KEYNOTES

Shana Keller is the author of several picture books. She says the day she got her library card was more exciting than the day she got her driver's license. When Shana's not writing, she loves to practice jiujitsu, run half-marathons, and read.

Laura Alary grew up by the ocean in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and feels she has the sea in her blood—as well as in her cells. She is the author of many picture books, including Sun in My Tummy, a companion to Sea in My Cells, which was a finalist for the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction. Laura lives with her three young adult children in Toronto, where she likes to walk by the lake, watch clouds, and contemplate all the ways she is connected to the world around her. 

Erin Alladin is a writer, editor, and ecology enthusiast who blends her love of nature with her passion for storytelling. Raised in Northern Ontario by a gardener and a forester, she now lives near Parry Sound with her wife where she edits, grows vegetables, and writes about regenerative agriculture. Her debut picture book, Outside You Notice, received a starred review from Kirkus. 

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Familiar, Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more.  Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University. 

Mac Barnett is the New York Times-bestselling author of many children’s books, including the New York Times bestseller The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse; the Caldecott Honor Book and E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winner Sam and Dave Dig a Hole; and the Caldecott Honor Book and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award-winner Extra Yarn. He is also the coauthor of the bestselling Terrible Two series with Jory John, and the co-creator, with Jon Klassen, of Shape Island, a stop-motion animated series on Apple TV+, based on their bestselling Shapes Trilogy. Mac lives in Oakland, California. 

Elizabeth Brown is a children’s writer, film producer, and teacher with a passion for social justice. Her previous picture books include Dancing Through Fields of Color: The Story of Helen Frankenthaler, which was a New York Public Library Best Book of the Year, and Like A Diamond in the Sky: Jane Taylor’s Beloved Poem of Wonder and the Stars, which was Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year. She lives in Chicago, IL. 

Bryan Collier is a beloved illustrator known for his unique style combining watercolor and detailed collage. He is a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient, and his books have won many other awards, including six Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards. He is the illustrator of Troubled Waters: A River's Journey Toward Justice coming from Bloomsbury in 2026. He lives in New York with his family. 

Christian Cooper is the New York Times bestselling author of Better Living Through Birding, a science and comics writer and editor, and the host and consulting producer of Extraordinary Birder on Disney+. One of Marvel’s first openly gay writers and editors, Cooper introduced the first gay male character in Star Trek, in the Starfleet Academy series, which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. He also introduced the first openly lesbian character for Marvel and created and authored Queer Nation: The Online Gay Comic. Based in New York City, he is on the board of directors for NYC Audubon. 

Golden Cosmos is the working name for Doris Freigofas and Daniel Dolz. The freelance artist and illustrator duo lives in Berlin, Germany. They were born in Dresden and Erfurt, respectively. Doris studied at the Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee and Daniel studied at the HTW
in Berlin and earned a Master of Arts from the Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee. GOLDEN COSMOS illustrate weekly for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post,
Die Zeit and other media worldwide. 

Kaye Courington, a distinguished legal professional, is deeply committed to community service, holding board positions with several organizations, including the LA/MS Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Louise S. McGehee School, the Newcomb Institute Advisory Council, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. She combines her love for storytelling and animals in her debut book, Scrim: A New Orleans Story of Resilience and Rescue, chronicling Scrim’s journey through the heart of New Orleans. All royalties from the book will be donated to animal rescue organizations like Zeus's Rescue and the Humane Society of Louisiana, highlighting her dedication to animal welfare. 

Ken Daley’s art has been featured in children’s books, print publications, and exhibitions across Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. He is the illustrator of picture books including Saturday Morning at the ’Shop by Keenan Jones, That Swingin’ Sound by Rekha S. Rajan, Granny’s Kitchen by Sadé Smith, and Black Boy, Black Boy by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond. Ken lives in Ontario. 

Derek Desierto, illustrator of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, is a Vancouver-based illustrator, designer, and overall nice guy from a nice family. His animation work has been recognized by the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the National Cartoonist Society, and 9 Story Media Group. Currently, he is living the dream as a freelance artist for animated TV shows and picture books. His ultimate goal in life is to meet Oprah and become one of her Favorite Things. 

X. FANG is a visual artist and maker of books for young readers, including Dim Sum Palace, winner of the 2023 Society of Illustrators' Dilys Evans Founder's Award among other honors, and We Are Definitely Human, an Ezra Jack Keats Illustration Award winner, an American Library Association Notable Children's Book, an Indie Next Pick and the recipient of five starred reviews. She exhibits her art throughout the U.S. and internationally and has worked professionally as a graphic designer and art director for film and television studios. Born in Taichung, Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in rural Maine with her husband, son and their dog, Pamela. 

Kate Allen Fox lives in southern California with her husband and two sons. After a career as a public health professional, she combined her passions for research and writing and began creating picture books about science and nature. Her work has appeared in several publications, including The New York Times. 

Stephen Gorman is an internationally recognized wildlife photographer and best-selling author. His work focuses on how cultural values and national mythologies shape our relationships to the world we live in and the diverse societies with which we share it. Gorman is the author and photographer of several books, including The American Wilderness: Journeys into Distant and Historic Landscapes and Northeastern Wilds: Journeys of Discovery in the Northern Forest. He also won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Arctic Visions: Encounters at the Top of the World, a book commissioned by the Inuit of Nunavik in Canada. Throughout his career, Gorman has worked on cultural and environmental assignments for leading periodicals such as National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and Sierra. His most recent exhibitions include Down to the Bone, a collaboration with beloved New Yorker artist Edward Koren at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, and Visions of Inuit Life—Photographs by Stephen Gorman at the Museo del Oro in Bogota, Colombia.  

Benjamin Gottwald lives in Hamburg, Germany, where he works as an illustrator and animator, draws for a magazine, and builds characters out of wood. The idea for Buzz! Boom! Bang! came from his thesis at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, and the German edition won the Hamburg Picture Book Prize and the German Youth Literature Award. 

Harold Green III is an ever-evolving storyteller whose lyrical voice manifests in books, albums, and performances of all kinds, from TEDx Talks to innovative collaborations including one with fatherhood.gov. He is the architect of the artistic collective Flowers for the Living, where Harold performs poetry accompanied by esteemed singers and musicians. A proud son, brother, husband, father, teacher, coach, and mentor, he lives in Chicago with his family. Learn more at haroldandthebeard.com. 

Shawn Harris is an award-winning creator of books for kids. His authorial debut, Have You Ever Seen a Flower, was called a “stunning tour de force…” by The New York Times, and was the recipient of a Caldecott Honor. His picture book The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn received two starred reviews. Harris has illustrated a number of other books, including The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers, which won a Newbery Medal, and A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett, which received the Bull-Bransom Award for excellence in the field of children’s book illustration with a focus on nature and wildlife. Shawn lives in Northern California, where he also likes to write songs, surf, and play racquetball. 

Mary Rand Hess is a poet, playwright, screenwriter, composer, mixed-media artist, and a New York Times bestselling author of a dozen books, including Quiet Is Strength and Belong. Mary loves collaborative arts and working with other creators. She executive-produced the children’s digital series Songbook for the Kennedy Center, and she is co-playwright for the smash-hit musical Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume, which had its world premiere at the Kennedy Center and toured the United States.  

Tasha Hilderman graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Saskatchewan. A member of SCBWI and co-owner of a home retail store and garden café in Lloydminster, Tasha's debut picture book, Métis Like Me, was published in 2024 and received two starred reviews. Tasha is of Métis descent through her mother's side and a registered member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, and lives with her husband and three children in Alberta, Canada. 

Matt James has won many awards for his picture books such as the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, the New Mexico Book Award and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Children's Literature. The books he has written include Tadpoles; Nice Try, Charlie!; and his author-illustrator debut The Funeral, which was named a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book. He also illustrated When the Moon Comes by Paul Harbridge; The Stone Thrower by Jael Ealey Richardson; and I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf by Danielle Daniel. 

William Joyce does a lot of stuff but children’s books are his true bailiwick (The Guardians series, Dinosaur Bob series, George Shrinks, and the #1 New York Times bestselling The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which is also his Academy Award–winning short film, to name a few). He lives in Shreveport, Louisiana.  

Tjitske Kamphuis is a self-taught artist and illustrator. Her very favorite things to draw are the weather, the shapes of clouds and trees, the changing seasons and animals in their habitats. Tjitske grew up in the Netherlands, where she played in the countryside, cycling and boating along canals and looking after a large collection of pets and wild animals. She always finds inspiration in travelling, long walks and looking at the sky. Today she lives in Canterbury, UK with her husband and twin sons. I'm a Cloud is Tjitske's author illustrator debut. 

Multi-award-winning author Kat Kronenberg brings her energy and experience to her best-selling Live Big Series, DREAM BIG (2017), LOVE BIG (2019), THINK BIG ( 2020), and LIVE BIG WITH CATCH-M, to be released August 26, 2025. Kat's vision began with the magic of a smile whose power connects us all so we can celebrate our best lives together, no matter the hardship. In the series, social, emotional learning, and science come together as readers go on heroic journeys with different African animals to see the importance of believing in oneself, each other, and everyone's dream and extraordinary reason to be. 

Isabella Kung is the author-illustrator of No, Fuzzball! and No, Snowball!, and the illustrator of ABC Cats and 123 Cats. She also teaches illustration at Storyteller Academy and Etchr Lab. Isabella resides in San Francisco with her husband and two adorable cats. 

Rajani LaRocca is a physician and an author of books for young readers, such as Midsummer’s Mayhem and Summer Is for Cousins. She received a Newbery Honor for her novel Red, White, and Whole. Rajani was born in Bangalore, India, immigrated to the United States when she was very young, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States at the age of fifteen. She now lives in eastern Massachusetts with her family. 

Aria Mia Loberti is an actor, writer, activist, and lifelong storyteller. In 2023, she made her acting debut as the lead in Netflix’s Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated series All the Light We Cannot See. Her critically acclaimed performance launched a diverse, rich acting career. Before turning her focus to acting, Aria was pursuing a PhD from Penn State, studying ancient rhetoric. Aria received her undergraduate degrees in 2020 from the University of Rhode Island and her master’s degree in 2021 from Royal Holloway University of London, on a Fulbright Scholarship. In 2024, Aria also became a UNICEF Ambassador, advocating for climate change and education rights. From a young age, Aria read anything and everything she could get her hands on and has always dreamed of writing for young readers. She hopes her work can encourage kids to be the heroes of their own story and find magic all around them. Aria and Ingrid live in Rhode Island with their respective best friends, Molly and Etta. 

Dr. Holly MacKenna is an integrative psychiatrist, physician, and healer with over twenty years of experience in psychiatry and integrative medicine. A passionate advocate for mindfulness and mental well-being, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals find balance, resilience, and focus—both in life and on the court. As a longtime medical educator and chronic illness patient, she strives to improve public health and reduce mental health stigma through her work. Inspired by her family’s love of basketball and the experiences of her two children, Dr. Holly blends mindfulness and sports in a unique and engaging way. Inhale, Exhale...Shoot! is her debut children’s book, introducing young readers to the power of breath, perseverance, and finding their flow. 

Jenan A. Matari is an award-winning Palestinian American storyteller. Her work centers on narratives of resistance, resilience and culture, weaving the struggles of Indigenous peoples globally into her advocacy for Palestinian liberation. Her popular social media presence has earned her a large global following: You can find Jenan on Instagram @jenanmatari, TikTok @jenan.matari, or visit her website at www.jenanmatari.com. She lives in exile with her family on the ancestral lands of the Lenape people. This is her first book. 

Stacy McAnulty is the author of many books for children, notably the nonfiction picture book series Our Universe, which includes titles, Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, Mars! Earthlings Welcome, and Moon! Earth's Best Friend, among others. She's also the author of picture books Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack, A Small Kindness, Beautiful, Brave, and Love, and she writes books for middle grade readers including The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl and Millionaires for the Month. Stacy lives in North Carolina with her family and as many dogs as she can sneak in the house. 

Monica Mikai is an author and illustrator currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia. She has a BA from Rider University, where she double majored in Art and Elementary Education. She also holds an MFA from The New York Studio School, where she studied Painting. She is passionate about creating beautiful stories and illustrations that inspire readers to see life from a new perspective. You can find out more about her at monicamikai.com. 

Jenn Moudahi is a Métis author, clinical counselor, and mom. Stories are a common thread in her life—she writes them as an author, listens to them as a counselor, escapes into them as a reader, and allows too many at bedtime as a mom. Growing up, Jenn spent countless hours with her own mom learning to create Indigenous art, often helping to teach workshops throughout British Columbia. 

Paige Murray, a Clemson University Animal Science graduate, lives her dream life on a Stephenville, TX ranch with her world champion cowboy husband, two kids, and many animals. She's now a children's book author, inspired by her children and ranch life, with "Rosie's Wild Ride" as her debut.

Daniel Nayeri was born in Iran and spent some years as a refugee before immigrating to Oklahoma at age eight with his family. He is the author of several books for young readers, including Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story), winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, the Christopher Medal, and the Middle Eastern Book Award, and The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, winner of the Newbery Honor Award. He lives in the US with his wife and son. 

John Picacio is a World Fantasy Award– and Hugo Award–winning artist who has created book illustrations for major works by George R. R. Martin, Rebecca Roanhorse, and many more. He’s the founder of the Mexicanx Initiative, spearheading the journeys of more than forty Mexican and Mexican American creators into the wider awareness of fantasy and science fiction audiences. John lives in San Antonio. 

Karabo Poppy is an illustrator, street artist, and designer. She partners regularly with Nike, including on three sold-out lines of shoes, as well as with other high-profile brands. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she often admires the night sky. 

Randy Preston is an African Piscataway composer, writer, photographer, educator, and performer. He was raised and educated in the United Kingdom and Kenya and taught English literature. Randy composed and performed for ABC Mouse, the Kennedy Center’s digital series Songbook, and Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume which had a national tour in 2023.   

Chris Raschka is a multi-award-winning author/illustrator of over 70 books for children. Named “one of the most original illustrators at work today” by Publishers Weekly, Raschka has won two Caldecott Medals (for our own A Ball for Daisy and The Hello, Goodbye Window), as well as a Caldecott Honor Award for Yo? Yes! His titles also include Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle and Daisy Gets Lost, both of which received multiple starred reviews; Mary's Idea, which was named a 2023 New York Times Best Illustrated Book; and The Blue Table. He lives in New York City. 

Dr. Rekha S. Rajan is a musician, classically trained opera singer, and the USA TODAY bestselling author of over fifteen books for kids and adults, including the This Is Music board book series, Can You Dance Like a Peacock?, Amazing Landmarks, and That Swingin’ Sound!. She has a doctorate and a master’s in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a master’s in education from Roosevelt University, where she also received a bachelor’s degree in music. Rekha lives in Chicago with her husband and children.   

USA Today-bestselling author Kirk Reedstrom has spent most of his adult life surrounded by books—he currently works for a public library system, and he used to be a bookseller at Blue Willow Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Houston, TX. He has led children’s art workshops at The Kimball Museum and interned with William Joyce at the Moonbot Studios. And he mixes all his past experiences with traditional and digital mediums to develop fun-filled characters with a little bit of mayhem. He enjoys creating books that make people laugh. Find out more about Kirk and his work at www.kirkreedstrom.com.

Lisa Frenkel Riddiough is the author of LETTERS TO LIVE BY, which School Library Journal called, “Creative, humorous, and thought-provoking,” in a starred review. Of her second book, PIE-RATS!, Kirkus said, “Here be treasure!” Lisa is a graduate of Hamline University’s MFAC program in writing for children and young adults, and splits her time between Northern California and Idaho. Learn more at lisariddiough.com. 

K-Fai Steele is the author-illustrator of A Normal Pig and All Eyes on Ozzy! and has illustrated a number of other books, including Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt? and the Lone Wolf series. Born in Charlton, Massachusetts, she now lives in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie (M.F.A. Mills College, Ph.D. Brown) is an interdisciplinary artist, poet, and scholar. Tallie is author of the Ezra Jack Keats Honor-winning children’s book Layla’s Happiness (Enchanted Lion Books), the poetry collections Strut (Agape Editions), Karma’s Footsteps (Flipped Eye), and the epistolary work Dear Continuum:Letters to a Poet Crafting Liberation (Grand Concourse Press). She and photographer Dominique Sindayiganza were recipients of an IGNITE Selection Award at the 4 th International Eco Performance Film Festival for their cinepoem Barefoot Stroll. Tallie’s poetry is the subject of the film “I Leave My Colors Everywhere.” She is also featured in “Tell Me Another Story” a film about the importance of inclusivity in children’s literature. Tallie’s next picture book We Go Slow (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) is illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winner Aaron Becker and was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. Tallie is the mother of three galaxies who look like daughters.

Toni Yuly is the creator of many acclaimed picture books, including The Pelican Can! and Thank You, Bees. She studied painting at the University of Washington, where she worked with the great American painter Jacob Lawrence. For many years, she served as a librarian with the King County Library System. She lives in Bremerton, Washington. She invites you to visit her at ToniYuly.com. 

Carole Boston Weatherford and her 80-plus books have garnered 2 NAACP Image Awards and 18 American Library Association Youth Media Awards, including a Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award and 4 Caldecott Honors. She is the author of Troubled Waters: A River's Journey Toward Justice coming from Bloomsbury in 2026. A retired English professor, she lives in Maryland.

Annette Whipple is the author of more than ten fact-filled children’s books, including The Truth About series featuring owls, dogs, and spiders. Annette celebrates curiosity and inspires a sense of wonder while exciting readers about science and history. When Annette’s not reading, writing, or doing author visits, you can find her hanging out with her family in Pennsylvania. 

Emily Beasley is an elementary school librarian and technology teacher with a passion for children's books. She loves connecting people with a book they love, especially kids, and deeply enjoys being paid to purchase books. When she is not reading, she can be found running, exploring, cooking, watering my innumerable plants, and spending time with her husband Josh. 

Amina Chaudhri is a Professor at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, where she teaches courses in children’s literature, literacy, and social studies in the department of Teacher Education. 

Kimberly Fakih, Senior Editor, Picture Books, School Library Journal 

Ruth E. Quiroa, Ph.D., is an associate professor at National Louis University where she teaches graduate courses in youth literature and in literacy. A former kindergarten, bilingual second-grade educator, she completed her doctoral degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Ruth’s current research focuses on the history of Latinx youth literature. She has served on several youth literature award selection committees. 

Allison Tran is a Library Services Manager for the City of Irvine in California. She's dedicated to fostering self-expression, curiosity, and empathy in the community through art and literature. Before earning her Masters of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University in 2006, Allison taught English in Japan. 

Sujei Lugo is a children's librarian at the Boston Public Library, Connolly Branch. She holds an MLIS from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and a Ph.D. LIS from Simmons University. She is an independent scholar and book reviewer and active member of REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking), ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children) and the We Are Kid Lit Collective. She is the co-writer of Islas Lectoras: bibliografía crítica de literatura infantil puertorriqueña (2000-2020). 

With over a decade of experience in library leadership, most recently as the Youth Services Department Head at Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Sue Yang-Peace remains actively engaged in the library community. Her ongoing contributions include moderating author panels for Penguin Random House since 2021 and participating in key industry programs such as the American Library Association's Emerging Leaders Program, Spectrum Scholars and Association for Library Services to Children.