My advance copies of YOU MAKE ME SNEEZE! and the paperback edition of YOU ARE NOT A CAT! arrived this week. Both books will officially be released on February 20th by Astra Young Readers. Unboxing a year’s worth of hard work, seeing it glued and bound together as a book never gets old. I had the pleasure of sharing a sneak peek of YOU MAKE ME SNEEZE with some classrooms this week for World Read Aloud Day, and I’m happy to report: the jokes landed! The lovely folks at Astra also created a very fun promotion for SNEEZE at this year’s ALA conference: tissue packs! They’ve sent me a bunch that I ..read more

Acchoooooo!…I mean, Yippee! My book trailer for YOU MAKE ME SNEEZE! just went live! Feel free to watch and share. :^) Written by Sharon G. Flake and illustrated by me, SNEEZE is the sequel to YOU ARE NOT A CAT! featuring the same kooky duo of Cat and Duck as they navigate the world and the hiccups (sneezes?) that friendship can bring. Written completely in dialogue, it’s perfect as a read aloud, and for kids who are starting to read on their own. YOU MAKE ME SNEEZE! is available for pre-order now, and will be out in February 2024. If you’d like a sneak peek at some of the interior art, I’ve p ..read more

With the sweltering weather this summer, we could all use a cool breeze. Years ago, I made a short film while visiting friends on Fire Island, attempting to capture the “moving still lives” I saw. If you find yourself in the Miami / Fort Lauderdale area before September 28th, you can see “The Breeze” in an exhibition at the South Campus Art Gallery at Broward College called “The Elastic Mind.” Thank you, Kohl King and the gallery for including my work ..read more

I’m thrilled to be illustrating two new picture books by the wonderful, Tara Lazar beginning with Party Animals, due out in Spring 2025 from Disney-Hyperion. I’ve been a fan of Tara and her books for a long time, so this is an honor. Not to mention I come from a long line of party animals, so the subject matter suits me perfectly! [*Full disclosure: this announcement is a little late to this space. I’ve been busy drawing parties ..read more

ACHOOooo!!! I’m excited to share the cover of my latest collaboration with the wonderful Sharon G. Flake, You Make Me Sneeze! Featuring Cat and Duck, the same hilarious duo from You Are Not a Cat! So the cat’s out of the bag…or is it? For answers to this question and more, you’ll have to pre-order a copy for yourself or that comedy-loving, picture book reader in your life. You Make Me Sneeze! will be out February 20, 2024—just in time for allergy season. But if you’re like me, every season is allergy season, so no time like the present! Get it?…present ..read more

Come see me and a slew of other children’s book creators at these upcoming events: Westchester Children’s Book Festival White Plains, NY | April 29, 2023 Hudson Children’s Book Festival Hudson, NY | May 6, 2023 Chappaqua Children’s Book FestivalChappaqua, NY | September 30, 2023 ..read more

Illustration by Tae Kim, MFAI ‘23 | @jjangga_tjk A scholarship has been established in honor of MFA Illustration as Visual Essay founder and longtime chair, Marshall Arisman, to provide financial support to future MFAI students. To make a donation, visit the Visual Arts Foundation website and include “Marshall Arisman Scholarship Fund” in the comment field. This year marks my 5th teaching in the MFA Illustration program at the School of Visual Arts, and my 4th year curating “The Book Show,” an exhibition of work by our students. But it is also a first, as we forge on without the calm, stead ..read more

It’s hard to believe, but 2023 is just around the corner. For all you teachers and librarians out there, I’ll be participating in World Read Aloud Day again, which is on February 1st. I’d love to connect with you and your students for a reading, or to discuss my illustration process. As usual, the wonderful Kate Messner has graciously organized us all here. I hope to see you on WRAD ..read more

Cat and Duck are getting back together again. I’m happy to report my latest picture book gig, You Make Me Sneeze, a sequel to 2016’s You Are Not a Cat! , to be published by Astra Young Readers. Once again, I’m team up with the wonderful Sharon G. Flake, author of the much-beloved and awarded Y.A. novels The Skin I’m In and The Life I’m In ..read more

Recurring cast member, the mini turntable. [This is the second of a two-part post. You can read part one here.]  Back when I was in grad school, one of my classmates was struggling with an important project. In an effort to help, I offered advice on ways to work through it, not realizing her method for seeking out creative answers did not mirror mine. “I don’t use play the way you do,” she said.  Before this exchange, I had never considered the importance of play for me in relation to work. And I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. Over the past few years, the light-hearted tone ..read more