Nicole Walters

Nicole Y. Walters lives in Seattle, Washington where rainy days are really creative invitations to stay indoors and write. Her first book, Charis: Journey to Pandora's Jar, was released May 2013 by Booktrope Publishing.  The book and the dot above was illustrated by her amazingly, outstandingly, outrageously, ginormously talented brother, Vincent A. Conard. (He paid Nicole to say that.) 

Visit Nicole at her website here.

Learn more about Charis and her journey to Pandora's Jar here.

Adam Lehrhaupt

Adam Lehrhaupt has traveled to six continents, performed on Broadway, and lived on a communal farm. He firmly believes that opening a book is a good thing, even if there are monkeys in it. Adam currently lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, Adam does a bit of writing. His writing spans multiple styles, from poetry to fiction to nonfiction, and is primarily geared towards children. Adam’s first book, Warning: Do Not Open This Book!,will be coming out on August 27,2013. 

Learn more about Adam on his website!

Laurel Snyder

Laurel Snyder is the author of five novels for children, “Bigger than a Bread Box,” “Penny Dreadful,” “Any Which Wall,” “Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains OR The Search for a Suitable Princess,” and (forthcoming) “Seven Stories Up.” She has also written six picture books, “Inside the Slidy Diner,” Good night, laila tov,” “Nosh, Schlep, Schluff,” “The Longest Night,” “Camp Wonderful Wild,” and “Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher.”

Learn more about Laurel on her website.

Samantha Berger

Samantha Berger is not an otter, a Princess, nor a little monster (well, sometimes) but she IS a writer and artist who loves to make up stories about all three!

From the time she was very little, Samantha has always loved children’s books, cartoons, comics, costumes, and Kermit the Frog.

Samantha grew up to become the Vice President of Animated Shorts at Nickelodeon, and to write over seventy books for young readers, most recently, "Martha Doesn't Say Sorry!" and"Martha Doesn't Share!"

Before Nickelodeon, Samantha was an Editor at Scholastic, before that a Preschool Teacher, before that, worked at Rhino Records, and before THAT skipped merrily 'round the streets of Brooklyn and Philly.

She has a book coming on August 13, 2013 Crankenstein Illustrated by Dan Santat 

Learn more about Samantha on her website 

Steve Light

Steve Light grew up in an enchanted place known as New Jersey. He went on to study Illustration at Pratt Institute, he also had the pleasure of studying and mentoring under Dave Passalacqua. Upon graduating he did some corporate illustrations for companies such as: AT&T, Sony Films, Absolut Vodka and the New York Times Book Review. Steve Light then went on to design buttons that were acquired by the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum.

Then came a great opportunity for Steve to teach art to small children. Through his experiences as a teacher he found his true calling as a children's illustrator and storyteller. He has been teaching in the classroom for over 10 years with children 3-6 years old. 

Steve Light's storytelling to small children inspired him to create storyboxes for some classic stories. These storyboxes consist of wooden figures that he has hand-carved and uses to dramatize the story. (Source)

Learn more about Steve on his website. 

Hazel Mitchell

Hazel Mitchell writes, "Drawing and horses were my great escapes as a youngster. I attended art college in my home country of England. When I left art college I ran away to sea and joined the Royal Navy - they taught me to be a graphic designer. Now I'm doing what I've always dreamed of - illustrating and writing children's books. Originally I'm from Scarborough in Yorkshire, UK. I came to America in 2000 and now I live and work in Maine." (Source)

Learn more about Hazel on her website!

Florence Minor

Florence Minor love books, and as a young girl, two of Florence’s favorite pastimes were reading, and writing. Now, many years later, after graduating from Hunter College, and enjoying a wonderful career as a film editor for ABC News in New York, Florence has found a second, and very fulfilling career in publishing. She not only handles the business aspects of the studio, but is also writing books for young children, and was delighted when “If You Were a Penguin” (Florence’s text and Wendell’s illustrations) was selected as Pennsylvania’s choice for their “One Book, Every Young Child” program in 2009. (Source) 

Florence is the author of "If You Were a Penguin and her newest release is, "If You Were A Panda Bear".

Learn More About Florence (and her husband, former Celebridot creator, Wendell) on their website.

Downloadable activity page for IF YOU WERE A books

PBS Kids!

Dot is a PBS kid. Dot is a smart, encouraging leader who guides other PBS KIDS through the spectacular, interesting and weird world around us. Dot is based at the PBS KIDS headquarters in Arlington, VA, just outside of Washington, DC.

PBS KIDS is the number one educational media brand for kids. With a 360-degree approach towards learning and reaching children, PBS KIDS leverages the full spectrum of media and technology advancements to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. Learn more about PBS KIDS at www.pbskids.org.

Special thanks to Jenna E. Schapiro and Lesli Rotenberg for helping us with Dot!

Anna Raff

Anna Raff is the illustrator of several books for children, including WORLD RAT DAY, by Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis, SYLVIA'S SPINACH, and the forthcoming THINGS THAT FLOAT AND THINGS THAT DON'T. 

Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Kiwi Magazine, among others; on TV on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," and MTV's "Woodie Awards." In 2010, she created Ornithoblogical, a blog of bird-related imagery.

Anna has an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and a BA from Connecticut College. She lives in New York City, where there are reportedly four rats per human resident. (Source) 

Learn more about Anna on her website.

WORLD RAT DAY - by J. Patrick Lewis and Anna Raff from Anna Raff on Vimeo.

Matthew Cordell

Matthew Cordell is an author illustrated who grew up in South Carolina and now lives in a suburb of Chicago. Matthew's latest book "Hello, Hello" received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus. He is also the illustrator of the "Justin Case" series.

Learn more about Matthew on his website.