Agent: Claire Morance

Ashley Spires is the author and illustrator of many books including Small Saul, the Binky the Space Cat graphic novel series, Fairy Science and the bestselling The Most Magnificent Thing. She is known for bringing some funny into every story she illustrates and for always including an animal or two for visual readers to discover. Much to Ashley’s delight, her books have been translated around the world into over twenty different languages. Most recently, Nelvana Ltd. has created animated adaptations of two of Ashley’s works. The Most Magnificent Thing is now an award-winning short animated film and Binky the Space Cat can be seen starring in his own animated series titled, “Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe” currently airing on Canada’s Treehouse and Discovery Kids Latin America. When not making books, Ashley is often fostering orphan kittens for her local animal shelter. Ashley lives in Ladner, British Columbia Canada with her dog and far too many cats.

Agent: Lori Nowicki

Shadra Strickland studied design, writing, and illustration at Syracuse University, and completed her M.F.A. at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She won the Ezra Jack Keats Award and Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent in 2009 for her work in her first picture book, Bird, written by Zetta Elliott. Shadra is passionate about promoting positivity through her work, and her ultimate goal as a picture book author and illustrator is to teach children how to live their dreams. Her style is a whimsical blend of reality and imagination, and she loves to create stories that children can see themselves in. Shadra travels the country conducting workshops and sharing her work with children, teachers, and librarians. She currently teaches illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

Agent: Lori Nowicki

Author and illustrator Betsy Snyder made her publishing debut in 2007, after several years working as an in-house artist and trend group leader at American Greetings. Since then, she has created over twenty picture and novelty books, teaming with a diverse mix of publishers and earning recognition from groups such as the Society of Illustrators, The New York Times, Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine, Indie Next List, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center and Please Touch Museum. In addition to children’s books, Betsy’s smile-inspiring art collections have also been licensed for products including greeting cards, stickers, gift wrap, party goods, games, plush, decor, fabric, and wallpaper. Betsy lives in Ohio, where she enjoys cozying up to doodle with her art-loving family and venturing out to schools and libraries to encourage kids (and even grown-ups) to share their stories and chase their dreams.

Agent: Lori Nowicki

Mark Rogalski studied illustration at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was born and raised. After completing his studies he worked as an editorial cartoonist, a scenery designer, a comic book artist, a screen printer and a graphic designer before writing and illustrating children’s books. His work has fantastical elements and themes that are influenced by the wonders of childhood, science fiction, mechanical inventions and journeys of the imagination. He also incorporates elements of puzzles, games and interaction into his books. Dream Machines includes a dust jacket that unfolds into an elaborate board game that allows readers to live the fantastical journey of the book themselves. Tickets to Ride includes the image of a clever duck hidden within the pages and waiting to be discovered again and again. And ROBOX is a kit which includes a book about a hungry robot as well as materials that allows readers to build their very own Robox. His work has been honored by The International Reading Association and Communication Arts Magazine and has been featured on NBC’s Today Show and by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Mark lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters.

Agent:Lori Nowicki

Vanessa Brantley Newton is the author-illustrator of several critically-acclaimed picture books, and she is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling illustrator. She attended both SVA and FIT of New York, where she studied fashion and children’s illustration. An artist swathed in retro chic, she loves all things vintage – especially books and clothes from the 40s through the 60’s – and it shines through in her designs, which run the gamut of fun and whimsical to stylish and sophisticated. She loves to add unique touches to her work, including mixed media accents, collage, and hand lettering.

Vanessa was born during the Civil Rights movement, and attended school in Newark, NJ. Being part of a diverse, tight-knit community during such turbulent times, Vanessa learned the importance of acceptance and empowerment in shaping a young person’s life. When she read Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, it was the first time she saw herself in a children’s book. It was a defining moment in her life, and has made her into the artist she is today. As an illustrator, she includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader.

Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices. She first learned to express herself as a little girl through song. Growing up in a musical family, Vanessa’s parents taught her how to sing to help overcome her stuttering. Each night the family would gather to make music together, with her mom on piano, her dad on guitar, and Vanessa and her sister, Coy, singing the blues, gospel, spirituals, and jazz.  Now whenever she illustrates, music fills the air and finds its way into her art. The children she draws can be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely across the page in an expression of happiness. Music is a constant celebration, no matter the occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations bring joy to others, with the same magic of a beautiful melody.