Jane Simone Mendelsohn is an American writer. Her novels are known for their mythic themes, poetic imagery, and allegorical content, as well as themes of female and personal empowerment. Mendelsohn's novel I Was Amelia Earhart was an international bestseller in 1996 and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction.
Elisa Kleven is an American children's writer and illustrator of 30 books. She grew up in Los Angeles and currently resides near San Francisco. Her titles have been Booklist editor's choices, and PBS and Rainbow Book selections.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an historical novel by Jamie Ford. The story is told in two parallel storylines, one following 12-year-old Henry Lee's experiences during the Second World War, and the other depicting Henry 44 years later as a widower with a college-aged son. The plot centers around the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans to internment camps; the book depicts the pain and trauma of separation through the friendship of the Chinese-American Henry and his Japanese-American friend Keiko.
The Midnight Zoo is a 2010 novel by Sonya Hartnett. It was first published on 1 November 2010 in Australia and was then released in the United States a year later. It follows the story of two gypsy boys that find an abandoned zoo after fleeing a traditional celebration. The novella has gained critical praise for its "lyrical" prose and for the illustrations in the United States version, done by artist Andrea Offermann.
Kristy Dempsey is a children's book author currently living in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She won the 2015 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text on her book A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream.
Eva Chen is an American journalist. She is the director of fashion partnerships at Instagram and a children's book author. Previously she was editor-in-chief of Lucky and beauty and health director at Teen Vogue.
A Different Pond is a 2017 children's picture book by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui. The book tells the story of a boy and his father going fishing. Phi created the book because of his desire to have books about people like himself to read to his daughter. Bui's detailed illustrations allowed Phi to remove elements of the prose. Bui, who had never illustrated a traditional picture book before, won praise for her use of colors and was recognized with a 2018 Caldecott Honor. The book received positive reviews and appeared on best of 2017 book lists.
Hello Lighthouse is a picture book written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. The book tells the story of a lighthouse and its last keeper and was well received, winning the 2019 Caldecott Medal for its illustrations. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, Blackall worked hard on the design of the book. The writing and illustrations were meant to complement each other noting the change and consistency of the sea.
Morag Hood is a Scottish writer and illustrator of children's books. Her primary medium is lino printing, although she uses a variety of techniques in her work. Her stories rely on interplay between text and illustration, creating space in the narrative for young readers to fill in. Many of her stories concern relationships, inclusion and prejudice. She has an MA in children's book illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. Hood was the winner of the UKLA book awards in the 3–6 category in 2018, for Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea, and in 2019 for I am Bat. Her books have been nominated for several other awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Julián Is a Mermaid is an American children's picture book by Jessica Love. It tells the story of a boy who wants to become a mermaid and participate in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Love first began writing the book in 2014 while she worked as an actress, and it was published in 2018 by Candlewick Press.
We Are Water Protectors is a 2020 picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade. Written in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, the book tells the story of an Ojibwe girl who fights against an oil pipeline in an effort to protect the water supply of her people. It was published by Roaring Brook Press on March 17, 2020. The book was well received. Critics praised its message of environmental justice, its depiction of diversity, and the watercolor illustrations, for which Goade won the 2021 Caldecott Medal, becoming the first Indigenous recipient of the award. The book also received the 2021 Jane Addams Children's Book Award winner in the Books for Younger Children category.
The Paperboy is a 1996 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. Inspired by Pilkey's own experiences as a paperboy, it tells the story of a paperboy and his dog as they deliver newspapers in the early hours of the morning. The Paperboy received positive reviews from critics and was awarded a 1997 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.
Ada Twist, Scientist is a 2016 children's picture book written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts. The story was well received and praised for encouraging children, especially girls, to develop an interest in STEM. The book also received a television series adaptation in 2021.
What Is Love? is a 2021 picture book written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Carson Ellis. It tells the story of a boy who wants to know the meaning of love, and so is advised by his grandmother to ask to people around him.
The Sun Is Also a Star is a young adult novel by American author Nicola Yoon, published November 1, 2016, by Delacorte Press. The book follows two characters, one of whom is about to be deported, and explores “the ways in which we are all connected and the ways in which people across all walks of life have much more in common than they think they do.”
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners is a 2021 picture book by Joanna Ho, published by HarperCollins on January 5, 2021, as her debut work. Ho aimed to show the beauty of East Asian eyes while also showing that everyone is beautiful. A sequel titled Eyes That Speak to the Stars was published in February 2022.
Galaxy: The Prettiest Star is a graphic novel written by Jadzia Axelrod and illustrated by Jess Taylor. The novel was published by DC Comics on May 17, 2022. It tells the story of Galaxy, a teenage alien princess, who is forced to hide on Earth when her home planet is conquered. To hide herself from her enemies, Galaxy uses alien technology to present herself as a human boy.
Going Down Home with Daddy is a 2019 picture book written by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter. It tells the story of a young boy who attends a large family reunion at his great-grandmother's house and struggles to prepare a contribution to the family celebration. Inspired by Lyons's visit to a family gathering in rural Georgia, the book was published by Peachtree Publishing on April 1, 2019. The acrylic illustrations incorporate Adinkra symbols representing various concepts in Ghanaian culture. Critics praised the book's themes of family culture and heritage as well as Minter's illustrations, for which it received a Caldecott Honor in 2020. It also received the 2019 Lupine Award in the Picture Book category.
The Ogress and the Orphans is a children's book written by Kelly Barnhill and published on March 8, 2022, by Algonquin Books. It counts the events of a small fictional town, where the library is burned down and an orphan goes missing, which leads to its citizen blaming an ogress who had just moved in.
Laurel Molk is an illustrator and author of children's books.
