Beep-Bop-Chitter-Choo! #bitsybatschoolstar has been voted onto the 2024 Children’s Book Council’s Favorites Award List! Bitsy Bat is a TEACHER FAVORITE in the K-2nd Grade category. (Educator resources at BitsyBat.com!) Thank you, The Children’s Book Council! Thank you teachers! Background: Each year, young people from Kindergarten to 12th grade, teachers, and librarians across 50 states read newly-published children’s and YA books and vote for the ones they like best. 70 review teams across the country work so that kids and educators read and select books. These CBC Favorites Award lists, sele ..read more

A Cuddlefish Academy TikTok follower asked me for guidance on writing their artist statement. Instead, I’m going to teach you how to write a niche declaration sentence. This is much more valuable for illustrators because like an elevator pitch for a book, it tells prospective clients exactly what kind of work you do and what makes you tick . Crafting a concise sentence with your focus and unique qualities will help you attract like-minded clients ready to hire you for the specific kind of work you want to do. This worksheet will figure out your focus and other passions. The niche declaration s ..read more

Are you going to ALA this summer? Come see me! I’m there celebrating my first shiny sticker (“Worm and Caterpillar are Friends”) and signing books with my good friends at Simon & Schuster. BONUS: Penguin/Flamingo just invited me to sign WHEN YOU LOVE A BOOK, out May 21st, illustrated by @heatherbrockmanlee. SO EXCITED, THRILLED, GRATEFUL! #wormandcaterpillararefriends #whenyouloveabook #librariansofinstagtam @americanlibraryassociation @simonkids @penguinkids ..read more

Beep-Bop-Chitter-Choo! #bitsybatschoolstar has been voted onto the 2024 Children’s Book Council’s Favorites Award List! Bitsy Bat is a TEACHER FAVORITE in the K-2nd Grade category. (Educator resources at www.BitsyBat.com!) Thank you, @childrensbookcouncil! Thank you, teachers! Background: Each year, young people from Kindergarten to 12th grade, teachers, and librarians across 50 states read newly-published children’s and YA books and vote for the ones they like best. 70 review teams across the country work so that kids and educators read and select books. These CBC Favorites A ..read more

Hi Friends! It’s shaping up to be a fun and busy Spring. I hope you can join me at one or more of these events. Detail links below the graphic. See you soon! Designing Covers with Jessica Lanan here: https://cuddlefishacademy.teachable.com/p/covers Disability Representation in Picture Book Illustration, a Highlights Foundation 2-night mini with Katie Mazeika Illustration here: https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshop/disability-representation-in-picture-book-illustration-a-two-night-mini/ “When You Love a Book” party launch with Heather Brockman Lee hosted by Second Star t ..read more

Official Publisher Page HERE Signed and doodled copies from Second Star to the Right Book Shop HERE All Kaz’s book buy and social media links LINKTREE Reviews will be posted here as they come in. Book Party! Saturday, June 1st, from 12-noon to 1pm. RSVP HERE when-you-love-a-book-worksheetsDownload ..read more

“When You Love a Book,” a celebration of classic children’s books with interactive riddles by @kazwindness and immersive illustrations by @heatherbrockmanlee is out this Spring! Bring your book BFFs and join us on Saturday, June 1st at noon for a book birthday party at Columbine Library in Littleton, CO, hosted by @secondstartotherightbooks. We are planning fun activities including friendship bracelet-making. #whenyouloveabook #childrensbooks #kidsbookstagram Pre-order signed books here! https://secondstartotherightbooks.com/book/sign0593623220 ..read more

Are you ready for more books? Publisher’s Weekly Children’s Bookshelf just announced this: a FIVE-BOOK DEAL! Thank you so much to Catherine Laudone, Siobhan Ciminera, Paula Wiseman, Lisa Rao, Laurent Linn, and the AMAZING #kidlit team at Simon & Schuster SimonKIDS. It’s truly a creative family that cares deeply about making great books for young readers, and I couldn’t be more happy to continue our journey together. Thank you again to my awesome and tireless agent The Devil Wears Bow Ties and to all the teachers, librarians, and parents who support children’s literature and creators like m ..read more

Q:  How do you make your illustrations? A:  I always start my drawings as a sketch in pencil. I carry a sketchbook everywhere I go so I have a place to write and draw my ideas. I also love to draw the people, places, and things I see out in the world. I believe drawing is the best way to observe and understand something. Once I have a good drawing, I take a picture of it with my phone, import the image into Photoshop, and revise and paint the image with digital brushes. I use natural-looking brushes so it looks like traditional media (pencils, pastels, paints). Q:  How long does ..read more

I woke up to wonderful news. “Worm and Caterpillar are Friends” (Simon Spotlight/SimonKIDS) was selected by The New York Public Library as a Best Book of 2023!!! I’m honored to be included on this incredible book list, and grateful to all of you who’ve shown me resilient friendship through a year of BIG change. The full list is here: https://www.nypl.org/books-more/recommendations/best-books/kids #kidsbooks #graphicnovel #bestbooksof2023 ..read more