Agent: Sarah Dillard

Basma Hosam has illustrated over 30 books in the Middle East and has worked with Oxford University for an Arabic language project. She is also the author-illustrator of the award-winning book Something Searching for Himself.  She loves adding cute, funny details to her illustrations that make children laugh and search for new things every time they open the book.

Growing up in the land of ancient Egyptians, Basma always dreamed of being an artist. At a young age she made a small fortune making and selling handmade accessories, such as friendship bracelets. Basma had pen pals around the world, with whom she exchanged letters, postcards, and parcels with a lot of chocolates and gifts. She keeps in touch with many of those friends to this day.

A graduate of Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo, Basma now lives in Cairo with her super creative 3d artist husband and their adorable daughter.

Click here for a peek into Basma’s process

Agent: Claire Morance

Acamy Schleikorn is an illustrator from Las Vegas. She began drawing at a very young age and was encouraged by her grandma to keep going. As an adult, she discovered the magical world of children’s books, and became passionate about creating stories that make a difference in a child’s life and reflect the diverse world that we live in. Anytime she creates art, she wants it to bring some kind of good into a world filled with a lot of hurt. She is inspired by her two children to create work that they will love, enjoy, and see themselves in.

She loves to illustrate joyful Black characters with big dreams, and Black characters rocking their natural hair. Acamy’s hair was chemically straightened ever since she was a child. It wasn’t until she was an adult that she started her natural hair journey and learned about the true texture of her hair, finally learning to love it. She wants Black children to see that their hair is beautiful no matter what their texture is, too. 

When she isn’t illustrating, she is spending time going on adventures with her husband and two children.

Agent: Claire Morance

Julissa Mora is a Cuban American illustrator and storyteller, born and raised in Miami. Though she now calls Austin, Texas home, Miami has a special place in her heart and enjoys visiting family and indulging in all the Cuban food she can find. Julissa studied illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design, but thanks to her Abuelito, Virgilio and during their Sunday family gatherings, he captivated her with stories from his childhood in Cuba and Spain. Then, bring them to life with sketches on a napkin. It felt like magic! She knew then she wanted to be an artist. Now, Julissa’s passion has grown beyond illustration into storytelling. She’s inspired to create playful, heartfelt Spanglish stories that reflect how she grew up. Where English and Spanish weave together in everyday life. She hopes her work can offer kids an introduction to Spanish, while honoring the cultural blend that shaped who she is.

Agent: Claire Morance

Erika Lynne Jones is an illustrator and author who loves creating quirky characters and children’s books that serve as affirming celebrations of culture. Growing up, Erika’s favorite books were ones where she saw images of her family reflected back at her. Owning only two books that did so is one factor that fueled Erika’s desire to become an illustrator and write stories that use humor to heal hurts and infuse joy into the hearts of her readers. Her mission is for every child to know that they are worthy of good and see images of themselves in literature. She also aims to create stories where black children are allowed to express and process a wide range of emotions from joy to anger around their life experiences. Erika loves working in mixed media. She especially enjoys collage because it reminds her of her mother, an elementary school teacher, who helped her make sure her school projects had that special, artistic shine. Erika grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three daughters.

Agent: Shadra Strickland

Talia Skyles is a Baltimore-based illustrator and painter and is currently working towards her BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Growing up in a family that appreciated the arts, she fell in love with painting both digitally and traditionally at an early age. She currently loves telling stories and creating colorful, emotionally expressive illustrations with a sprinkle of whimsy. Inspired by fantasy books and films, Impressionism, and Rembrandt-era master portraits, she often blends these motifs with strong female subjects to create portraits that feel both classical and modern. She’s also intrigued by color and light and enjoys exploring its impact on the composition, emotion, and storytelling of her work. When not at her drawing table, Talia enjoys reading books, rollerskating with friends, and taking care of her many plant children.

Agent: Claire Morance

Kim Holt was born in Brooklyn, NY. Her passion for art and drawing started at an early age, fueled by her family’s love for the arts. Living directly across from the Brooklyn Museum was a blessing and an inspiration that greatly influenced her artistic path. At the age of 9, Kim began spending countless Saturdays walking the halls of the museum and taking in exhibits, including a memorable visit in 1975 to see Egyptian Art including King Tut’s Tomb. After moving to the D.C. Metro area during her teenage years, she received her BBA in Marketing from Howard University and her BFA in Animation from the Academy of Art University.

Kim is fascinated by capturing moments in time that celebrate joy, love, resilience, and the strength of community and family. Kim creates work that is not just nostalgic but a testament to the spirit of community and family and their role in shaping who we are. Her passion is creating energetic, expressive work full of personality, typically incorporating a vibrant and fresh color palette.

She continues to reside in the D.C. area with her husband and two dogs, Sugar and Spice, where she drinks copious amounts of coffee and cooks up imaginative dinners for her family.

Click here to download Kim’s PDF portfolio

Agent: Claire Morance

Jerrard K. Polk has been drawing all of his life. Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, his love of illustration was cultivated by many skilled art teachers and mentors, while his love of books and poetry was encouraged by his mother, a librarian.  Jerrard got his professional start at the tender age of 15 as a popular caricature artist at parties and events. Today with over 20 years of experience, he enjoys visiting schools to share his love of art and entrepreneurship. Having spent many years of his adult life living in Bermuda, Jerrard’s art is inspired by the natural beauty, bright pastel colors, and the sharp lines created by the island’s ever present sun. He is also greatly inspired by jazz and the dapper fashion of its innovators. He loves combining traditional and digital illustration to tell little known stories of everyday people to encourage children from all cultures. He now lives in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley with his wife and son.