May 2023 - Lilla Rogers

Below, see some of our artists’ fresh new work!

Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project.

Rebecca Jones

Old Meow card game (Mudpuppy)

Buy it here.

Tisha Lee

Spread from “A Pinch Of Love” (Quarto)

Buy it here.

Sarah Papworth

Available for licensing as of this writing.

Brian Lambert

Available for licensing as of this writing.

Lydia Graves

Available for licensing as of this writing.

Erin Vanessa

Cover Art for a songbookErin writes: Bonjour mes amis!! It’s so cool to see my artwork as an album cover on Spotify! Madame B’s incredible album La vie est belle is now available for kids (and adults) learning French. Her beautiful, happy songs (not to mention her killer bass ukulele playing skills) take me back to my days as a kid growing up in Montreal.

Buy it here.

This Week’s Featured Toy Pitch

Our Toy and Games Agent Riley Wilkinson has been working with our artists on some fabulous toy concepts for you. Feast your eyes!

Woodland Magic Matching Game byBambi Ramsey

This mystical, magical cast of characters will delight children! Kids will sharpen their visual memory skills as they search for Bambi Ramsey’s beautiful animal pairs. Can you spot the paper hat?

Contact us for more information about this fantastic toy pitch.

See more toy concepts–ready to license–here.

Our annual LRS Residency started yesterday!

One of my most favorite things in the world is to help top artists make even more brilliant work, develop their unique gifts, and broaden their career opportunities. So, with that in mind, we are incredibly excited to offer our LRS Residency again in 2023 to our artists, focusing on illustrated non-fiction books, a.k.a. arty books.

Editors and art directors, we’ll be in touch when our artists’ brilliant pitches are ready, but as always, don’t hesitate to give us a shout should you like to see what we’ve been up to.

Last year, we focused on author/illustrated children’s picture books. Many of the pitches have been picked up by top publishers!

2022 Author/Illustrator Residency Zoom

Below is some of the work from previous Residencies for you to enjoy.

Kendra Binney

Kendra’s tender and imaginative story of two children, one who is afraid of the ground, and one who is afraid of the sky. Through visually gorgeous illustrations of steampunk-style Rube Goldberg-type contraptions, they find a way to connect.

Contact us to learn more!

Sarah Walsh

Through nature and a new friendship with a caterpillar, a busy pony who thinks being alone is boring, learns how to enjoy her own company.

Contact us to learn more!

Kim Fleming

A bat that’s afraid of the dark? Meet Fergus, a lovable scaredy-bat!

With compassionate help from three nocturnal friends, Fergus finds the confidence to fly at night, but will he be brave enough when confronted with the gloomiest, spookiest depths of the forest?

Contact us to learn more!

Kay Wolfersperger

This heartwarming story is a fresh take on anxiety. Frankie Fox present shops for her best friend’s birthday. She falls in love with each cool toy she picks, but then quickly questions each one and gets discouraged. She ultimately pivots to create her own toy that reflects their friendship.

Contact us to learn more!

Mara Penny

What I love about Mara’s pitch is her ability to tell a laugh-out-loud story about an insecure snail in a cool way that imparts lots of nutty snail factoids. This book celebrates mucous and other gross features such as the dung beetle’s poop.

Contact us to learn more!

My Kid Book Pitch class

starts May 29th!

My Kid Book Pitch, my one-of-a-kind picture book writing course is specially designed for creative people just like you!

Magic Cards (pictured above) are my secret weapon for helping you to unlock your magic imagination and come up with unique characters and a dreamy story idea.

By the end of this incredible four week course, you could have your own children’s book pitch ready to send (along with suggestions on who to send it to).

Join me!

Thank you for signing up for the morning tour of Mara Penny’s creative nest in Oakland, CA. Please keep all limbs inside the vehicle at all times and do not feed the animals.

Take it away, Mara!

Mara Penny

Hello! My name is Mara Penny. I would like to formally introduce myself and give you a little peek behind the curtain.

I live in a small house in Oakland, CA with my husband, our two teens, our cat and our sweet dog, Lucy.

Left: Illustration of my Oakland home

Above: Oakland map

I work from home at a little desk tucked in a corner of my living room. I primarily work on my iPad and computer these days, it suits me just fine. I spend most of my time here.

Right: My cozy desk space

I love science and all things transcendental.

I was raised on astrology. I am a mother nature super fan.

I love the night sky! I try to find ways to sneak stars into my work.

I am definitely a space girl and not an ocean girl. Although, I do love drawing fish and sea monsters.

My latest pastime with my husband is gardening. We are not great at it and I honestly cannot believe that human beings figured out how to plant seeds and consistently have enough food to live. Like, what?!

Above: This flowering plant is nearly nine feet tall! It’s called the Tower of Jewels and it just began blooming. This has caused much wonder and delight in our house. #nerds

Although I am not the best gardener, I do love to draw flora and fauna. They’re my favorite. Here’s a recent collection I made based on the plants and creatures living in the forest. It’s called Evergreen.

That concludes our tour for the day. Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks Mara! You can see more of Mara’s beautiful illustrations here.

My Kid Book Pitch class

starts May 29th!

My Kid Book Pitch, my one-of-a-kind picture book writing course is specially designed for creative people just like you!

Magic Cards (pictured above) are my secret weapon for helping you to unlock your magic imagination and come up with unique characters and a dreamy story idea.

By the end of this incredible four week course, you could have your own children’s book pitch ready to send(along with suggestions on who to send it to).

Join me!

We love picture books. We can’t get enough–from sweet lullabies, to hilarious adventures, to non-fiction topics. Here are eight recently released picture books by our artists. Take a look!

Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!

Ruth Burrows

Wonderfully Wired Brains (DK Children)

“An informative and inclusive children’s guide to neurodiversity for those not in the know and to inspire children who are neurodivergent.

This inspirational book written by neurodiverse author Louise Gooding challenges misconceptions and shows how neurodivergent brains work a little differently. ”

Buy it here.

Åsa Gilland

This is Our World: Celebrate With Us! (Macmillan)

“The follow-up to the critically acclaimed This Is Our World, this book is a vibrant and colorful celebration of our planet’s cultural diversity―an unforgettable journey that brings the people, customs, and religions of 20 places around the world vividly to life for young readers. ”

Buy it here.

Janie Secker

Come Back to Me: A Bedtime Story for Sleepy Eyes (Andrews McMeel)

“Written from the warm and comforting perspective of a parent and illustrating the beauty in childlike imagination comes a timeless new lullaby from New York Time bestselling author and poet r.h. Sin. Come Back to Me is a sweet celebration of dream-filled slumber.”

Buy it here.

Zoë Ingram

My First Book of Dinosaurs (Walker Books)

“The perfect gift for any young dinosaur-lover, this beautifully illustrated information book is an ideal introduction to the world of prehistoric animals!”

Buy it here.

Julia Christians

The Best Bear Tracker (Templar Publishing)

“How do you spot a bear? The rules are quite clear, but maybe, just maybe, our heroine might not be as good at tracking as she thinks.

This hilarious picture book is full of quirky charm. Little readers will love laughing at the main character, who is oblivious to the bears following her through the forest. But are they really what she is looking for?”

Buy it here.

Charlotte Bruijn

La Grande Fête des Licornes (The Great Unicorn Party) (Fleurus Editions)

“Sunday is the big rainbow party in the land of unicorns. A contest is organized, and Titou intends to win it!

Seven stories for seven days to accompany the young unicorn in his last week before the big day… Despite all the obstacles, will he manage to win the contest?”

Buy it here.

Kendra Binney

My Grandpa, My Tree, and Me (Yeehoo Press)

“A moving tale about the depths of love and care a grandfather and granddaughter have for one another.

Of all the trees in Grandpa’s orchard, one tree is his favorite–a pecan tree, planted for his granddaughter on the day she was born. It’s for just the two of them and all the ways their relationship grows as they care forthis special tree together.”

Buy it here.