Helena Perez Garcia is a Spanish illustrator whose work has appeared across magazines, newspapers, packaging and books for children and adults internationally. Her illustrations are conceptual, whimsical and rich in detail and color. Helena’s primary medium is gouache and her main sources of inspiration are art, literature, and cinema. Some of her clients include Penguin Books, The Body Shop, Tate Publishing, BBC, The Financial Times, Reader’s Digest and Il Corriere della Sera, amongst many others.

Jarrett Pumphrey is an author/illustrator and the former CEO of a tech startup. Jerome Pumphrey (pictured) is an author/illustrator and a graphic designer at The Walt Disney Company. The brothers collaborate as both author and illustrator on their projects. The Old Truck, published by Norton Young Readers, is their author-illustrator debut and is featured in Club Sprout this month. Originally from Houston, the Pumphrey brothers both now live in Austin, Texas. 

Esmé Shapiro is an illustrator and author of books for children. She spent her childhood roaming around the dry brush and blossomed succulents of Laurel Canyon, California. She eventually ventured east and settled in Brooklyn, New York. Her childhood never roamed too far from her heart, and she has a deep held belief that this time in one’s life is immensely powerful. Children are always busy at work, carving out their inner worlds that eventually become the foundation for the rest of their lives. Esmé makes books that aim to be fuel for their imaginations, with a strong emphasis on the importance of empathy and friendship. 

Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and author working in San Francisco and Brooklyn. She’s been named a Print Magazine New Visual Artist (20 under 30), one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Art and Design two years in a row, an ADC Young Gun, and a “Person to Watch” by GD USA. Aside from her illustrious client work, she has created numerous side projects including Daily Drop Cap, Should I Work for Free?, Mom This is How Twitter Works, and Don’t Fear the Internet (created along with Russ Maschmeyer).

Jessie Sima is an author/illustrator living and working in New York City. She grew up in a small town in southern New Jersey, unaware that she was a storyteller. Once she figured it out, she told her family and friends. They took it quite well. She is the author of Not Quite Narwhal; Harriet Gets Carried Away; Love, Z; Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies; Spencer’s New Pet; and Jules vs. the Ocean.

Award-winning Felicita Sala is a self-taught illustrator and painter. She graduated in Philosophy from the University of Western Australia. She has illustrated for various food magazines and created stop motion animations with husband and animator, Gianluca Maruotti, but her passion is making picture books. She draws inspiration from folk art and music, mid-century illustration, byzantine iconography, nature, and children. She lives in Rome with Gianluca and their daughter, Nina.

Davide is an Italian artist living in Spain. Soon after earning his diploma at Foiso Fois Arts High School in Cagliari, Sardinia, he took up a career as a graphic designer. At the same time, he kept up his skills in oil painting, taking part in several art exhibitions. When he moved to Madrid in 2008, he discovered children’s book illustration. Gloomy open spaces, dreamy in-between atmospheres, and imaginary elements are the main features of his work. He is on a quest to conjure colorful and fantastic places, where time stops to offer the biggest emotions to the smallest people. 

Misha Maynerick Blaise is a Croatian American, born in Canada, and raised in the Colorado Rockies. Her most recent book, This Phenomenal Life, has been translated into 5 languages. She now calls Austin, Texas home. Check out our interview with Misha on the Literati blog.

Steve Adams has been illustrating for almost 30 years. He has received accolades for his illustrations from The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, the 3×3 International ProShow, and others. Steve taps into his nostalgic sensibility and his own childhood memories for inspiration while working from his home in Montreal. 

Sophie Blackall is an award-winning illustrator of over 45 books for children, including the New York Times best-selling Ivy and Bean series, the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner, Finding Winnie and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner, Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote. She is the four-time recipient of The New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book Award. Check out our interview with Sophie on the Literati blog.

Stasia is a full-time artist and illustrator. Her artwork, inspired in part by Japanese cartoons and art nouveau, can be found across picture books, graphic novels, and her solo shows around the Northwestern US. Her picture book with author Roda Ahmed, Mae Among the Stars, was featured in Club Sprout. 

Benji Davies is an illustrator, author, and animation director. He's the award-winning author and illustrator of The Storm Whale, featured in Club Sprout, as well as The Storm Whale in Winter, Grandad's Island, and more. Davies lives with his wife and daughter in London. 

Joe is an award-winning illustrator, director, and designer. Joe worked with author William Joyce to create the award-winning short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, and a picture book adaptation featured in Club Nova. Joe established Sweet Cloud Studio with his wife, Mary, where they both continue to create art across media. 

Matt Lamothe is the author and illustrator of the children's book This is How We Do It.  He is part of the award-winning design company ALSO, as well as the co-author of multiple art books including The Where, the Why, and the How. He lives and works in Chicago.

Amy June Bates has illustrated over fifty books for children including Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed, The Dog Who Belonged to No One, Sweet Dreams and That’s What I’d Do (both by singer-songwriter Jewel) and many more. She earned her B.A. in illustration from Brigham Young University. Originally from Utah, Amy has lived all over the country. Currently, she and her family of artists reside in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 

Rose Blake is an illustrator, artist, and visiting lecturer at her alma mater, Kensington University. She has illustrated several picture books, including We're All Works of Art, featured in Club Sprout this month, and the award-winning David Hockney and Martin Gayford; A History of Pictures for Children. As a commercial artist, Rose’s work has graced the likes of The New Yorker, Disney, BBC, Snapchat, Volkswagen, and more. 

Sonja Wimmer is an internationally renowned illustrator of picture books in numerous languages. Her work has won multiple awards including the 2012 International Latino Book Awards, Second Place for Best Children’s Picture Book-English, and the 2011 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards Gold Medal for Best Illustrator. She lives with her family near the German Alps between two rivers and surrounded by forests. 

Isabelle Arsenault is an internationally renowned children’s book illustrator whose work has won numerous awards and praise from critics. Cloth Lullaby—featured in Club Nova—won the Bologna Ragazzi Award in 2017. She has won the prestigious Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature three times, and two of her picture books were named as New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year. 

Jessica Courtney-Tickle graduated from Kingston University in July 2014 where she studied illustration and animation, specializing in children's picture books. She was longlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017 and shortlisted for the 2014 Prize for Illustration with the Association of Illustrators. Jessica lives in Cambridgeshire, England. 

Jessica Love is a New York based actor and visual artist. She is the author and illustrator of the critically acclaimed Julián is a Mermaid published in 2018 by Candlewick Press (and featured in Club Nova). She studied visual art at The University of California, Santa Cruz and then went on to study Drama at the Juilliard School. Jessica has appeared in plays both on and off-Broadway since 2009. She lives in Brooklyn. 

David McClellan’s immersive artwork is inspired by both the natural world and the realm of the fantastical. His first picture book, The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth, (written by Chris Burkard) was featured in Club Nova in August. David lives with his wife and four sons in Utah, where he works as an interactive artist at WBGames. 

Lisa Evans is an award-winning illustrator and game developer. She won the Moonbeam Children’s Book award for best illustrator for The Man Made Of Stars, which was featured in Club Nova. Lisa is currently developing an adventure game for PC called Growbot. She resides in England with her partner, two-year-old son, and a growing collection of kaiju toys. 

Dan Santat is a prolific, award-winning author and illustrator, having created over fifty titles including Dude! which was featured in Club Nova. Winner of the Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators, Dan is also the creator of the Disney animated hit, The Replacements. He lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets. 

Award-winning author and illustrator Joe Todd-Stanton is the creator of the Brownstone’s Mythical Collection series and The Secret of Black Rock for Flying Eye Books in the UK. Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx—Joe’s much anticipated follow-up to Arthur and the Golden Rope—was featured in Club Sage in May month. He lives in South London. 

Sandra Dieckmann is an illustrator, author and maker. She works in a multitude of media from pencil and paint to digital and clay. Leaf, her debut children’s book which was featured in Club Sprout in April, was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal, long-listed for the Klaus Flugge Prize, and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s book prize. She resides in London. 

Anja Klauss is a German illustrator based in France. Since graduating from the Kassel School of Fine Arts in Germany and École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in France, she has published numerous children’s books including The Little Hippo: A Children’s Book Inspired by Egyptian Art which was featured in Club Nova in March. Anja specializes in mixed media, usually acrylic, graphite, and gouache painting. 

Emma Dodd is an illustrator and author. She won the Booktrust award for I Love My Mummy in 2010 and was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal for I Love Bugs. A fan favorite for past Literati features, her book Forever was featured in Club Sprout in February. She lives in England with her husband, two children, several chickens, and their Jack Russell Terrier mix, Buzz. 

Laura Freeman has illustrated over 20 children’s books, including Hidden Figures featured in Club Nova in January, the Nikki & Deja series and Fancy Party Gowns. In addition to illustrating books and editorial content, her art can be found on a wide range of products, from dishes and textiles to greeting cards. Laura resides in Atlanta with her husband and two children. 

Pamela Zagarenski is a painter and children’s book author and illustrator. She has won two Caldecott Honors for Sleep Like A Tiger and Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors. She is also the recipient of an IBBY Honor by the Hans Christian Anderson committee. The Whisper—her wondrous tale about reading—was featured in Club Nova in December. (We also enclosed a frame-ready 9 x 12 print from the The Whisper in every box!) Pamela lives in Mystic, Connecticut. 

Brian Biggs is an author and illustrator best known for his New York Times bestselling Frank Einstein series, Everything Goes and the Tinyville Town books—including I’m a Veterinarian which was featured in Club Neo in November. His illustrations have appeared in magazines, newspapers, advertising, posters, toys, and puzzles. The father of two fun kids, he works out of an old garage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Gabriel Alborozo is an author and illustrator of numerous children’s books including The Mouse and the Moon—which was featured in Club Sprout in October. He began work as a cartoonist at the tender age of fifteen working for magazines such as Private Eye, Punch and The Spectator. His first love is, and always has been, writing and illustrating for children. Gabe lives with his wife on the south coast of England. 

Kathryn Otoshi is an award-winning author and illustrator, best known for her number book series, One, Two, and Zero — which was featured in Club Nova in September. These character-building books promote empathy and social justice. She travels across the country engaging teachers and students to connect and develop strong character assets through reading, art, and the power of literature. Kathryn lives in the San Francisco Bay area. 

Jared Chapman has always loved to draw. He even went to college for it. Before working in picture books, Jared lived in Austin, TX with his wife and kids. Now they live in the same town Jared and his wife grew up in. He has written and illustrated numerous books for children. His hysterically clever Vegetables in Underwear was featured in Club Sprout in August. Jared’s clients include Walt Disney Television Animation, Nick Jr., Nike, and McSweeney’s. 

William Grill is a young author and illustrator who works predominately in colored pencil. At age 25, he was the youngest recipient of the Kate Greenaway Medal in 50 years for his debut book, Shackleton’s Journey—featured in Club Sage in July. William’s second book, The Wolves of Currumpaw, recently won the 2017 Bologna Ragazzi award for children’s non-fiction. His clients include Harrods, The New York Times, Shelter and Amnesty International. 

Jenni Desmond is a picture book maker based in Hackney, London UK. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages. In 2015 she won Best Emerging Talent (Illustrator) at the Junior Design Awards. In 2016 she was made a Maurice Sendak Fellow and her book The Polar Bear won a prestigious New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books award. She works by hand using mixed media, and finishes the artwork digitally. Her book The Blue Whale was featured in Club Nova. 

Graeme Base is one of the world’s leading creators of picture books. Animalia received international acclaim when it was first published in 1986 and it has achieved classic status with worldwide sales of more than two million copies. Base lives in Melbourne with his artist wife Robyn and their three children. Graeme's book, The Eleventh Hour, was featured in Club Sage for May's curation.

Yangsook Choi started drawing at age 4 and loved telling her grandma scary stories. Her books have been included on the American Library Association Notable Book list, selected by PBS Reading Rainbow, and have received the International Reading Association's Children's Book Award. Yangsook's book, The Name Jar, was featured in Club Nova for April's curation.

Molly Idle began her career as an artist working for DreamWorks Animation, and from there she leapt into the world of children's books. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, where she dances through life with her handsome husband, mischievous children, and fabulous family and friends. Molly's book, Flora & The Flamingo, was featured in Club Sprout for March's curation.

Olga Baumert is an artist and illustrator. Originally from Poland, she studied fine art and jewelry before moving to the UK, where she received her degree in graphic design and illustration. She is inspired by great stories, the interaction between people and nature, and natural open landscapes (ideally with tiny-looking figures in them). She currently lives and works in Leicestershire, England. Her work is a mix of traditional techniques, including gouache, watercolor, and colored pencils. To learn more about Olga, follow her on Instagram @olgabaumert

Louis Thomas is an author, illustrator, and fine artist. Louis lives and works in his art studio between the Pantheon and the Luxembourg Gardens. He shares his studio with his beloved cat, Pipo, who is good at giving hugs—especially when Louis is working on a new project. His book, 88 Instruments, was featured in Club Sprout for February's curation.

Nani Brunini is an illustrator with a mild shopping addiction to picture books and houseplants. Originally from São Paulo, she currently lives among the beautiful hills of San Francisco, CA. She also spent some time living in the UK, Finland, and Germany, working in design studios and doing what she likes the most - talking to people from around the globe and getting a grasp of how enormously different and similar the world really is.