Words and Pictures: Making Children’s Literature

Cale Atkinson is an illustrator and animator living lakeside with his family in Kelowna, British Columbia. Believing in tea more than sleep, Cale is constantly working on numerous projects. His work can be found in children's books, including Where Oliver Fits, which he also wrote and illustrated, animated shorts, television and games. His most recent book is Sir Simon: Super Scarer. He has never haunted a potato. Find him online at www.cale.ca.

Tracy Subisak was born and raised in the flatlands of Ohio and studied industrial design at the University of Cincinnati. Through her design work she discovered a passion for visual storytelling and made her debut as a picture-book illustrator with Shawn Loves Sharks by Curtis Manley (Roaring Brook, 2016) and Cy Makes a Friend by Ann Marie Stephens (Boyds Mills, 2017). Most recently, she illustrated Grizzly Boy by Barbara Davis-Pyles (Little Bigfoot, 2018). She lives in Portland, Oregon, and can often be found traveling the world. She is fond of hiking, bacon, monster sounds, and high-fives! Visit Tracy online at tracysubisak.com. 

Laura Veirs is a singer-songwriter and longtime fan of Elizabeth Cotten. Her album Year of Meteors was selected by the New York Times as a  "critics’ choice.” Her award-winning album of music for children, Tumble Bee features guest musicians including Colin Meloy, Jim James, and Bela Fleck. case/lang/veirs, her collaborative project with k.d. lang and Neko Case, earned widespread praise. Libba is her first book. She lives in Portland with her family. Visit her online at lauraveirs.com. 

Annie Lewis is the Program Supervisor of Multnomah County Library's Every Child Initiative, an initiative that encompasses all of the libraries’ early childhood services designed to help prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to learn to read. In her role, Annie oversees early literacy programs that provide books and early literacy support to thousands of children and caregivers across Multnomah County. Annie graduated from the University of Washington with a Masters degree in Library and Information Science. When she is not at work she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, hiking, and reading.