Skylaar Amann
Skylaar Amann is an illustrator, author, and communications consultant. Her debut picture book, LLOYD FINDS HIS WHALESONG, is forthcoming from Page Street Kids in Spring 2020. Skylaar is a member of SCBWI and Women Who Draw, as well as an affiliated artist with Climate Science Alliance, a San Diego–based organization working on the frontlines of climate change. She is also a 2019 mentor for WriteMentor, a writing program for pre-published writers. Some of Skylaar’s clients include Surfrider, Slate, Sitka Sound Science Center, Adventure! Children’s Museum, and Scientific American. You can learn more about her at skylaaramann.com.
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LLOYD FINDS HIS WHALESONG
Page Street Kids Spring 2020 |
Anita Amin
Anita Nahta Amin is the author of several forthcoming children’s books, including her debut picture book, RAJA’S PET CAMEL (Cardinal Rule Press, Fall 2020). Her short stories have been published in children’s literary magazines, including Highlights, Humpty Dumpty, Ladybug, Spider, and Fun for Kidz. Her family roots stretch across North India, from the vibrant desert of royal Rajasthan to the bustling river city of Kolkata, inspiring many of her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and twin children. A former information technology business consultant, she enjoys exploring the world, reading, and savoring a good cup of chai.
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RAJA'S PET CAMEL
Cardinal Rule Press Fall 2020 Illustrated by Parwinder Singh |
Katelyn Aronson
Katelyn grew up in Southern California, where she worked as a manager and buyer for a children's bookstore. Today, she's an expat in Europe, where she divides her time between writing and teaching French and English as foreign languages. She is represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis, New York, and has two picture books releasing in 2020. Visit www.katelynaronson.com to learn more.
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PIGLETTE
Viking Summer 2020 Illustrated by Eva Byrnes |
Rashmi Bismark
Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH is a doctor who leads mindfulness-based programming tailored for individuals and communities. As a physician specialized in Preventive Medicine, her mission is to help people stay connected to the innate power we all have to pay attention, nurture wellness, make healthy choices, and flourish. As a mom, she sees how important it is to nourish these natural ways of connecting to ourselves and others from a young age. Her debut picture book, FINDING OM (Bharat Babies, Spring 2020), brings together Dr. Rashmi's experiences of sharing mainstream mindfulness and meditation along with her rich cultural heritage. www.rsbismarkmd.com
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FINDING OM
Bharat Babies May 2020 Illustrated by Morgan Huff |
Bonnie Clark
Bonnie is a stay-at-gym mom of three kids and the lucky wife to a hairstylist. She lives in Canton, GA where she enjoys running, doing yoga, drinking coffee, writing and is often found behind a stack of books. Bonnie is an inventor and has been a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. She has been writing for children for about 4 years and is passionate about helping kids discover and like who they are. TASTE YOUR WORDS is her debut picture book, set to debut in 2020 with Worthy Kids/Ideals. Her literary agent is Adria M. Goetz from Martin Literary Management.
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TASTE YOUR WORDS
Worthy Kids/Ideals Spring 2020 Illustrated by Todd Bright |
LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss
LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss is a picture book author, who came to writing by way of motherhood. Her son’s love of story time, which for him meant anytime, immersed her in the wonderful world of picture books. Enjoying books with various themes and approaches to storytelling, from the quirky to the quiet, eventually inspired her to begin writing stories of her own. By day she is an engineer and when not busy battling wits with her husband or having fun with her son, she enjoys listening to children’s book themed podcasts, gaining insight from NPR, and watching movies. She also likes creating art and hopes to someday both author and illustrate her own books. Books that will entertain, enlighten and empower children across the globe. She lives in North Carolina. Visit www.iscribeisketch.com to learn more.
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I LOVE ME!
Beaming Books March 2020 Illustrated by Beth Hughes |
Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia
Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia grew up in rural northern Illinois surrounded by fields, farms, and a multitude of jovial animals. She became a keen observer with a big imagination – always creating stories about the world around her. Liz first worked as an elementary school teacher and later as an audiologist. She is widely published in the field of audiology. While raising her own children, she returned to her creative roots and started writing picture books. Liz lives in central Iowa with her husband, two children, and two enormous dogs. Her debut picture book, BESS THE BARN STANDS STRONG, is forthcoming from Page Street Kids in the Septemeber of 2020. For more information, visit: elizabethgilbertbedia.com
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BESS THE BARN STANDS STRONG
Page Street Kids September 8, 2020 Illustrated by Katie Hickey |
Jolene Gutiérrez
Jolene Gutiérrez grew up on a farm in northeastern Colorado and now lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Jolene has been a school librarian for 25 years and spends her days sharing children’s books and her nights writing them. She’s a wife of 21 years and a mama to two teenage humans and three preteen dogs. Jolene is an active member of SCBWI and The Author’s Guild, a Children’s Book Academy graduate, a We Need Diverse Books mentorship finalist, a Writing with the Stars 2018 mentee, a Highlights Foundation scholarship winner, and the winner of the Cynthia Levinson scholarship to the Writing Barn. MAC AND CHEESE AND THE PERSONAL SPACE INVADER is her debut picture book. Learn more at www.jolenegutierrez.com.
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MAC AND CHEESE AND THE PERSONAL SPACE INVADER
Clear Fork/Spork Spring 2020 Illustrated by Heather Bell |
Fiona Halliday
Fiona is an author/illustrator who was born in North West Scotland. She currently lives in Austria with her husband and Croatian street dog Perot. She loves all things finned, furred and feathered, especially coastal and Marine birds. Her first picture book, about a little whimbrel separated from her sisters by a gigantic storm, is being published by Page Street Kids in January 2020.
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NUMENIA AND THE HURRICANE
Page Street Kids January 2020 |
Nanette Heffernan
Nanette Heffernan is a children’s book author, sustainability consultant, and author marketing coach. Her lifelong goal is to make Earth a better home for children whether by making them laugh or addressing environmental issues. She is the picture book author of EARTH HOUR – a lights-out event for our planet. Nanette spent most of her career as a VP of Sales & Marketing until deciding to become a fulltime writer. She also volunteers for many organizations dear to her heart such as SCBWI, Master Gardeners, Girl Scouts, and Sustainable Lafayette. She is pleased her efforts have earned her three Environmental Awards of Excellence.
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EARTH HOUR
Charlesbridge January 12, 2020 Illustrated by Bao Luu |
AJ Irving
AJ Irving grew up in Boise, Idaho, writing stories and daydreaming about becoming an author. Now, she writes picture books and poetry on her big back porch in a tiny town near Jackson, Wyoming. AJ reads kidlit every day and dances every chance she gets. Her debut picture book, DANCE LIKE A LEAF, releases from Barefoot Books in fall 2020. As an author and former bookmobile librarian, AJ is passionate about inspiring children to read. She received a B.A. in journalism and women’s and gender studies from the University of Oregon. AJ is represented by Jordan Hamessley of New Leaf Literary. Learn more at www.ajirving.com.
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DANCE LIKE A LEAF
Barefoot Books Fall 2020 Illustrated by Claudia Navarro |
Lisa Katzenberger
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Carolyn Leiloglou
Carolyn Leiloglou (lay-LAW-glue) lives with her husband and four kids in San Antonio, Texas, home to the Alamo and the world’s largest pair of cowboy boots. Carolyn was a finalist for the 2018 Katherine Patterson Prize, and her poems and stories have been published in magazines around the world including Ladybug, Clubhouse Jr., and The School Magazine. She is the author of the NOAH GREEN JUNIOR ZOOKEEPER series (Clear Fork) and LIBRARY’S MOST WANTED (Pelican 2020). Carolyn is represented by Bibi Lewis of the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency.
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LIBRARY'S MOST WANTED
Pelican Spring 2020 Illustrated by Sarah Pogue |
Annelouise Mahoney
Annelouise Mahoney is originally from Massachusetts, now living in Southern California with her husband, two daughters, and a little bunch of rescued pets. Her stories are inspired by the curiosities and wonder of the the little things around her. Before diving into the world of children’s books, Annelouise worked in T.V. animation painting backgrounds for studios such as Dreamworks, DIC Animation, Sony, Media Vision, and Saban Entertainment. She has also worked a few years in comic books, painting color guides for Marvel, DC comics, and Image comics. Her debut picture book, Julius and Mouse, is scheduled to release summer 2020 with Amazon/Two Lions. Please visit AnnelouiseMahoney.com to learn more.
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JULIUS & MOUSE
Two Lions Summer 2020 |
Tina Mowrey
A transplant from Massachusetts, Tina Mowrey lives in Austin, TX, where the sun never stops shining! Having been a singer/songwriter for years, Tina decided to put pen to paper and try her hand at picture book writing. It was much harder than expected! When she isn’t writing picture books, Tina spends her time working as an 8th grade language arts teacher and hanging out with her wife, two daughters and five pets (one, of which, is a black pug named Chico!). Tina's debut picture book, WHAT A PRICKLY PEAR, will be published by Clear Fork Publishing in the spring of 2020.
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WHAT A PRICKLY PEAR
Clear Fork Spring 2020 Illustrated by Sarah Williams |
Joy Nelkin Wieder
Joy Nelkin Wieder is an author and illustrator with over thirty children’s books to her name, highlighting Jewish holidays and history. She teaches creative writing and is a frequent school and library visitor. She and her husband live in Massachusetts and have three grown children. Her debut picture book received honorable mention for the SCBWI PJ Library Jewish Stories Award and was chosen as a PJ Library selection. Learn more about her work at jnwieder.com.
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THE PASSOVER MOUSE
Doubleday Jan. 28, 2020 Illustrated by Shahar Kober |
Amy Nielander
Amy Nielander is a product designer turned author-illustrator. As the daughter of a dynamic storytelling mom, every day was a story for her! She is grateful for the wonderful opportunities her long journey has rewarded her with, from attending the Children’s Bologna Book Fair as a Silent Book Contest finalist to meeting inspiring teachers and students. Her first book, THE LADYBUG RACE (PomegranateKids), received a Bronze Medal Book Award in 2017 by Independent Publisher. Her 2020 picture book, GRAMA'S HUG, (Page Street Kids) will be available January. To learn more about her work, visit www.amynielander.com.
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GRAMA'S HUG
Page Street Kids January 7, 2020 |
Susan Novich
Susan Novich grew up in the seaside town of Swampscott, Massachusetts. The founder of Susabean Studios, she created a line of greeting cards sold in shops throughout Rhode Island and has done licensing for the home market. As an author-illustrator, cut paper is Susan's favorite medium -- she often finds inspiration in the tiny scraps of colorful paper that most rational people would throw away. The mother of three grown children, Susan lives in Providence, RI with her husband and dog, a charming, if not very obedient Havanese rescue named Coco.
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GUESS WHO IS BEHIND THE DOOR Summer 2020
Schiffer Kids |
Norene Paulson
Norene Paulson loves words. As a former language arts teacher, she was fortunate to share that love with middle school students in a rural Iowa school district for over twenty years. Now, as a picture book author, she continues to share her love of words with young readers and is excited to share her debut picture book BENNY’S TRUE COLORS in the fall of 2020. Norene lives on an acreage with her husband, and when she isn’t reading or writing, you will find her playing—you guessed it!—word games.
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BENNY'S TRUE COLORS
Fall 2020 Imprint/Macmillan Illustrated by Anne Passchier |
Dow Phumiruk
Dow Phumiruk is an award winning author and illustrator of children's books and is represented by East West Literary Agency. She loves children and sharing stories and has been a member of SCBWI since 2011. Dow lives with her family in Lone Tree, Colorado. Please visit www.artbydow.com for more information.
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CHUBBSY
Fall 2020 Viking Children's |
Dorothia Rohner
Dorothia was raised in the mountains of Colorado—influenced by her artistic parents' love of art, books and nature. She’s worked as a scientific illustrator, animator, graphic designer and fine artist before turning to her life-long passion—creating books for children. Her first manuscript, I Am Goose! (Clarion, 2020-Illustrated by Vanya Nastanlieva) is a humorous story inspired by the children at Head Start, where she volunteers. Dorothia works from her Iowa studio, surrounded by a forest, filled with fireflies and fairies, nestled near an enchanted pond with one big fish. When traveling, she writes and creates from her mobile art-suitcase. Nature, imagination, and children inspire her art and stories. For more information visit: www.dorothiarohner.com.
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I AM GOOSE!
Clarion Winter 2020 Illustrated by Vanya Nastanlieva |
Molly Ruttan
Molly Ruttan grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. She and her twin sister spent much of their childhood illustrating & writing their own books. Molly graduated with a BFA from the Cooper Union School of Art, and moved to Los Angeles to begin her career in graphic design and illustration. In 2013 Molly began actively pursuing her life-long passion to write and illustrate children’s books, and in In 2015 had the honor of becoming an SCBWI Illustration Mentee. In addition to her work, she plays drums & sings in the eclectic-folk rock band New Garden, creates artwork for, sings & plays percussion in the art rock band Phideaux, and sings in a community choir. One of her favorite past-times is to find constellations, planets and other mysterious things in the vast night sky. Her author-illustrator debut is THE STRAY (Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House, June 2020). She is represented by Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency.
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THE STRAY
Nancy Paulsen Books Summer 2020 |
Kristen Schroeder
Kristen Schroeder grew up in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. Some of her best childhood memories involve discovering a new favorite book or author at her local library. Books introduced her to other countries and worlds. Kristen loves to travel and lived in Australia for 11 years. She returned to Minnesota with an Aussie husband, two children, and dual citizenship. She began writing for children in 2013 in-between running a business and raising her kids. Her debut picture book, ALIEN TOMATO, will be published by Page Street Kids in July 2020. For more info, visit: kristenschroederbooks.com.
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ALIEN TOMATO
Page Street Kids Spring 2020 Illustrated by Mette Engell |
Randi Sonenshine
Randi Sonenshine grew up exploring the magical “swamp” and woods behind her home on the Eastern shore of Maryland, developing an early sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world. This love of nature often appears in her writing and poetry, including her debut picture book, THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT, launching in March 2020 from Candlewick Press. A former high school English teacher and college reading instructor, Randi is currently a literacy specialist, instructional coach, and frequent conference presenter. She lives with her husband, two sons, and a spoiled schnauzer in Northwest Georgia, and does her best writing accompanied by birdsong and a good pot of Earl Grey tea.
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THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT
Candlewick Press Spring 2020 Illustrated by Anne Hunter |
Candace Spizzirri
Candace Spizzirri is a children’s author who writes in prose and rhyme. She holds a degree in child psychology with an emphasis in emotional development. Passionate about education, Candace is a co-founder of St. Anne School and JSerra High School in Southern California. She is a member of SCBWI, 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, Writing Magic Writing Lab, Storyteller Academy, and Children’s Book Academy. Her debut picture book, FISHING WITH GRANDPA AND SKYE, will be published by Clear Fork/Spork (Fall 2020). Candace lives with her husband in San Clemente, has two grown children and two granddaughters. You might find her breaking into dance moves that are not in the least bit embarrassing.
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FISHING WITH GRANDPA AND SKYE
Clear Fork/Spork Fall 2020 Illustrator TBD |
Charlotte Watson Sherman
Charlotte Watson Sherman has loved words ever since Pippi Longstocking hijacked her imagination in third grade. She grew up, the only girl, with too many brothers, in the Pacific Northwest's Emerald City—Seattle. A lifelong daydreamer, she last published a chapter book—Eli and the Swamp Man—decades ago, but never stopped writing. Her debut picture book, BROWN SUGAR BABE, will be published by Boyds Mills & Kane Press, Spring 2020. She currently lives near a marine sanctuary in southern California.
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BROWN SUGAR BABE
Boyds Mills & Kane Press January 2020 Illustrated by Akem |
Valeria Wicker
Valeria Wicker grew up in Rome, Italy and graduated as a fashion designer from an art school called Virginia Woolf. After moving to the U.S, her artistic passion led her from wood carving to pottery to ultimately rediscover her true love – illustration. Always second-guessing her capabilities, becoming an author/illustrator was a journey that fell beyond her wildest dreams. Her debut Picture Book THE UGLY DOODLES (LITTLE, BROWN/JIMMY PATTERSON – title subject to change) was written based on her own relationship with art and by observation of her children’s feelings about their own artistic skills. Her book is a reminder for the young and the young at heart that nothing is impossible as long as we continue to love what we do and do what we love. Valeria lives in the Eastern Pennsylvania's mountains with her husband, five children, a labrador named Mia and a bunny named Violet.
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THE UGLY DOODLES
Little Brown/JIMMY Patterson Fall 2020 |
Katia Wish
Katia Wish grew up in Belarus building snowmen and painting with watercolors. She continues to enjoy snow days in Boston (when there is snow!) with her husband and son. Katia loves creating illustrations for her books in watercolor, pencil and ink in her cozy studio. Her debut picture book as an author-illustrator, RACCOON’S PERFECT SNOWMAN, is published by Sleeping Bear Press, 2020. She is the winner of the 2011 Tomie DePaola Award from SCBWI. In addition to working on children’s books, Katia teaches illustration at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Learn more at www.katiawish.com.
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RACCOON'S PERFECT SNOWMAN
Sleeping Bear Press Fall 2020 |