Authors & Illustrators

Dr. Seuss has been a friendly and familiar fixture in many, many childhoods. With over 60 books published, along with animated movies and poetry, there is a Dr. Seuss book for just about any situation or occasion in life. His message is often heartfelt and profound, wrapped in shiny, polka-dotted paper. Ages 3 — 9.

Ezra Jack Keats’ award-winning career has brought us treasured books since the 1960’s. His iconic images and simple yet lasting words are timeless and just as wonderful today. Ages 2 or 3 — 7.

Leo Lionni’s timeless parables and unique artwork should be a staple of every child’s bookcase. It’s hard to narrow his excellent work down to five (we love them all). These selections include choices that are suitable for all ages. Ages 3 — 8.

These books, all illustrated by the talented Barbara Cooney, were sometimes the result of a collaboration with another author and sometimes written by Cooney herself. Combining an honest realism with a softness in her artwork, she gently shares stories that are important to hear. All are interesting and thought provoking, and worth a close look. Ages 3 — 8.

Nancy Tillman is a master at finding words for things we thought were impossible to put into words. From the deepest love we have for our child, to the self-esteem and inspiration we would love to impart to them, she has brought it together with other-worldly gorgeous illustrations that capture our imagination. Ages 4 — 8.

As soon as we saw Pamela Zagarenski’s illustrations, we immediately went looking for more of her work. It is breathtaking. Luckily she has also authored a couple of great picture books. Here are our five favorites of hers. Ages 4 — 7.

You will find David Wiesner’s work in many curations on our site. It is creative and interesting; he brings ideas to life in unique ways. These are mostly wordless books, which makes them even more powerful. Ages 4 — 8.

Our founder and lead curator live in Florida. So when we set out to find some great local picture book authors, we were delighted to find that some familiar favorite titles were written by our local Floridians! There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth is a hilarious reworking of an old children’s song, and Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights, about peacefully protesting for change, was written by the author of the children’s picture book about Harvey Milk and the rainbow flag. Guilty as charged for underestimating our beloved Sunshine State. Ages 3 — 8.

We’re so glad we happened upon the artwork of Melissa Castrillon. Her art is unique and fun to look at, and some of these books don’t even need words, they are so beautiful. We’d love to frame some of her pieces. Ages 4 — 9.

Joyce Sidman brings nature to life with her gorgeous prose in these selections that focus on winter, a pond, the seasons, the creatures of the night and a meadow. Some she has illustrated herself and in others, she has partnered up with talented artists to bring her vision to life. We are partial to the combination of Sidman and Pamela Zagarenski, with her poignant illustrations. All these are absolute keepers. We recommend them whole-heartedly. Ages 4 — 10.

Max and Ruby, Yoko, McDuff, Felix, Nora, Hazel. Rosemary Wells has created so many beloved children’s book characters, it’s hard to even list them all. This appetizer platter will give you a taste of the feast that is this author’s life’s work. Ages 2 – 6.

Shel Silverstein had a natural irreverence and almost disdain for the “rules” that gave him lasting insight — rare in adults — into what resonates with children. Those qualities, combined with his ability to play with and poke fun of the English language, gives his work an everlasting quality. Lots of puddles to play in here for all ages. Ages 3 — 9.

Rosemary Wells is one of our all-time favorite authors. She clearly loves her characters, and it shows. There’s a sunny optimism in her work that we are innately drawn to, over and over again. We hope you love her work as much as we do. Ages 3 — 7.

We sent our rep Jennie Harrington to KidLitCon in Providence, Rhode Island in 2019, and she had an amazing time meeting and learning from others in the industry — including children’s book authors, illustrators, bloggers, librarians and teachers. Here are some of our favorite picks from that conference. They each carry a powerful message, including gratitude for the seasons, the power of kindness and generosity and the power of being exactly who we are. Ages 4 – 8.

Patricia Polacco is just such a treasure. She has a gift for bringing up important stories and illustrating them in an honest and tender way. Some of these may be familiar to you, some lovely surprises. Be sure to take a peek at all of them! Ages 4 – 8.

Books about books! Some of these are very silly, and others show how books are not taken for granted in some cultures. Any way you look at it, this is a fun way to honor our love of books. Mini bookworms and kids who are trying to wrap their heads around why books are important will both appreciate these. Ages 3 — 8.

Creative and beautiful, yet informative and accurate, Gail Gibbons’ books have long been a staple not only on homeschool supply shelves, but on shelves of beloved family libraries. Taking her love and knowledge of nature and science, and combining it with her artistic skills and knack for relating to young children, she has created an impressive collection, with subjects ranging from space to insects to weather. Here are five of our favorites. Ages 4 — 8.

Yuval Zommer uses his unique style to present interesting information about creatures in nature in a super fun and engaging way. In his “Big Book of..” series, four are about bugs and animals — loaded with facts. One is about some animals encountering a motorhome in the countryside and will make you laugh. Ages 4 — 8.

Jerry Pinkney’s bordering-on-unbelievable talent as an illustrator is showcased here — in our five favorite picks from his collection of picture books that are truly works of art. Ages 1 — 8.

Lizi Boyd’s unmistakable style turns each of these great picture books into works that are captivating to babies, fun for toddlers to look at and listen to, and also great for beginning readers to enjoy on their own. Fairly new to the picture book scene, this author-illustrator has captured our attention with her style and quality work — and we hope to see more from her! Ages 2 — 5.

It was no easy task to narrow down all the wonderful Jan Brett books into a top five, but we did it! We’ve taken a sampling of our favorites, some old and some newer. You can’t go wrong with any of them… there’s something so special and distinctive about her work, it’s like nothing else. Ages 4 — 8.

We had a hard time choosing which five books to represent the unmistakable style and imagination of author and illustrator William Joyce. We’ve picked these five picture books from his hearty collection of work that also includes chapter books and movies. Joyce’s work is simply immersive, and he has a talent for drawing us right into his world. Have fun with these! Ages 4 — 8.