Spotlight on Katie Vernon’s stunning author/illustrated picture book!

My first author/illustrated picture book, Ari Arranges Everything is coming out February 21 with Running Press Kids!

From the publisher: Empower young children to let go of control and to embrace a little chaos in this delightful and humorous picture book.

Ari arranges absolutely everything. But when Ari sets out to create the ultimate arrangement at the zoo, things don’t go quite as planned. Will Ari finally figure out the secret to arranging (or perhaps not arranging) everything in this humorous and delightful story?

A. It mostly came from being a florist for a few years. Actually, I’ve always loved arranging/ rearranging things like my room, shelves, clothes, etc.

A. I love that the character of Ari is passionate and eccentric. They learn to embrace and manage their obsession rather than feeling like they need to change who they are.

A. I used a combination of watercolor, gouache, and an iPad. I painted most of the illustrations separately and then, much like Ari, I arranged everything digitally, adding details in Procreate.

A. I think the challenge with any big project is keeping the excitement/momentum going. I learned to find parts in each spread that were really fun to create. From adding in little easter eggs like including our family camper as a toy, to playing around with paint textures, I delighted in the small things that made the bigger project that much more fun!

A. I’ve been sitting on a version of this story for many years. But it all finally came together when I carved out the time and mind space during Lilla’s Children’s Book Pitch Residency in 2020. It was picked up by Running Press Kids and we worked on it from October 2021 to April 2022.

Thanks, Katie! Ari Arranges Everything is out Feb 21st and is available for pre-order here.