BlueSky:
https://bsky.app/profile/weyakindesigns.bsky.social
Twitter/X:
Represented by Joyce Sweeney and Rosa Frazier.
Jason Chatfield
Jason Chatfield is Australia’s most widely syndicated cartoonist, producing the iconic comic strip Ginger Meggs which is syndicated daily in over 30 countries through Andrews McMeel Syndication. Ginger Meggs has been running since 1921, making it one of the longest-running comic strips in history, and celebrates its 100th year this year.
Based in New York, Chatfield is the current President of the National Cartoonists’ Society (Est. 1946) and is a past President of the Australian Cartoonists Association (Est. 1924). His cartoons appear regularly in The New Yorker, Wired, Esquire, Variety and MAD Magazine along with other international publications.
His work has been exhibited in France, the UK, Australia, and all over the United States.
He has been illustrated several books published through Harper Collins, Penguin Random House and Scribe Media.
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Chatfield
Twitter:
@jason_chatfield
Facebook:
@jasonchatfieldcartoonist
Instagram:
@jasonchatfield
Represented by Nicole Resciniti.
Rachel Cherry
Rachel is a comic artist in the Western United States. She loves stories with characters clawing their way out of a bad place with the help of found family and friends. Throw in some spooky suspense, some pining romance, and a generous amount of humor and banter- and she’s a happy artist.
She loves exploring new ideas and places in real life as well as books and hopes to create many new adventures for readers to get entertainingly lost in.
Portfolio:
Twitter:
@RachelCherryArt
Instagram:
@RachelCherryArt
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Diana Ting Delosh
Diana Ting Delosh is an illustrator/author. Diana contracted the art bug at the age of two when she nibbled her way through her first box of crayons and she is still happily doodling away. Diana is a member of the SCBWI, 12x12 and is the co-president of CBIG, a New York City area Children’s Book Illustrators Group. Her whimsical illustrations have appeared on greeting cards, educational and children’s books. She received the Highlights High Five Pewter Plate for Puzzle Poem of the Year in 2008 and the SCBWI Magazine Merit Honor Award for Illustration in 2002.
Website:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dtdelosh
Blog:
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Tamara DeStefano
Creatively speaking, Tamara DeStefano is a jack of many trades. She began writing early in life, winning numerous illustrated poetry and short story contests.
An accomplished artist, along with illustrating her own picture books, Tamara uses her vivid imagination, and an addiction to digital art to create memorable characters and dynamic settings for other children’s book authors and graphic novelists. Her style is always bright, often quirky and explosively colorful.
Tamara lives in Georgia with her two dogs, too many 2.5 reading glasses to count and an over abundance of imagination!
She’d love a little gentle stalking!
You can follow her on Instagram @tamaradestefanoart
and check out her newest artwork and books at tamaradestefanoart.com.
Represented by Nicole Resciniti and Jennifer Wills.
Gabriela Diaz
Gabriela Diaz is an illustrator whose artworks are a combination of traditional mediums, like markers and gouache paint, that she then edits digitally. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, her culture definitely influences her work and how she sees the world. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2019, where she majored in Illustration with a double minor in Art History and Sequential Arts. She’s also a lover of interactive sketchbooks! Because of all of this, her pieces tend to include: historical fashion, bright color palettes, a lot of sun and star motifs, and most importantly, diverse characters.
Gabriela is currently working as a freelance artist and is an assistant muralist for a local Latinx community-led artist collective. Because she grew up loving fantasy stories and spooky movies, she loves to surround herself with whimsical things. Just ask her collection of snowglobes, fairytale books, and all the paper scraps she recycles for her journals. So of course, getting to illustrate children’s books and designing book covers is the ultimate goal!
Website:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gabydiazortiz/?hl=es
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/gabydiazortiz
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Abhi Dutta
Abhi (short for Abhishikta) Dutta is a brown illustrator from Bangalore, India. She has grown up in Kolkata with strong Bengali influences that have crept into her work and artistic style. Her work is mostly done in watercolors, gouache, and color pencils. She has worked on children's products in print and publishing along with being a graphic designer, writer, and brand strategist. Choosing the path of an illustrator has a reason. She loves to tell stories through art. Her art is a display of Indian motifs, diversity, Indian culture, and character designs that reflect her origin. She is a big fan of showcasing cultural nuances and ethnicities. She loves using a vibrant palette in her visual storytelling. She loves animals (and the ones that are not available in her country greatly disappoint her). Her hobbies involve looking up cute animal reels, collecting ceramics, watching anime, reading vintage children's books, and running a small knitwear shop.
Portfolio:
https://abhishiktadutta070.wixsite.com/portfolio
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/abhi_draws/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/abhi_draws
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Melissa Escobar
Melissa Escobar graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, with an MFA degree in illustration, focusing on children’s books. She has illustrated four educational paint-by-number books for children who are blind. She is now working on writing and illustrating her own stories. She is an active member of SCBWI, was a PBChat mentee in PBChat 2019 and a judge for PBParty in 2021. At any given time, she has at least three dragon, unicorn and dragonfly story ideas happily gamboling in her imagination. Her favorite color is blue, she loves 80’s music and adorable animals. When not working on her projects, she enjoys life in the Bay Area with her husband.
Twitter:
@mescobarart
Instagram:
@melissaescobarart
Website:
http://www.melissaescobarart.com
Blog:
http://www.melissaescobarart.com/blog
Represented by Joyce Sweeney.
Ange Friera
Ange Friera is a Filipino illustrator, cartoonist, and character designer currently living in Dubai. Their works consist of, and are inspired by their experiences in being a Southeast Asian lesbian raised outside of their home country. They love tackling topics such as nostalgia, ambitions, self-acceptance, and closeness in their art.
Their favorite genres include romance, LGBTQ+, thrillers, horror, contemporary works, sci-fi, and mystery. Aside from this, they also enjoy writing in prose, music, video games, and petting dogs!
Portfolio:
Twitter:
ArtStation:
https://www.artstation.com/qqnge
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelicafriera/
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Polina Gortman
Polina Gortman is a children’s book illustrator, based near Seattle, WA. Polina’s artwork is an amalgam of digital watercolor, ink, and colored pencil, and is often described as sweet, heart-warming, and painterly. Polina is looking to create compelling illustrations for children's books, educational materials, and magazines. In her free time, Polina enjoys picking apart stalagmites of picture books that grow in random locations at her house, playing board games with her family, and exploring evergreen trails of the Pacific Northwest.
She enjoys drawing nature, kids, and animals. She is particularly interested in bringing to life stories about science, the environment, and girls going on adventures. She would love to illustrate a book featuring disabilities (limb difference) and neurodiversity.
Website:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/polinagortman/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/polinagortman
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Val Hal Halvorson
Val Hal Halvorson is a comic book creator and (mostly) horror illustrator. He is the artist for the Vault comic series, Finger Guns, as well as various comic anthologies such as Dead Beats 2, and Grimm Tales from the Cave. In addition to illustrating, he also likes to write comics and he is not kind to his characters. He wrote and illustrated the short horror comic, Pareidolia, which was featured in Panel x Panel. One of his horror illustrations was positively reviewed by Junji Ito in a video for Viz media. In his spare time, he consumes a ton of horror media, listens to music that sounds like a clanging washing machine, and bakes a lot of bread.
Twitter:
Portfolio:
https://www.artstation.com/valhallahalvorson
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/val_hal_hal/
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Jason Hendrickson
Jason Hendrickson has been drawing since his crayons were warmed up on his mother’s walls as a child. With a BFA in Graphic Design and a 30-year career in advertising and publishing design under his belt, Jason turned his sights toward children’s book illustration. He loves to tell stories from a unique visual perspective and looks to delight the reader with every page turn. He works both traditionally and digitally and looks forward to making bigger and better stories for everyone to enjoy!
Jason is also the author of BOOK! coming out this fall from POW! Kids Books.
Instagram:
@hendricksoncreative
Twitter:
@jasondonnah
Website:
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
California raised, Annie Hobbs lives submerged in a world of adventure, a splash of ocean, and a sprinkle of pixie dust.
Starting with extensive doodle studies in the margin spaces of math assignments, Annie holds a BFA in Illustration and a Certification in Bio-Medical Illustration. For the last few years, she has been pursuing a freelance career alongside the dream of being published in the Children's Illustration market.
In 2015, Annie was brought in by the Disney Parks & Resorts to work in the prestigious Disneyana Gallery, where she worked as a Character Sketch artist before transferring to Disneyland’s Ink & Paint Department. Honing her skills within the park landed her a role of a lifetime with the Walt Disney Animation Studios, where she now spends her days in Walt’s original Ink & Paint Department in Burbank inking and painting traditional animation cels.
Annie has produced character & licensed artwork for The Walt Disney Company, Disney Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney Imagineering, Pixar, Tim Burton, and Lucasfilm.
When not doodling in her home studio, Annie is most likely squishing the face of her adorable King Charles Cavalier, Lotus, eating vegan snacks, and binge-watching other artists on YouTube.
Website:
www.anniemcbethillustration.com
Instagram:
@anniemcbeth
Twitter:
@anniemcbeth
Facebook:
@theanniemcbeth
TikTok:
@anniehobbs
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
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Ann D. Koffsky
Ann D. Koffsky is the author and illustrator of more than forty books for kids including What’s In Tuli’s Box?, Sheep Says Shalom, the Kayla & Kugel series and Judah Maccabee Goes to the Doctor. She has also collaborated with Temple Grandin to create the children’s adaptation of Grandin’s book, Visual Thinking. 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.
Ann has also illustrated 100+ greeting cards and products for companies like Hallmark Cards, Costco and Great Arrow Graphics.
Previously, she was an editor and art director at Behrman House Publishers and an adjunct professor of art at Yeshiva University.
Ann lives on Long Island, NY with her family.
Website:
Facebook:
Art by Ann
Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest:
@JewishArtbyAnn
Represented by Joyce Sweeney.
Sera Latterell
Sera Latterell is an artist from North Carolina who enjoys being inspired by the amazing stories and experiences around her. Although she received her degrees in biology and anthropology, she found her love of storytelling through her art. Sera is fascinated with folk tales, child psychology, family traditions, faith, nature and friendship. Because of her multiracial background, she is passionate for children to see themselves in the illustrations she creates. Sera is also an active member of SCBWI.
Sera is a military spouse and mom to four fantastic little people whose antics constantly inspire her art.
When she isn’t working, she enjoys meditating, reading, gardening, learning new things, listening to podcasts and looking through children’s books.
Website:
Instagram:
@chibirockna
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Jessica Lemmon
My name is Jessica Lemmon and I’m a multi-published bestselling author of 40+ novels, but I went to college to study art! In fact, I have a graphic design degree gathering dust in a very impressive frame.
I’m also the creator of Lemmony, an adorable lem(m)on character who encourages us to love ourselves and others. I enjoy illustrating digitally, as well as on actual real paper made from trees and colored by markers filled with alcohol. (Not the drinking kind.)
My art portfolio can be found HERE.
You can learn more about my romance novels at JessicaLemmon.com.
Represented by Nicole Resciniti.
Dea Lenihan
Dea Lenihan is an author/illustrator who studied painting, illustration, and drawing at Rutgers University and Montclair State University. She also studied with Bob Budiansky, an artist most known for his work on the Marvel Transformers comics.
She has designed best-selling coloring books for adults. The first book she illustrated, The Open Pillow, was featured for a Special Storytime Weekend at The Eric Carle Museum of Storytime Art. Her second illustrated picture book, American Pie, written by Lynne Marie, is coming Spring 2022 from Spork/Dancing Flamingo Press.
She lives on the coast of New Jersey where she collects vintage writing instruments and ghost stories. She can usually be found drawing with Buddy the conure on her shoulder.
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/dea.lenihan.7
Website:
Kidlit Portfolio:
www.dealenihan.com.portfolio/html
Represented by Elisa Houot.
Sólveig Eva Magnúsdóttir
Sólveig is an award winning Icelandic storyteller living in New York and Reykjavík. Her comics have been featured in the Lily News, Reykjavík Grapevine and the Washington Post.
She loves exploring intimate relationships and the multiplicity of identity and belonging. She believes that colours and vibrant images are a treasure for any age. She hopes to write stories that may bypass our guard and comfort our inner child, as well as entertain. She loves stories that allow us to hold space and relate to our repressed emotions, wants and needs.
Sólveig studied creative writing at Stanford, UCB and UCLAx as well as illustration, printmaking and design at Reykjavík School of Arts, SVA and RISD. She studied performing arts at LAMDA, Rose Bruford, Stella Adler, Knickerbocker etc and has taught autobiographical physical storytelling at leading European drama schools and institutions.
Sólveig is co-founder of the multi award winning theatre company Spindrift. In addition to working as an author-illustrator she is an actress, appearing on Netflix, Showtime, HBO and TruTV.
Among her favourite things is swimming, the winnowing of the common snipe and laughing with someone until there’s tears. Her least favourite thing is not owning pet goats.
Website:
Instagram:
@solaevadraws
Represented by Cole Lanahan.
Angela Ong
Angela Ong (Angel) is a Filipino-Chinese illustrator living in the Philippines who enjoys creating art that brings a smile on people’s faces. Her works mostly consist of original characters inspired by women, cute animals, yummy food, and inanimate objects.
When she’s not busy illustrating, Angel is managing her online brand, Angelazy Doodles, where she designs and sells products such as stationery and plush toys inspired by original characters such as Eggo Boi and Kwekie. In her spare time, Angel likes to read and spend quality time with her boyfriend, their pet shiba inu, and 3 pet bunnies.
Website:
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/angelazydoodles
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/angelazydoodles
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Anastasia Opeleva
Anastasia Opeleva is an illustrator, based in Saint Petersburg.
She often mixes traditional techniques using watercolor, gouache, pastel, pencils and ink. Her illustrations most often include nature, animals and children. She also finds inspiration in art history, folklore of different countries and her two beloved cats.
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Aixa Perez-Prado
Aixa Pérez-Prado is a native of Argentina who immigrated to the United States as a small child. She is a writer, illustrator, translator and professor at Florida International University with a PhD in Social Science and Education. Aixa has lived in Argentina, the U.S., Costa Rica, Morocco and Brazil, and draws inspiration for her stories and illustrations from these diverse locations. Aixa has published two academic books on teaching through critical and creative thinking strategies and created the cover art for both texts. Her current passion is writing and illustrating picture books aimed at giving diverse children a chance to see their multilayered identities represented through stories that resonate with heart and humor. Aixa writes in both Spanish and English and enjoys mixing languages in her prose. Similarly, she loves illustrating by employing different techniques in a whimsical style including watercolor, acrylic, ink, and digital. She especially enjoys combining all of these elements through collage. Aixa has been a finalist in several writing and illustration contests including two honorable mentions in Florida SCBWI’s Rising Kite Contest, and is the KidLit 411 banner illustrator for November 2021. Aixa is represented by Joyce Sweeney.
Website:
Twitter:
@professoraixa
Instagram:
@aixasdoodlesandbooks
Represented by Joyce Sweeney.
Hannah Petelin
Hannah Petelin is an American children's illustrator based in Ohio who loves creating joyful and nostalgic illustrations that depict the simplicity of childhood. With a BA in Fine Arts and as an active member of SCBWI, she has experimented with multiple media types, including digital, traditional, sculptural, and mixed media before settling into her current illustration style. Back to her roots, Hannah's style reminisces of her early scribblings with colored pencils, in the hopes that the reader would also pick up their pencil and get drawing.
She has worked in a variety of jobs, including being a children's illustrator, muralist, and graphic designer. Her true love is picture books, but she is always open to any adventure, including but not limited to middle grade, covers, editorial, and board books.
Because of her love of fantasy and exploration, Hannah is drawn to bright colors, whimsy, and playful subject matter. She's always ready for her next adventure and it's her goal to awaken the imaginations of others. When she isn't drawing, her hobbies include studying clouds, sand volleyball, and acquiring the best puns for her collection.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/hvpetelinart
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/hvpetelinart/
Portfolio:
https://hvpetelin.myportfolio.com/
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Laura Piggott is an author/illustrator who lives in a charming small town outside of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with her husband, two teenage kids, and their menagerie of pets. She finds inspiration in her historic, picturesque town and loves to incorporate wonder, whimsy, and magic in her art.
When she’s not drawing, painting, or writing, Laura spends her time knitting and sewing; playing the piano, violin and cello; reading books and magazines; and drinking copious amounts of coffee. When the coffee runs dry (or it’s past 3:00 pm), you might find her dreaming by the fire with a quilt and a cup of hot cocoa. Laura also loves to eat, cook, and bake gluten-free food and would never turn down a dinner invitation from Phil Rosenthal or Bobby Flay.
Laura has an Honours BA in Trilingual Translation and a Bachelor of Education, both from the University of Ottawa. She also has a post-graduate certificate in Stylistic Editing from Queen’s University. She speaks English, Spanish, French, and Italian. Although she is smitten with travel, she will always and forever be a homebody at heart.
Website:
www.laurapiggott.com
Instagram:
@lauraleighpiggott
BlueSky:
@laurapiggott.bsky.social
Twitter:
@LauraPiggott12
Represented by Elisa Houot.
Laura Piggott
Greg Preslicka
Greg Preslicka is an illustrator, author and… Well, he’s not sure. Most of his life has been spent as a graphic designer and illustrator creating artwork for cereal boxes, kid’s activity books, and games. In an effort to get out from behind a computer, he started painting murals. Ten years later, he’s painted nearly 100 murals in community centers, schools, and libraries. On a whim, he and his wife recently entered the world of toy and game inventing after pulling a game out of the closet that he had made for their son. They now have six games licensed and in stores.
Some of his favorite times spent with his five children were reading books. They challenged each other to write and illustrate stories, as well as invent characters. Over the years, Greg has written and illustrated many books for them. He’s excited to now be able to share some of his ideas and stories.
Website:
https://gregpreslicka.myportfolio.com
Twitter:
@GregPreslicka
Instagram:
@gregpreslicka
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/greg.preslicka/
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Kyle Reardon
Kyle Reardon absolutely has to tell stories. He’s been writing and drawing his entire life and even went so far as to get a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Washington. A lover of all things spooky, Kyle particularly loves writing stories about little monsters and drawing the worlds they live in. He currently lives in beautiful, historic Alexandria, Virginia, which he’s pretty sure is haunted by SOMETHING. Maybe it’ll let him write a story about it!
Website:
Twitter:
@kylereardon
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KyleReardonAuthor
Instagram:
@kylereardonillustration
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Ethan Roffler
Ethan Roffler is an award-winning illustrator currently living in scenic eastern Idaho.
He is married, with two wonderful sugar bugs, three Guinea pigs, and a teeny tiny mouse.
Ethan spends most of his days painting, enjoying the beautiful outdoors, and searching for the ever-elusive desert gnomes.
Website:
https://ethanroffler.wixsite.com/esroffler
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Danika Runyan
Danika Runyan is an illustrator who graduated from Brigham Young University in both Illustration and Art Education. She loves bringing a unique blend of artistic skill and teaching expertise to the books she works on. She enjoys empowering children to express themselves through their own art and illustrating fun narratives that get children’s imaginations working.
Danika is the mother of one busy boy and understands the importance of creating art that resonates with children. Whether that’s by designing whimsical environments or making playful characters. She specializes in digital artwork that captivates young minds.
When Danika is not busy drawing, you can find her in the kitchen whipping up delicious treats. Cooking and baking allow her to share her creativity through a different medium. Danika loves the mountains of Idaho, where she lives and enjoys camping and exploring the outdoors with her family.
Website:
Instagram:
@danika_drawings
X:
@danikarunyan
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Anain Shaikh
Anain Shaikh is an illustrator and communication designer based in Karachi, Pakistan. She graduated from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture with a major in Design and a minor in Illustration. She’s illustrated and created a comic book series titled Basila and the Street Crew and a children’s book titled Basking in my Brown.
She’s passionate about creating stories with a message and teaching children important values through illustration. Her style is whimsical and colorful and she loves drawing detailed environments. From clay sculptures to painting to digital art and even embroidery, Anain loves exploring new forms of art and is always on the lookout to incorporate new techniques in her work.
She loves reading and has too many books to count. She’s a big fan of indie comics and “Art of” books. Her room is filled with books and posters and you can often find her drawing her latest ideas on her desk with her cat, Smoll, and a cup of coffee always by her side.
Portfolio:
Twitter and Instagram:
@ainoocheepees
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Rebecca Sinclair
Rebecca Sinclair was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Growing up, she loved drawing in her endless number of sketchbooks and creating stories through her art. Her continued interest in visual storytelling, eventually brought her out to San Francisco where she received her MFA in Children’s Book Illustration from the Academy of Art University.
Rebecca has illustrated a number of award-winning children’s books for independently published authors, including publications in Spider and Ladybug Magazine. She is also a proud member of SCBWI.
When she’s not coloring on her iPad, you can find her either playing with her exuberant French Bulldog, Phoebe or feeding her turtle, Golfton outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Website:
http://www.rebeccasinclairstudio.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasinclair_art/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/RSinclair_art
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Saloni Singh
Saloni is an illustrator based in India. She creates whimsical scenes with cute beings to talk about emotions of friendship, togetherness, love, and sometimes, conflict. Her creations are imbibed with coziness and everyday acts of care— tending, making, and sharing. Her work embraces tiny joys, like cooking and eating together, aromas of freshly brewed tea, and watching sunshine dapple leaves and flowers; With every work, Saloni strives to create a memory to be held, with all its warmth and colors.
Saloni works in traditional as well as digital mediums. Her paintings often mix watercolors, gouache, pencils, and crayons. Her digital works are made mostly in Procreate on her trusty iPad.
Though Saloni majored in economics and business, she has always held a deep interest in sociology. When she isn’t drawing, she reads and writes stories. She enjoys tending to her little balcony garden, petting every cat in sight, squirrel spotting by her window, and of course, drinking chai.
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/chaioverdose
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chaioverdose/
Portfolio:
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Ramya G. Spaulding
Ramya G. Spaulding is an Indian-American author-illustrator. She loves to draw and frequently got into trouble as a kid for daydreaming too much. She spent most of her lunchtime at the school library, escaping into different worlds of the stories she read. Before she was an author-illustrator, she used to be an engineer because she also loved math and science. She feels extremely privileged to be making up stories with words and pictures. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. She wants to make sure all children can see themselves in the books they read. You can find out more about her by visiting https://rgspaulding.com/.
Twitter and Instagram:
@RGSpaulding
Represented by Elisa Houot.
Andrea Tripke
Andrea Tripke is a German born children’s book writer/ illustrator holding a degree in fine arts, major illustration, from the Columbus College of Art and Design.
Her illustrated debut picture book A GIRL NAMED OCTOBER (Chicago Review Press) received a starred review. Excited by working in the children’s book industry and the thought of leaving a footprint behind through her books, she got hooked. She wanted to do more and began writing and illustrating her own fictional and mostly humorous picture books. Her latest book YETI AND THE RUBBISH ON MOUNT EVEREST will be released in 2025 by Reycraft Books.
In 2022, Andrea was featured artist in the SCBWI-Florida newsletter and won the SCBWI-Florida portfolio people’s choice award. In 2023, she was awarded 3rd place for Illustration in the Rising Kite awards.
Andrea lives with her family in Melbourne, Florida.
Website:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AndreaTripkeIllustration
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AndreaTripke
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/andreatripke/
SCBWI:
Represented by Joyce Sweeney and Marisa Cleveland.
Marianne Valdez
Marianne Valdez is an exhibiting artist, award winning live painter and illustrator based in British Columbia, Canada. Inspired by the natural world and things unseen, her curiosity about nature, her Filipino heritage and the human psyche inform her artistry. With a background in marketing, counseling psychology and fine arts instruction, Marianne also works across a variety of traditional mediums including oils, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pencils, and pastels in addition to digital media.
Marianne delights in the process of bringing stories to life through captivating imagery. She enjoys illustrating lively depictions of friendship, adventure, culture and the joy of simplicity through the inner child's lens. While she is open to collaborating on all story genres and book types, she has a special place in her heart for magical realism, fantasy, poetry and scientific/environmental books.
When Marianne isn't creating art, she nurtures her vegetable and heirloom flower garden, basks in the great outdoors and visits the local ducks and frogs for an insightful chat.
Website/Portfolio:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mariannevaldezart/
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Tajha Winkle
Tajha Winkle is a Jamaican illustrator and 2D animator of Black and Indian heritage. She’s had the pleasure of doing work for Sesame Street, and she was given acclaim for her illustrated and animated work within her home country Jamaica & regionally within the Caribbean. The main goal for her work is to connect people with visually beautiful stories, across borders. Her illustrations center around stories about people of color and embracing authentic emotions: joy, anger, sadness, love. When she’s not drawing, she’s spending time in her garden feeding wild birds with a cup of tea in hand.
Twitter:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/artby_txj/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tajha-winkle-1a7603133/
Portfolio:
https://ahjat1.wixsite.com/tajhawinkleportfolio
Website:
https://ahjat1.wixsite.com/tajhawinkle/bio
Represented by Lynnette Novak.
Michele Ziemke
Michele Ziemke is an author, artist, and optimist. She won her students' hearts with hugs and humor for over 25 years. She was recognized as an educational visionary in the creation of the Great Lakes Performing and Visual Arts Academy, and honoured with the new Michele Ziemke Student Art Gallery! Her degree in Art Education and a Masters in Educational Administration are from Bowling Green State University. Retired, Michele brings that same heart and humor to her picture books. She is also passionate about interior design, tailoring, theater, and chocolate covered peanuts.
Michele is an active member of SCBWI and Julie Hedland’s 12x12 Challenge. Proud finalist of the #PBParty and #Fall Writing Frenzy competition in 2019 & 2020. Michele resides in Northern Ohio, and Manitoulin Island in Canada with her husband and fluffy labradoodle, while sprinkling her time among twelve grandchildren!
Website:
Twitter and Instagram:
@ZiemkeMichele
Represented by Joyce Sweeney.
