KidFest 2025 Authors
Heather Alexander
Heather is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction books for kids of all ages. She loves spooky stories, random trivia, and solving mysteries! She grew up in New Jersey, raised her kids in the Garden State, and was one of the founders of MFOB, before moving to Los Angeles. Heather also works as a children’s book editor and literary scout.
Featured title: Haunted USA
We’ve got spirits, yes we do! This gorgeous treasury draws on fact, folklore, and urban legend to shine a light on ghosts, ghouls, cryptids and even a haunted carousel. Meet a chocolate-loving ghost in Iowa, a spectral blue dog in Maryland, a headless pirate skeleton in Mississippi, and New Jersey’s Parkway Phantom! With scares from all fifty states, Haunted USA is perfect for cozy evenings around Halloween–and the really, really brave.
Mike Allegra
Mike Allegra is the author of eighteen books for children. Picture books include Pirate & Penguin and its sequel, Pirate & Penguin 2 Few Crew; Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles; Scampers Thinks Like a Scientist; Everybody’s Favorite Book; and Sarah Gives Thanks. He also wrote the chapter book series Kimmie Tuttle and Prince Not-So Charming. When Mike’s not kid-litting, he’s a freelance writer, journalist, and creative writing teacher.
Featured title: Sarah Gives Thanks
During the nineteenth century, Sarah Josepha Hale dedicated her life to making Thanksgiving a national holiday, all while raising a family and becoming a groundbreaking writer and women’s magazine editor. Sarah Hale’s inspiring story, accompanied by luscious watercolor illustrations, tells the tale of one woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Max Amato & Brendan McAuliffe
Max Amato is an author and illustrator from Silver Spring, Maryland. He studied graphic design at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he enjoys playing basketball and visiting art galleries when he’s not writing and drawing.
Brendan McAuliffe is an illustrator and author, from Seattle, Washington. When he grew up, he swapped the west coast for the east coast, and he currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. Brendan enjoys hiking, cycling, and generally anything in the great outdoors.
Featured title: Tiny Tooth
A rollicking picture book about prehistoric beasts with messages of bravery and teamwork. A romping, rhyming, onomatopoeic tale of Simon the Sabertooth Tiger! Join Simon the Sabertooth on his first hunt through the Ice Age. What prehistoric animals will he meet? What sounds will he hear? What places will he visit? Most importantly, can he save his pack from the terrible dire wolves? A rhyming, immersive read-aloud experience, Tiny Tooth explores the awesome world of the Ice Age through one tiny sabertooth’s eyes. With a message of bravery and working together, readers will root for Simon, the runt of the pack, and his friends! Back matter about the Pleistocene epoch, prehistoric animals, and common pack behavior included. A great story for any school or home library. This book is the second book in a series, following Stomp, Soar, Dino Roar!
Airlie Anderson
Airlie Anderson is the award-winning author and illustrator of several picture books, including Only, Neither, and Cat’s Seasons. She grew up in California and was inspired by animation art, pop art, and comics. Airlie majored in illustration and focused on children’s books at the Rhode Island School of Design. She works in gouache on watercolor paper and loves saturated color and expressive characters. She now lives in beautiful New Jersey with her family.
Featured title: Cat’s Seasons
Follow Cat and her kittens as they experience the different seasons, absorbing all that they bring. A charming, deceptively simple story about making the most of the world around us, and giving something back in return.
Gabrielle Balkan
Have the itchy symptoms of poison ivy ever made you feel blerg? Ever wondered what happens when an Argentinosaurus drops a Number Two? Curious about what the cauldron ingredient “eye of newt” really is? If so, you and fact-lover Gabrielle Balkan have GOT to talk. Gabe writes award-winning illustrated non-fiction that delights readers ages up to ten years old with curious facts about dinosaurs, medicine, witches, the USA, and lots more.
Featured title: What Medicine Can Do
Uh-oh—Raccoon feels blerg and ick. Is it poison ivy? Strep throat? Join Raccoon and friends as they check for symptoms, get examined and diagnosed, and start the treatment they need. Readers will learn that medicine can make you feel more comfortable, help you heal, prevent sickness, and more. Vetted by a physician, nurse practitioner, child life specialist, and social worker.
Galia Bernstein
Galia Bernstein loves animals and has been studying and drawing them since she was two years old. She is the bestselling author of three picture books, which have been published in fifteen languages, and the illustrator of many more. Galia lives in Brooklyn, New York, with a very small dog and a large cat.
Featured title: The Escape Artist
When Inky the octopus slipped out of his tank at the National Aquarium in New Zealand, his audacious escape made headlines around the world. Biologist Thor Hanson’s funny, informational text and Galia Bernstein’s illuminating, humorous pictures showcase the intelligence and curiosity of this fascinating creature.
Rachelle Burk
Rachelle Burk is the author of over twenty fiction and nonfiction books for children ages one to fourteen, including picture books, chapter books, board books, and an award-winning middle grade novel. Her newest release is Happy Birthday to You: The Sisters Who Wrote the Most Famous Song in the World. Rachelle has presented at hundreds of elementary, middle, and pre-K schools around the country with her dynamic (and often hilarious) Author Visit Programs.
Featured title: Happy Birthday to You
Patty and Mildred Hill are the most famous composers you’ve never heard of. They came up with “Happy Birthday to You!” in an effort to make something all children could easily sing. They ended up with a tune the whole world loved. “Happy Birthday to You!” has been sung to presidents and kings, on big stages and in outer space. And it all started in a kindergarten classroom with a teacher coaxing her children to sing an easy tune all together.
Jen Calonita
Jen Calonita is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty books for teens and middle grade. Her books have sold more than a million copies and have been translated into fifteen languages.
A graduate of Boston College, Jen began her career as an entertainment writer at Teen People magazine where she interviewed everyone from Dwayne Johnson to Reese Witherspoon. It was this job that inspired her first book, Secrets of My Hollywood Life, which was the winner of the Louisiana Young Readers Award. Jen went on to write six books in the bestselling series. She went on to write several series including the bestselling Fairy Tale Reform School and books in Disney’s New York Times bestselling A Twisted Tale series. A Twisted Tale’s Mirror Mirror was the winner of the 2020 Teen Choice Book Awards, the only national book awards program where winners are selected by children and teens.
Jen can be found in New York with her husband, two boys and a feisty chihuahua named Ben Kenobi.
Featured title: Charmed
The second installment in the beloved Fairy Tale Reform School series where the teachers are (former) villains
Sometimes it’s good to be bad…
It takes a (mostly) reformed thief to catch a spy. Which is why Gilly Cobbler, Enchantasia’s most notorious pickpocket, volunteers to stay locked up at Fairy Tale Reform School…indefinitely. Gilly and her friends may have defeated the Evil Queen and become reluctant heroes, but the battle for Enchantasia has just begun.
Alva, aka The Wicked One who cursed Sleeping Beauty, has declared war on the Princesses, and she wants the students of Fairy Tale Reform School to join her. As her criminal classmates give in to temptation, Gilly goes undercover as a Royal Lady in Waiting (don’t laugh) to unmask a spy…before the mole can hand Alva the keys to the kingdom.
Her parents think Gilly the Hero is completely reformed, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes it’s good to be bad…
This series is perfect for read-alongs between parents and kids and engaging reluctant readers.
Mike Ciccotello
Mike Ciccotello is the author-illustrator of the picture books Twins, Beach Toys vs. School Supplies, Leonard Builds a Haunted House, and forthcoming Leonard Grows a Haunted Garden. He is also the illustrator of Bridget Heos’s Teemendous and her Science Buddies series, as well as Croc & Gator, a chapter-book series written by Lisa Katzenberger. Mike is the host of Draw with Mr. Mike, a drawing show for children, and he is also a member of SCBWI and the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature (RUCCL). He lives with his wife and twin boys in New Jersey.
Featured title: Leonard Builds a Haunted House
Leonard the cheerful, can-do ghost is building his family members a new haunted house. It needs to be the scariest house EVER! Except the more Leonard builds, the less creepy their new home looks. From the un-scary cellar to the snug roof that doesn’t leak, it’s nothing like the house of horrors his family imagined . . . or is it?
Mike Ciccotello’s Leonard Builds a Haunted House is a hilariously triumphant tale about family, moving, house-building―and the spirit it takes to make something truly you.
Jay Cooper
Jay Cooper is the illustrator of thirty books, including the New York Times and USA Today bestselling graphic novel series The Last Comics On Earth and the bestselling Your Guide To Not Getting Murdered In A Quaint English Village. Jay takes silly books seriously—he believes that reading for enjoyment leads to a lifetime of literacy. Jay is also a Clio award-winning creative director of theatrical advertising who’s worked on over one hundred and sixty Broadway shows.
Featured title: The Last Comics on Earth A Song of Swords and Stuff
Jay’s latest book is the third installment of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series based on the worldwide phenomenon The Last Kids on Earth!
After one-upping themselves with a triumphant follow-up to their bestselling comic book, the Last Kids on Earth are met with unexpected competition: Skaelka has written her own comic and it’s selling like hotcakes! Determined to reclaim their #1 spot, our heroes get to work to create the ultimate threequel . . .
When a vicious monster attacks Apocalyptia, a group of adorably fluffy and delightfully stinkin’ cute mascot-shaped heroes arrive on the scene to help: the Laser Blade Hero Squad! Forming an alliance with our heroes, they agree to look after Apocalyptia while the Savage Aloner is called home on a mission to save his people from a mysterious threat. The entire land, and its citizens, have been . . . cutified! Now it’s up to Savage and our heroes to get to the bottom of things, before Barbarious Fantastica, and the rest of Apocalyptia, becomes permanently adorable!
Stephen Costanza
Stephen Costanza is the acclaimed author and illustrator of numerous picture books, including King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin, which won a Golden Kite Award, received three starred reviews, and was selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit. For several years he played the piano professionally with a violinist; performing ragtime, jazz, and classical music duets. He lives in North Haven, Maine.
Featured title: When Auggie Learned to Play Chess
More than anything, Auggie loves learning chess from his dad. What he doesn’t love is his new home, and his big, busy new school. Here all the kids moved through the school like bishops, rooks, kings and queens. Was Auggie just a pawn, small and unimportant? Can chess give Auggie the confidence to do something even harder than checkmating his dad: making a friend? Here is a moving father-son story that shows how chess helps one boy feel at home in a new environment.
Jacky Davis & David Soman
Jacky and David have authored the New York Times bestsellers the Ladybug Girl series, and Agent Lion, along with several other books they’ve written and David has illustrated. Their newest book, Elvis & Romeo, celebrates their love of dogs and sandwiches. They live with their family, and an old, rescue dog, who somehow resembles a bear, lion and a gorilla, in the small town of Rosendale, New York in the Hudson Valley. Jacky works part time at Post Mark Books and occasionally in the local elementary school library, and David teaches at the School of Visual Arts.
Featured title: Elvis & Romeo
Elvis, the bulldog, just wants a little peace and quiet. Romeo, the doodle, really wants to make new friends and play all day. It seems like they have nothing in common, but little by little, these polar-opposite pooches may just become the closest of canines.
Elizabeth Eulberg
Elizabeth Eulberg is the international bestselling author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Better Off Friends, as well as the acclaimed Great Shelby Holmes series. Her latest series, The Taylors Version, meant she had to spend her days listening to Taylor Swift and dissecting her videos. It’s a rough life. Originally from Wisconsin, Elizabeth now lives in London, where she goes on long walks and eats all the scones. ALL OF THEM.
Featured title: The Taylors Version: Love Stories
Four girls, all named Taylor, make for one unforgettable friendship! Elizabeth Eulberg follows four stories of first love, friendship, and heartbreak. Don't miss the sister novel, Jen Calonita’s The Taylors!
Not all friendships are forever and always . . .
Teffy, Tay, Taylor, and TS have been best friends since middle school. As they enter their high school freshmen era, relationships bring on the drama.
Teffy is crushing on the boy next door who belongs to someone else. Tay finds herself down bad for a tortured poet. Things get treacherous as an older boy starts flirting with Taylor. And TS is definitely focused only on soccer and doesn’t fancy her new teammate, a cute London girl . . . right?
Suddenly, it feels like everything has changed. Pulled in different directions between navigating high school and new relationships, will their friendship be long lived or is it so long, Taylors?
Beth Ferry
Beth Ferry is the author of numerous picture books for children including The Scarecrow, Swashby and the Sea, and the New York Times bestseller, Stick and Stone. She lives with her family by the beach in New Jersey where she finds inspiration in the salty air. In addition to writing picture books, Beth writes novels for emerging readers.
Featured title: Evelyn Witch Gets a Pet
Evelyn Witch has everything a witch needs. Messy hair, bubbling potions, and perfectly carved pumpkins.
But there’s something missing… A pet!
Perhaps she’ll get a bat or a griffin, or― Oh. She can only afford the mystery pet: a plain white egg.
She watches and waits for it to hatch.
Sniveling snails, something has to be done! Evelyn rolls up her sleeves and heads to the library, where they keep all the best spells. It’s time to get serious.
Brian Floca
Brian Floca is the author of Island Storm, illustrated by Sydney Smith; the illustrator of With Dad, by Richard Jackson; and the author and illustrator of Locomotive, Moonshot: The Racecar Alphabet, and other acclaimed picture books. Brian’s books have received the Caldecott Medal, four Sibert Honor awards for distinguished informational books, a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, and have been selected three times for the annual New York Times Best Illustrated Books list.
Featured title: Island Storm
Can you tell when a storm is coming? Can you feel the wind coming and growing? Do you hear the branches bouncing together, hear the whispers of the wind through the leaves?
Join in the journey as two siblings bear witness to the steady start, thrilling apex, and gentle end of this island storm. They’ll shelter soon, but first they want to feel it all.
Sydney Smith is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children’s books, and his illustrations are fantastically textured and visually spectacular. Paired with Brian Floca’s eloquent, rhythmic text, Island Storm is a multi-sensory experience that will amaze and delight readers. Children who fear thunder can take comfort in seeing it captured in the pages, while those who relish watching the sky crack open can enjoy battling this storm from the comfort of their homes.
Josh Funk
Josh Funk writes silly stories such as the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series (including the five sequels: The Case of the Stinky Stench, Mission Defrostable, Short & Sweet, The Great Caper Caper, and Attack of the Scones), the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, Dear Unicorn, Dear Dragon, My Pet Feet, the It’s Not a Fairy Tale, the A Story of Patience & Fortitude series in conjunction with the New York Public, Albie Newton, Pirasaurs!, A Night at the Bookstore: A Barnsie & Noble Adventure, and more coming soon!
Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes manuscripts. Since the fall of 2015, Josh has presented (or virtually presented) at over 800 schools, classrooms, and libraries and over 300 bookshops, book festivals, and conferences.
Featured title: Whodonut
The newest Agatha Crispy book is here, and Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have been invited to the very first reading on Holiday Eve! But when the lights go out and the book goes missing, everyone becomes a suspect. As the party splits up to search the mansion, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast team up once again. Will they be able to follow the clues and save the ending to the Miss Maple series, or will the culprit be at large forever?
Brian Gonsar
Brian Gonsar is an award-winning producer with a resume of feature films, music videos, art installations, and even a Super Bowl commercial. He is also a self-proclaimed donut aficionado who has traveled the world to find the best donut. Dracula’s Brunch Club is Brian’s debut graphic novel. When he’s not writing and creating, Brian’s most likely reliving his glory days on the soccer field. He is a proud #girldad and lives with his wife and daughter in New Jersey.
Featured title: Dracula’s Brunch Club
Have you ever wondered how vampires got their taste for blood? In Dracula’s Brunch Club, it all started with a crimson-red donut, dripping and oozing with spooky secrets—I mean, jelly. Dripping and oozing with non-spooky-tasting JELLY. Get ready to sink your fangs into the hilarious new graphic novel from debut authors Brian Gonsar and Keenan Gaybba!
Count Dracula is not your average vampire. Well, sure, he’s undead, hates garlic, and will burn up in sunlight—but unlike other vampires, he has a knack for baking. And it’s his brunch club’s famous blood-orange-jelly donuts that give his fellow vampires the energy source they need to live forever. But when Transylvania experiences a mysterious jelly shortage, it allows his nemesis, Constantine, to swoop in and steal the brunch club—and the vampires’ loyalty—from Dracula. But it’s not just jelly donuts at stake. When townsfolk start to go missing, Dracula suspects Constantine has far more sinister motives lurking that could threaten everything vampires and humans have worked for. With the help of his chef and human friend, Elena, Dracula must find a new energy source before every vampire and human turns on him and he loses his coveted brunch club forever.
Kay Healy
Kay Healy grew up on Staten Island, a borough of New York City. She studied art history at Oberlin College in Ohio, then went to art school to learn printmaking and book arts at UArts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When not making books, Kay draws, screen prints, and sews fabric soft sculptures in her studio. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and one dog.
Featured title: Casey’s Cases Everything Is Terrible
Casey has a lot on her plate, and not just delicious tater tots: campaigning for fifth grade class president, finding perfect homes for Ms. Muffin’s seven kittens, getting the guts to ask AJ to the dance, and of course, continuing to hone her detective skills.
But just when everything seems to be coming together, it all falls apart. Casey’s nemesis Dina gets her hands on a humiliating photo, and even worse, Casey’s best friend Jan—ex-best friend??— is the one who gave it to Dina. Worst of all, Casey’s parents are keeping a secret that will change her whole life.
Can detective Casey figure out the Case of Everything Is Terrible, or is this the one mystery without a solution?
Fresh talent Kay Healy’s winsome heroine, crackling wit, and charmingly geometric characters alchemize to comedy gold. Voracious young comics fans won’t want to miss Casey’s laugh-out-loud second adventure.
Sarah Hwang
Sarah Hwang is a Korean American illustrator and picture book writer. She received her B.F.A. in illustration from Maryland Institute College of Art. After moving to the United States as a young child, Sarah began to use drawing and creativity to express herself. She loves to sprinkle a bit of her quirk and humor in everything she creates. As a storyteller, she focuses on creating fun stories that are relatable for readers of all ages. Sarah made her author-illustrator debut with her much loved picture book, Toasty.
Featured title: Gertrude Gish on a Dish on a Fish
Gertrude Gish stacks things here…there…and everywhere. She stacks her brother’s drumstick dinner, she stacks books at school, and—when a parade comes to her town—she stacks the whole parade!
Everyone in town has had enough of Gertrude’s quirky pastime. But when the mayor’s penguins are stuck in a tree and Gertrude comes to the rescue, will her heroic deed make people see her—and her unique skill—in a different light?
Sarah Hwang’s rhythmic text and sweet, funny illustrations make this the perfect story for any beginning reader!
Bee Johnson
Bee Johnson is an illustrator and picture book maker. She lives in New York with her husband, two little girls, and a beagle named Banjo. Bee grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and studied illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Featured title: While We Wait
From the best-selling author of What Can a Mess Make? comes a charming picture book about a brother and sister who discover the unexpected delights of life’s in-between moments while running errands with their mother.
With joyful rhymes and gorgeous illustrations, this book invites readers to discover beauty in patience and cherish the opportunity of boredom.
Thunder rumbles.
Clouds hang low.
No umbrella!
Where to go?
Speckled sidewalk.
Stormy weather.
While we wait,
we squeeze together.
Filled with the highs and lows of a long day out, this story gently reminds us of the joy in simple moments spent together.
Victoria Kann
Victoria Kann is the author-artist of Rubylicious, Peterrific and four #1 New York Times bestselling books: Aqualicious, Emeraldalicious, Silverlicious, and Goldilicious. She is the artist and coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers Pinkalicious and Purplicious. In addition, Victoria co-wrote Pinkalicious: The Musical, which premiered in New York City to sold-out audiences and continues to be performed across the country. Victoria is the co-executive producer of the TV show, Pinkalicious & Peterrific on PBS Kids. Her award-winning artwork has graced the covers and pages of many magazines, newspapers, and books. She lives with her husband and two daughters.
Featured title: Pinkalicious
Pinkalicious loves all things pink. From fairy dresses to cotton candy to bubblegum. Most importantly she loves eating pink cupcakes. One rainy day, Mommy and Daddy warn her not to eat too many, but Pinkalicious can’t help herself. They’re just too good! But when Pinkalicious eats one too many, she turns pink herself! What will she do?
Pinkalicious is the first in a series of picture books starring Pinkalicious and her family. Children of all ages, but especially those pink-lovers, will be captivated by the adventures of Pinkalicious and giggle with delight as she tries to reverse her change of hue.
Michelle Knudsen
Michelle Knudsen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books, including the award-winning Library Lion (Time magazine’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time), The Dragon of Trelian (VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers), and Evil Librarian (YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults; Sid Fleischman Humor Award). Her latest is the middle-grade fantasy novel Into the Wild Magic. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with three humans, two cats, and one snake.
Featured title: Into the Wild Magic
Into the Wild Magic features eleven-year-old Bevvy, who spends her time avoiding other kids, playing with her neighbor’s kittens, and escaping into her fantasy novels. When new girl Cat arrives at school, Bevvy thinks she may finally have found a friend, until Cat provokes Bevvy’s worst tormentor and leaves her alone to deal with the consequences. Later, on Bevvy’s doorstep, Cat’s apology is cut short when a car with dark windows rolls up. Bolting into a nearby wood with Bevvy in tow, Cat proceeds to open a hole, in the air, just in time. Bevvy knows magic when she sees it, the kind in books, but the world the girls escape to—teeming with unicorns, sorcerers, and dragons—is shockingly, exhilaratingly real. It’s a world at war. Those who wield wild magic, in tune with nature, are pitted against dark sorcerers. As Bevvy’s role in the struggle grows, and her confidence with it, can she trust Cat to support her? Can she trust herself not to run? An acclaimed author builds a breathtaking and emotionally resonant world where magic and monsters are real and friendship and risk go hand in hand.
Tara Lazar
Street magic performer. Hog-calling champion. Award-winning ice sculptor. These are all things Tara Lazar has never been. Instead, she writes quirky, humorous picture books where anything is possible! She writes picture books and middle grade novels. She’s written short stories for Abe’s Peanut, Flash Fiction Online, and is featured in Break These Rules, a book of life-lesson essays for teens, edited by author Luke Reynolds. Tara holds a B.A. in English/Writing from Rutgers College. She lives in Somerset County with her husband, two daughters, and a lucky black cat named Phoebe.
Featured title: Flat Cat: The Class Pet
Flat Cat was born flat. He wasn’t squashed under the lunch lady’s rolling pin. He wasn’t smushed by an avalanche of library books. He was just flat. And most of the time, Flat Cat liked it just like that.
Until one day, when Flat Cat, in the mood for a change of scenery, slips into his friend Willow’s backpack and accompanies her to school, where he gets folded into a paper airplane, passed as a secret note, and used as a bathroom pass. Will Flat Cat be able to escape the chaos? Or will he realize he is keen to be loved and adored?
From acclaimed author Tara Lazar and brought to life by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald, Flat Cat: The Class Pet is a hilariously quirky and irreverent story that is sure to appeal to fans of Pete the Cat!
Rebecca Gardyn Levington
Rebecca Gardyn Levington is a children’s book author and poet with a particular penchant for penning both playful and poignant picture books and poems – primarily in rhyme. Her titles include Whatever Comes Tomorrow, Brainstorm!, Afikoman, Where’d You Go?, Little Dreidl Learns to Spin, Write Here, Write Now, Finding Forgiveness, Some Days I’m the Wind, and I Will Always Be… with many more forthcoming. Rebecca has a master’s degree in magazine journalism from NYU and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies, with a specialization in business administration, from UCLA. In her life B.C. (“Before Children”), she was a freelance magazine and newspaper journalist, writing feature articles and cover stories for The New York Observer, Ladies Home Journal, Working Mother, Bride’s, New York Newsday and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, among many others. Prior to that, she was Senior Editor at American Demographics (a now defunct marketing magazine that was far more interesting than it sounds!) where she wrote and edited stories about what motivates people’s purchasing decisions and lifestyle choices. She lives with her family in Summit, N.J.
Featured title: Write Here, Write Now
Write Here, Write Now inspires all kids to find joy in writing, no matter what, where, why, when, or how they write. It encourages reluctant writers to tap into their interests while motivating more prolific students to keep doing what they love. Appealing to readers of books like How To Write a Story by Kate Messner/Mark Siegel and Write! Write! Write! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater/Ryan O’Rourke, Write Here, Write Now presents a plethora of ways for kids to play with words while discovering the type of writing that’s “right” for them.
Suzy Levinson
Suzy Levinson is a children’s author/poet whose work has been featured in numerous anthologies, including A World Full of Poems, I Am a Jigsaw, and Shaping the World, and magazines, including Highlights and Cricket. Her critically acclaimed debut picture book–length poetry collection, Animals in Pants, was published in 2023. Her next, Dinos That Drive, is here in 2025! Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in New York.
Featured title: Dinos That Drive
Buckle up for a raptor race, train-faring Titanosaurs and (gulp) a taxi-driving T. rex in this hilariously whirlwind picture book poetry collection for fans of Richard Scarry and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site!
You’ve never seen a dinosaur that’s into driving cars? Well, buckle up! Brontosaurus, Triceratops, Pterodactyl and T. rex are all here to show off their driving, flying and diving skills in this riotous, fully illustrated book of poems about dinosaurs and their favorite things-that-go! From flighty Bambiraptor’s traffic chopper to hardheaded Pachycephalosaurus’s garbage truck to mama Maiasaura’s kid-carting minivan, and even to the stars beyond — these dinos on the go have no time to slow down. Each spread is full of fun details for young readers to pore over, but with our intrepid dino guides providing helpful dino facts on each page, you’ll never need a GPS again!
Includes dinosaur pronunciation guides for every poem.
Lauren Magaziner
Lauren Magaziner grew up in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where she spent her childhood with her nose in a book and her fingers curled over a keyboard. Lauren studied creative writing and philosophy at Hamilton College. She wrote her debut novel, The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, while studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland her junior year. In addition to writing a book in Scotland, Lauren also herded sheep, attended a royal wedding, witnessed a waddling parade of penguins, spotted the Loch Ness monster, and stuck her face in a fairy river of eternal youth. After college, Lauren worked on two delightful Scholastic magazines, where many of her coworkers didn’t believe her last name was real. She lived in Brooklyn, New York for six years. Now she currently resides in Philadelphia, where she writes full-time.
Featured title: The Incorruptibles
Keeper of the Lost Cities meets The Marvellers in this first book in an exciting new upper middle grade fantasy series that tells the story of Fiora Barrowling, a girl who lives in a world where sorcerers rule over all the humans, and select humans train to become part of the Incorruptibles, the human resistance fighters determined to oust the sorcerers.
Fiora Barrowling lives in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. After surviving an encounter with The Radiance—the very worst of the sorcerers—she’s whisked away to the incredible Incorruptibles (“Inc”) Academy, a school for resistance fighters in training. But most of the other students think Fiora hasn’t earned her place there, and when things start to go wrong and it seems the sorcerers have a spy in the academy, all eyes are on Fiora. With all odds stacked against her, can Fiora prove that she belongs?
Brigid Martin
Brigid Martin is a New York based writer, reader, and serial hobbyist with a soft spot for friendly ghosts. Brigid received her master's degree from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and undergraduate degree in English and Music from Stony Brook University. Brigid has enjoyed a career in the publishing field for nearly a decade and is excited to be on the other side of the page with her debut series, Totally Psychic.
Featured title: Totally Popular
Paloma Ferrer might just have things figured out. She’s settled in at her new school. Her little sister has been way less annoying than usual. And, best of all, she’s finally gotten a handle on her ability to speak to ghosts. Everything is going great… until Rafaela de la Cruz comes to town.
Totally Popular is the newest in Brigid Martin’s Totally Psychic series!
Niña Mata
Niña Mata is an award- winning illustrator and author known for books like the New York Times bestsellers I Promise by LeBron James and Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson, as well as the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honored Ty’s Travels series by Kelly Starling Lyons. Her work for I Absolutely Positively Love My Spots by Lid’Ya C Rivera was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature. Nina’s debut authorial middle grade book, Girls to the Front, received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. Born in the Philippines and raised in Queens, Niña believes everyone deserves to see themselves in stories. On days off she enjoys karaoke, dancing and beach days with her family.
Featured title: Girls to the Front
Stand back, the girls are coming through: Learn about forty amazing Asian American women who have changed the course of history! From the big stage to the US Navy, from laboratories to the boardroom, from the Olympics to the pages in books, these girls and women lead every line. Bold, bright, and empowering profiles by Geisel Honor–winning and #1 New York Times bestselling artist Niña Mata place these incredible changemakers at the very front and inspire readers to tap into their own greatness.
Perfect for fans of Little Leaders, Latinitas, Rebel Girls, Notable Native People, and other anthologies for children.
Patrick McDonnell
Patrick McDonnell’s beloved and award-winning comic strip, “MUTTS”, has appeared in over seven hundred newspapers across twenty countries for thirty years. Charles Schulz called it “One of the best comics strips of all time.” Patrick is the author of several New York Times bestselling picture books, including The Gift of Nothing, and the Caldecott Honor winning Me…Jane. Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. Other children’s books include Hug Time, A Perfectly Messed-Up Story, The Monsters’ Monster, and Thank You and Goodnight. Patrick was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for eighteen years and currently serves on the boards of The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust. He lives in New Jersey.
Featured title: The Gift of Everything
This heartwarming story perfect for the holiday season offers a fresh take on mindfulness and gratitude and features Patrick McDonnell’s familiar beloved characters from his popular “MUTTS” comic strip! It’s that time of year again. Mooch the cat is searching up, down, and all around for a perfect gift for his special friend Earl. But what is perfect? Join Mooch as he sees the world around him with a fresh feeling of gratitude and discovers the answer: Everyone… Everywhere… Everything! Good thing he has just the right person to share it all with!
Sarah Mlynowski
Sarah is the New York Times bestselling author of the Whatever After, Best Wishes, Magic in Manhattan series, the Upside-Down Magic series (along with Emily Jenkins and Lauren Myracle), as well as Don’t Even Think About It, Think Twice, Milkfun, Fishbowl, As Seen on TB, Monkey Business, Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have), How to be Bad (along with E. Lockhart and Lauren Myracle), and I See London, I See France. Sarah’s short stories and novellas include A Little Bit Broken, A Nice Fling is Hard to Find, Know it All, and Cruisin’. Sarah’s books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She was born in Montreal but now lives and writes in New York City.
Featured title: The Fairest of All
The magic of the New York Times and PW bestselling Whatever After series comes to life in this brand-new graphic novel adaptation that will appeal to fans of the BSC and Wings of Fire alike! Fractured fairy tales have never been this fun.
Once upon a time, Abby and her little brother, Jonah, were ordinary kids. The next minute? The mirror in their basement slurped them up and magically transported them into the fairy tale of Snow White.
Yes, really!
When Abby and Jonah stop Snow from eating the poison apple, they think they’re heroes. But wait! If Snow doesn’t die, she won’t meet her prince and get her happy ending. Oops.
Now it’s up to Abby and Jonah– with some help from Snow and the seven dwarfs–to outwit the witch and save the famous fairy tale in time.
But what if Snow’s REAL happy ending is something else entirely?
Bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski and award-winning illustrator Anu Chouhan join forces to bring us this vibrant, action-packed, enchanting graphic novel adventure that will appeal to fans of fairy tales, Raina Telgemeier, The Land of Stories, and all magical, empowering adventures.
Robin Newman
Raised in New York and Paris, Robin Newman is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and City University of New York School of Law at Queens College. She was a practicing attorney and legal editor, but now prefers to write about witches, ants, mice, and peacocks. Author of the award-winning Wilcox & Griswold Mystery Series and several picture books, she lives in New York with two spoiled spaniels. Newman is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, National Writing Project’s Writers Council, Bank Street Writers Lab, Read Alliance Advisory Council, and PEN America, CYAB.
Featured title: Trial and Error
Robin Newman had another life as a lawyer before becoming a children’s book author, and in Trial and Error, she brings us Sawyer the ant. Sawyer is the hero of the day in case after case, each one introducing a legal concept in a fun way. Can a snail beat a speeding ticket? What about the poor chicken who crossed the road and was ticketed for jaywalking? What will happen to the squirrels fighting over a ginormous acorn? With the right lawyer, justice will be done!
Drew Panckeri
Drew Panckeri is a picture book maker and cartoonist living in New Jersey. His debut book came out in the summer of 2025 and previously his work has appeared in The New Yorker, MAD Magazine, and more. When not drawing or writing, Drew can be found puttering around in the garden, knocking about in the kitchen, and generally leading a quiet life with good books.
Featured title: Duck and Cat Ride the Riverboat
What could be better than a boat ride with your best friend on a perfect summer day?
Little do Duck and Cat know that the other passengers on board the riverboat include a family of hungry crocodiles. Duck pays them no mind, but Cat knows a threat when he sees one. When dinner gets canceled, the duo must spring into action to make sure they don’t end up on the menu instead!
Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi
Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi are the creators of the RV Atlas podcast and the co-authors of the Idiot’s Guide: RV Vacations as well as co-authors of the bestselling and award-winning series of Where Should We Camp Next? books. Writers and adventurers at heart, the Puglisis live in New Jersey and spend 80+ nights a year in their RV with their three kids.
Featured title: My First Book of Camping
Get ready for a cozy camping experience filled with gooey s’mores, fishing in a river, and the warmth of a crackling campfire. Toddlers and preschoolers will embark on a camping journey like no other. Follow along as they discover the joy of wandering in the woods, making shadow puppets, and gathering around the campfire to share spooky stories, and sleeping in a tent. With its sturdy pages and built-in handle for easy carrying, as well as vibrant illustrations, Terra Babies On the Go: My First Book of Camping will captivate young readers at every turn. The magic of the great outdoors is brought to life in the pages, encouraging little ones to explore and embrace the wonders of nature.
James Robinson
James Robinson is an Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker and video producer for New York Times Opinion. James speaks to audiences across the country, from grade school to grad school, about disability, filmmaking, and getting people to care.
Featured title: Whale Eyes
From Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker James Robinson comes a breathtaking illustrated memoir for middle-grade readers (and adults, too)—inspired by the viral, Emmy-nominated short film Whale Eyes.
Told through an experimental mix of intimate anecdotes and interactive visuals, this book immerses readers in James’s point of view, allowing them to see the world through his disabling eye conditions.
Meredith Rusu
Meredith Rusu lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young sons. She is the author of more than one hundred children’s books, notably the award-winning Mighty Moods picture book series and When Auggie Learned to Play Chess. She has also written for many popular licenses including LEGO, Disney/Pixar, Star Wars, and Bluey. When she isn’t writing, Meredith enjoys singing karaoke, spending time with family, and going on the occasional adventure or two.
Featured title: When Auggie Learned to Play Chess
In this heartfelt picture book, a shy kid’s dad teaches him how to play chess . . . and chess gives him the confidence to make a new friend.
When Auggie finds an old chessboard that once belonged to his grandfather, he decides he wants to learn how to play chess. And his dad, his Tatâ, is happy to teach him. They’ve just moved to a new town, and Auggie is struggling to make friends at his new school. In the big, busy hallways, he feels like a tiny pawn. But after every hard day at school, he can’t wait to play chess with his dad. Slowly, slowly, he gets better at the game . . . until he can beat Tatâ! Then, Auggie finds a chessboard in his classroom. When he sees that another boy looks interested in it, he knows just what to do: he can teach Luke how to play chess, too!
Here is a moving father-son story that shows how chess helps one boy feel at home in a new environment.
Marker Snyder
Marker Snyder is an illustrator, designer, and graphic artist currently based in Kingston, New York, where he lives in a rainbow house with his husband, two cats, and a very friendly turtle. Formerly a curator and exhibition designer in New York City, Marker is the creator of First Kiss with Fangs, his debut graphic novel for kids.
Featured title: First Kiss with Fangs
When thirteen-year-old Ivan’s vampire fangs come in on his first day of eighth grade, he’s determined to keep them a secret. He wants to stay in day school, with his human BFFs, rather than transfer to night school with the rest of the teenage vampire crowd. Sure, that means he’ll have to lie to everyone, but how hard can it be? He will just act normal.
Keeping his secret gets much harder when Ivan is assigned a new lab partner: transfer student Damien. Around him, Ivan acts anything but normal. He’s fainting and fumbling and far from blending in. Ivan even finds himself thinking about blood and heartbeats and vampire kisses… All. Day. Long.
Is it safe to spend time with humans, or is Ivan turning into a bloodthirsty vampire against his wishes? He always thought he would do anything to stay in the human world, but maybe it’s too dangerous to keep pretending…
Mika Song
Mika Song grew up in Manila, Philippines, and Honolulu, Hawaii. She moved to New York to attend Pratt Institute and worked in animation before making children’s books. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
Featured title: Henry’s Picture Perfect Day
The third chapter book in the award-winning Henry series, starring a sweet and sensitive child on the autism spectrum, is a story about embracing life’s messier moments and one’s own uniqueness.
It is Picture Day for Classroom Ten! Mrs. Tanaka says that the class will take a perfect picture. And on Picture Day, everyone smiles. The trouble is that Henry does not feel perfect. His new shirt has stripes. He has never practiced smiling. And, worst of all, his front tooth is starting to wobble.
Join Henry and the kids of Classroom Ten in this warm and funny tale of Picture Day pressure, loose tooth trouble, and learning what it truly means to make a day—and a memory—that is picture perfect. Part of the Schneider Family Award and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning series, this is a reassuring read for all school-age kids.
David Ezra Stein
David Ezra Stein is the author-illustrator of many picture books, including the Caldecott Honor Book Interrupting Chicken and its sequels, which inspired the Apple TV+ animated television series; I’m My Own Dog; Ice Boy; and Dinosaur Kisses. He lives with his family in Kew Gardens, New York.
Featured title: Interrupting Chicken Saves the Nutcracker
At her first ballet ever, can an excitable little Chicken resist helping the story along? Fans
will cheer as their favorite interrupter puts her spin on a beloved holiday classic.
“Hi, Clara! Like my tutu?”
“Ahem,” said the narrator.
“Chicken!” said Papa. “You can’t go onstage!”
It’s winter vacation for the little red chicken and, with promises of best behavior, she’s on her way to see The Nutcracker with Papa. She can’t wait! In fact, she’s so excited that Papa is worried she might get a little carried away . . . Take your seats and get ready to giggle as a certain irrepressible audience member dances onstage at key moments, determined to save the nutcracker from that bully Fritz and the sword-wielding Mouse King. But what happens when a revered classic has its storyline turned on its head? In this special holiday tale for loyal followers and new fans alike, David Ezra Stein moves the meta from page to stage as Chicken gleefully breaks the fourth wall.
Eric Velasquez
Eric Velasquez is the author/illustrator of over thirty children’s books. He is the recipient of the NAACP Image Award for outstanding literature for children, the Coretta Scott King (John Steptoe Award) as well as The Pura Belpre’ and Walter Awards. His work draws on the inspiration of his s/heroes, from his grandmother to Arturo Schomburg and Martin Luther King. Eric lives in New York, and he frequently presents to schools and libraries across the country.
Featured title: The Polar Bear and the Ballerina
A wordless story of unlikely friendship that celebrates art and its ability to connect us. However, this picture book also opens a conversation about alienation and empathy. Who is kept out of the theater? How can we welcome them in? A deeply personal story, author Eric Valqueuez sees himself in this tale.
When dancers have a photoshoot at the Central Park Zoo, a young, African American ballerina and a polar bear form a special friendship. When his new friend leaves her scarf behind, the polar bear must venture through Central Park and out into Manhattan to return it before her performance at the Lincoln Center.
However, the theatergoers eye the strange bear with suspicion. When the ushers won’t let him inside, the ballerina comes to his rescue and welcomes him in. The polar bear has dreamed of seeing the ballet, and now he gets to be a part of it in the most surprising way.
Colleen Venable
Colleen AF (Ann Felicity) Venable is the author of many kids’ books, including the Katie the Catsitter series, and was longlisted for a National Book Award for her YA graphic novel, Kiss Number 8. Colleen discovered Junie B. as a young babysitter and says, “I instantly fell in love. I don’t think any character in literature connects with me as much!”
Featured title: Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus: The Graphic Novel
Both a publishing phenomenon and continued millennial favorite, Junie B. has been entertaining generations of readers with her relatable antics—many of whom are now parents. Junie’s trademark humor continues to garner attention on Instagram and TikTok, amassing millions of views on Junie B.–related content and proving that she remains relevant both on and off the page. Now with the graphic novels adapted by Colleen AF Venable (Katie the Catsitter) and illustrated by debut illustrator Honie Beam (both Junie B. Jones fans and readers!), this beloved series will provide both a heartwarming trip down memory lane, as well as an exciting introduction for today’s younger crowd.
Hop on board with us as we celebrate this new iteration of Junie B.
Cassidy Wasserman
Cassidy Wasserman is an artist in the game industry and is making her graphic novel debut with On Guard! When she’s not creating, Cassidy enjoys épée fencing, listening to musicals, and agility training with her dog, Zag. Cassidy lives in the mountains of Maine, where she is working on her next graphic novel.
Featured title: On Guard!
Grace isn’t ready for a new school year. Her best friend Ava dropped her at the end of last year, the dust is still settling from her parents’ messy divorce, and things are not going well between Grace and her mom. Mothers and daughters are always so close in movies. But that’s never been Grace and her mom. So now Grace has no friends, no hobbies (band was Ava’s thing), and home feels even more complicated than school. There’s not a single place Grace can just relax. Until, she sees the school’s fencing club practicing. They look so sure of themselves. So steady. It may not solve everything…but could this be a place Grace can finally belong and be herself?
Rosemary Wells
Rosemary Wells has created her best-loved characters in the popular bunny siblings, Max and Ruby, who are featured in more than forty books and star in their own television show on Nick Jr. She is also the author of many other books for young readers, ranging from board books to young adult novels. Ms. Wells travels widely as a well-known advocate for literacy and for pre-school education. She lives in Connecticut.
Featured title: Sharing
A sweet and relatable picture book about how friends are so much better than things and what a wonderful feeling it is to share.
Every night, Charles puts his favorite things to bed: his little doctor kit, his racing skates, his space man, his xylophone, his magic stars, his alligator, his Lionel Messi football, and his pecka-pecka chicken farm.
One day, Charles takes his toys to the park, where he meets some other kids who wants to play with him…but can Charles learn to share his favorite things?
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