SLJ Picture Book Palooza

Join us July 25th for our fourth annual SLJ Picture Book Palooza, an all-day, free virtual celebration of authors and artists from around the world, who bring picture books to life with their extraordinary art. Register for a day dedicated to their craft and hard work, with a schedule that includes keynotes, author panels, and illustrator spotlights with visionary creators.

Visit the exhibit hall, chat with authors and publishing teams, download digital galleys & resources, and be prepared to be inspired as you build your collection, one picture book at a time.

Follow the conversation on X! #PictureBookPalooza

EVENT HOURS: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET

All live sessions will be on Zoom. Make sure to log in to your work or personal Zoom account before the day starts to avoid having to log in for each session.

The Virtual Environment is optimized for 1024 X 768 screen resolution. Joining the environment with a cell phone is not recommended. Please make sure your computer and browser are up to date. Chrome tends to work best. The event platform does not support IE11 + Windows 7 or older versions.

CE certificates are available in the event environment for all keynotes and panels, whether you view them live or on-demand. Certificates are not provided for sponsored content.

If you are unable to join us on the live day, know that all sessions will be available for on-demand viewing within 24 hours, and the entire event will be accessible for three months from the event date. 

By registering for this event or webcast, you are agreeing to School Library Journal Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct Policy and agreeing that School Library Journal may share your registration information with current and future sponsors of this event.

Having trouble registering? Contact the Event Manager.

10:00 – 10:30 AM ET | Exhibit Hall Opens / Visit the Booths

On-Demand All Day | Artist Studio Spotlights
Step inside these artists’ studios as they discuss their work, from inspiration and medium to technique and style.

Mathias Ball, Robin’s Worlds (Astra Books for Young Readers)
Aliaa Betawi, A Map for Falasteen (Macmillan Children’s)
Betsy Coffeen, Cate and the Garden Bandits (Story Monsters)
Nina Mata, Beach Hair (Simon & Schuster)
Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, The Night Market (Random House Children’s Books)

10:30 – 11:00 AM ET | Morning Keynote

The inimitable Fan Brothers—Eric, Terry, and Devin—discuss their multilayered, enigmatic work, including Barnaby Unboxed! (Tundra), a forthcoming sequel to the award-winning The Barnabus Project (2020), praised for its “cinematic wingspan.”
Moderator: Desiree Thomas, Librarian, Columbus (OH)

THREE CONCURRENT SESSIONS

11:05 – 11:55 AM ET | For the Story Shelves
A selection of new titles that offer humor, irrepressible characters, and/or quiet wonder to suit the mood.

Kate Beaton, Shark Girl (Macmillan Children’s)
Nelly Buchet, Big Sister, Long Coat (NorthSouth Books)
Justin Colón, Impossible Possums (Disney)
Carrie Kruck, Iggy Who Breathes Fire (Disney)
Katarína Macurová, We’re Off to the Forest (Albatros Books)
Moderator: Amalia E. Butler, Librarian, Park Avenue School (NJ)

11:05 – 11:55 AM ET | Humor: It’s Elementary
Creatures—real, imaginary, and extraterrestrial, are featured in stories imbued with humor and subtle messaging.

Alliah L. Agostini, No Cat Like Tac (Disney)
Bambi Edlund, Squirrel-ish (Owlkids)
X. Fang, We Are Definitely Human (Tundra)
Shawn Harris, The Teeny Tiny Unicorn (Random House Children’s Books)
Andrea Zuill, Dog vs. Strawberry (Random House Children’s Books)
Moderator: Jonah Dragan, Reviewer, School Library Journal

11:05 – 11:55 AM ET | With a Little Help from Our Friends
New picture books tell stories of friends—old, new, and newly appreciated.

Sara Laux Akin, The Pass (Capstone)
Ariel Bernstein, Mabel Wants a Friend (Simon & Schuster)
Sharon M. Draper, Bella Ballerina (Simon & Schuster)
Naseem Hrab, How to Staycation Like a Snail (Owlkids)
Jennifer Maruno & Scot Ritchie, Broom for Two (Pajama Press)
Moderator: Jenny Arch, Children's Librarian, South Hadley Public Library (MA)

Armchair Conversations
Authors join their illustrators as they discuss their recent collaborations that celebrate the imagination and picture book art.

12:00 – 12:20 PM ET | Brandon Sanderson & Kazu Kibuishi, The Most Boring Book Ever (Macmillan Children’s) From the “mega-bestselling duo” comes a “breathtaking picture book for the whole family about an ordinary boy who is having an ordinary afternoon...until an unexpected adventure takes him by surprise.”

12:00 – 12:20 PM ET | Donald Lemke & Bob Lentz, Author vs. Illustrator (Capstone) “Over-the-top humor and under-the-radar lessons” ensue when two creatives engage in an epic battle “about the not-so-simple process of creating a picture book.”

12:20 – 12:55 PM ET | Break / Visit the Exhibit Hall

12:55 – 1:25 PM ET | Lunchtime Keynote

Award-winning authors and illustrators Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation) and Michaela Goade (Tlingit Nation), Being Home (Penguin Young Readers), and Carole Lindstrom (Anishinaabe-Métis) and Aly McKnight (Shoshone-Bannock), The Gift of the Great Buffalo (Bloomsbury), discuss their forthcoming titles that center Indigenous girls living on ancestral lands, separated by 150 years in time.
Moderator: Mandi Harris, Children's Librarian and University of Washington Information School Doctoral Student

THREE CONCURRENT SESSIONS

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET | Becoming Our Best SELves
Introduce readers to characters who when confronted with new experiences and situations, find courage and learn to express their best selves.

Ty Chapman, James Finds the Beat (Free Spirit Publishing)
Antonio Michael Downing, Stars in My Crown (Tundra)
Sarah & Ian Hoffman, Jacob’s Missing Book (American Psychological Association/Magination)
Apryl Stott, Ruby's Tools for Making Friends (Simon & Schuster)
Ryan Bani Tahmaseb, Rostam's Picture-Day Pusteen (Charlesbridge)
Moderator: Yesica Hurd, Librarian, Berkeley Public Library (CA)

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET | Families at Play
Join these family members as they create their own fun at home, at the beach, and around town.

Julia Pierre Hammond, Soulful Struttin’ (Free Spirit Publishing)
Bee Johnson, What Can a Mess Make (Macmillan Children’s)
Jessica Slice & Caroline Cupp, This Is How We Play: A Celebration of Disability & Adaptation (Penguin Young Readers)
Ashley Woodfolk, Beach Hair (Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Ashley Rayner, Librarian at NORC, University of Chicago (IL)

1:30 – 2:20 PM ET | Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Indulge young children with a fascination for all manner of things that go with these supremely satisfying lighthearted stories.

Jashar Awan, Towed by Toad (Tundra)
Karol Hernández, I Am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes (Penguin Young Readers)
Rukhsana Khan, Honk Honk, Beep Beep, Putter Putt! (Tundra)
Moderator: Myiesha Speight, Book Reviewer, SLJ

THREE CONCURRENT SESSIONS

2:25 – 3:00 PM ET | Clarion Calls
New books explore the lives and legacies of three individuals—two scientists and a musician—whose work has brought attention to the plight of our planet and the creatures who inhabit it.

Zachariah OHora, Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas (Tundra)
Angela Quezada Padron, As the Seas Rise: Nicole Hernández Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice (Simon & Schuster)
John & Hayley Rocco, Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough (Penguin Young Readers)
Moderator: Kyra Nay, Branch Services Supervisor - Children’s, Cuyahoga County Public Library (OH)

2:25 – 3:00 PM ET | Portals to the Imagination
Older readers are keenly aware of the places books can take us, real and imaginary. Launch young children on their journeys with three books that take readers on flights of the imagination with these three books.

Sophie Blackall, Ahoy! (Random House Children’s Books)
Idris Goodwin, Your House Is Not Just a House (HarperCollins Children’s)
Antoinette Portis, Not-a-Box City (HarperCollins Children’s)
Moderator: Louie Lauer, Library Media Specialist, Fargo Public Schools (ND)

2:25 – 3:00 PM ET | Those Who Sustain Us
Three books take a look at family and community gatherings celebrated with traditional foods.

Stephen Briseño, Tamales for Christmas (Random House Children’s Books)
Andrea Rogers, When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast (HarperCollins Children’s)
Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal, Seven Samosas (Simon & Schuster)
Moderator: Denise Dávila, University of Texas, Austin

3:00 – 3:35 PM ET | Break / Visit the Exhibit Hall

TWO CONCURRENT SESSIONS

3:35 – 4:25 PM ET | Creating Memories
Intergenerational relationships, cherished by both young and old, are featured in these endearing picture books.

Gabriella Aldeman, Squawk of Spanish (Charlesbridge)
Hannah Chung, The Most Perfect Persimmon (Astra Books for Young Readers)
Ruth Forman, Like So (Simon & Schuster)
Laurel Goodluck & Bridget George, Too Much (Simon & Schuster)
Aisha Saeed, Zuni and the Memory Jar (Penguin Young Readers)
Moderator: Marva Hinton, Articles Development Editor, The Horn Book, Inc.

3:35 – 4:25 PM ET | Visualizing the Text
Children's picture book artists discuss forthcoming books and the considerations and challenges when approaching a manuscript.

Matthew Cordell, The Ship in the Window (Penguin Young Readers)
Liniers, Night Stories: Folktales from Latin America (Astra Books for Young Readers)
Zahra Marwan, Sakina and the Uninvited Guests (Bloomsbury)
Minnie Phan, Simone (Astra Books for Young Readers)
Lauren Redniss, Heatwave (Random House Children’s Books)
Moderator: Rachel Zuffa, Librarian, Case High School, Racine (WI)

4:30 – 5:00 PM ET | Closing Keynote

Join Calkins Creek’s Editorial Director Carolyn P. Yoder in conversation with Sarah Albee and Stacy Innerst, author and illustrator of the forthcoming The Painter and the President: Gilbert Stuart’s Brush with George Washington (Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers), a look at how the iconic portrait of our nation’s first president—and reluctant sitter—came to be.

KEYNOTES
	Sarah Albee is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 150 books for children (some under pseudonyms). Her titles include Troublemakers in Trousers: Women and What They Wore to Get Things Done, which was named a New York Public Library Best Children’s Book and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book, Jane Goodall: A Champion of Chimpanzees, also named a Bank Street Best Children’s Book, and Accidental Archaeologists: True Stories of Unexpected Discoveries, which won the Connecticut Book Award. She lives in Connecticut and Brooklyn with her husband and three children.
	Terry, Eric, and Devin Fan are brothers, writers and artists who have been dreaming up stories and characters together since they were young. Barnaby Unboxed! is the follow-up to The Barnabus Project, winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, among many other honors, and published in almost twenty languages around the world. All three brothers live by the edge of a lake in Ontario, Canada, and daydream during long walks in the park.
	Michaela Goade is a Caldecott Medalist and a #1 New York Times bestselling artist. She is the illustrator of a number of award-winning and bestselling books, including We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and I Sang You Down from the Stars by Tasha Spillett-Sumner. Her first author-illustrator title, Berry Song, also won a Caldecott Honor. She is a member of the Tlingit Nation and grew up in her ancestral homelands along the southeast coast of Alaska, where she lives today on an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea.
	Stacy Innerst is a painter, children's book artist, and educator. His books have been honored with the Sydney Taylor Award for The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come, The New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books Award for Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of RBG Vs. Inequality, the SCBWI Golden Kite for Picture Book Illustration for The Music in George’s Head. His recent books for Calkins Creek include Jack Knight’s Brave Flight, Saving Lady Liberty, and Lincoln Clears a Path.
	Carole Lindstrom is the author of the New York Times bestselling, and Caldecott Award-winning We Are Water Protectors; My Powerful Hair; and Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior. She is Anishinaabe/Métis and is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians. She was born and raised in Nebraska and currently lives in Maryland. Carolelindstrom.com
	Aly McKnight is a Native American artist, whose art features vibrant colors and Indigenous styles. Aly is an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe but grew up outside of the reservation in Northern Nevada. She now lives in Utah with her husband, their daughter, and dog.
	Best-selling author Traci Sorell writes inclusive, award-winning historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats for young people. She is a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree and an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer. Eight of her books have received awards from the American Indian Library Association. A former federal Indigenous law attorney and policy advocate, Traci is a Cherokee Nation citizen and first-generation college graduate. She lives within her tribe’s reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.
	Carolyn P. Yoder is the Editorial Director of Calkins Creek, the American history imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers that is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024. Books edited by Carolyn have won the YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award, the Robert F. Sibert Medal, Coretta Scott King illustrator honors, and multiple Best Book of the Year nods by Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal, among other awards.

SPEAKERS

	Alliah L. Agostini has marketed everything from beauty to tech, but motherhood helped her return to her first love: children’s literature. She is the author of Junior Library Guild Selection Big Tune: Rise of the Dancehall Prince, Oprah Winfrey: A Little Golden Book Biography, Great Idea Malia, The Juneteenth Story, The Juneteenth Cookbook, and more joyful books for children and families. A Buffalo, NY, native, Alliah now lives in New Jersey with her husband and children but, sadly, no cuddly, fire-breathing pets. Join Alliah online at www.AlliahAgostini.com and @alliago on Instagram and X.
	Sara Laux Akin is an author of books for young readers. Her picture book Three Scoops and a Fig was selected for Bank Street College’s Best Books List and the Kansas State Reading List. Sara previously worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist. She is a gardener, forager, hiker, and skier, and loves exploring the outdoors in her native Midwest. Growing up, Sara loved riding the bus downtown, visiting the library, and playing basketball. Her favorite game? Around the World. Swish!
	Gabriella Aldeman works with education nonprofits and children's book authors and publishers to translate English content into Spanish. She has a mission to make educational content accessible to Spanish-speaking families and engage readers with rhymes, alliterations, and worlds of wonder. She also writes for young people. She is the author of the picture book Paula's Patches.
	Jashar Awan needed a tow truck during the making of this story. He is thankful to everyone who helped him with his car troubles and to everyone who helped him bring this book to you. Jashar’s previous picture books include Strum & Drum: A Merry Little Quest, Only Ants for Andy, What a Lucky Day!, and I’m Going to Build a Snowman. In December 2020, he was profiled by Publishers Weekly in their "Fall 2020 Flying Starts" as one of the most promising children's debut authors. A longtime New Yorker, Jashar now lives in Ohio with his wife and son.
	Kate Beaton is a cartoonist from Mabou, Unama’ki-Cape Breton. She is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Hark! A Vagrant, Step Aside, Pops, and the picture books The Princess and the Pony and King Baby. She served as executive producer for Pinecone & Pony, an animated series for AppleTV+. Her most recent work is Ducks: Two Years in the Oilsands. Kate's work has won multiple Eisner, Doug Wright, Harvey and Ignatz awards in the field of comics. Ducks recently won Canada Reads 2023, and was chosen as one of Barack Obama's favourite books of 2022.
	Aliaa Betawi is a self-taught Palestinian artist based in Alexandria, Egypt who developed her craft by observing her gifted mother. She believes that every kid deserves a childhood filled with magical, joyful memories and this is what she works to give to all kids, including herself. A Map for Falasteen was her opportunity to capture a single elusive memory in Palestine, a memory she could not enjoy as a Palestinian child in exile.
	Sophie Blackall is the award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children, including Finding Winnie and Hello, Lighthouse, which both received the Caldecott Medal. She illustrated A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat, written by Emily Jenkins, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Her most recent picture book, Farmhouse, was an instant New York Times bestseller, received five starred reviews and was also a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Sophie's many other honors include a BCCB Blue Ribbon, an Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, Society of Illustrators Founders Award, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor.
	Stephen Briseño is the author of The Notebook Keeper, which received the Pura Belpre Author Honor Award. He has taught middle school English for 15 years, and writes, reads, and drinks a ton of coffee with his wife and daughter in San Antonio, TX.
	Nelly Buchet is the author of a dozen books for young readers, including Big Sister, Long Coat (NorthSouth Books); Dog vs. Strawberry (Random House Studio), a JLG Gold Standard and Amazon Best Book of the Month selection, which received four starred reviews; and ALA Notable Cat Dog Dog (PRH), which was chosen as the winner of the 2021 Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature. She has taught nonviolent conflict resolution in schools and created a nonprofit project that brings picture books to refugee children through orphanages and libraries. She divides her time between Berlin, Germany and the US.
	Hannah Chung is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur in health care design for young patients. She is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and has presented at numerous conferences including TEDx and SXSW. Hannah spends her time both in Providence, Rhode Island, and Seoul, South Korea.
	Betsy Coffeen is a children’s book author who writes adventure fiction. Her journey in children’s literature includes works like Cate and the Magic Garden, co-authored and published by Two Hoots Press in July 2017, and the more recent Cate and the Garden Bandits, released May 2023. With a Master of Science in Psychology from Arizona State University, Betsy uses her educational background to enrich her stories with themes of empathy and understanding. She hopes to encourage children to believe in themselves and chase their dreams.
	Justin Colón is a professional actor and children's book author. This is his second picture book, joining his debut, The Quacken. Like Carl, the star of Impossible Possums, Justin lives in New York. Unlike Carl, Justin does not live in a sewer or have an evil lair. He invites you to visit him at justincolonbooks.com.
	Matthew Cordell is the author and illustrator of many celebrated picture books for children, including Wish, Explorers, and Wolf in the Snow, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He lives outside of Chicago with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children. He is the illustrator of the forthcoming The Ship in the Window, a timeless tale of a little mouse and a big adventure.
	Caroline Cupp is a disabled progressive pastor in Philadelphia and the co-author of This is How We Play: A Celebration of Disability & Adaptation.
	Sharon M. Draper is a three-time New York Times bestselling author for Out of My Mind, Blended, and Out of My Heart. She’s also won Coretta Scott King Awards for Copper Sun and Forged by Fire and multiple honors. She’s also the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. Sharon taught high school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of the Year. She now lives in Florida.
	X. Fang is a visual artist and maker of books for young readers. Born in Taichung, Taiwan, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in rural Maine with her husband and their dog, Pamela. X. Fang's debut picture book Dim Sum Palace, which the New York Times called “sumptuous,” was the winner of the 2023 Society of Illustrators' Dilys Evans Founders Award.
	Ruth Forman is an acclaimed poet, author, and friend of words. She is the award-winning author of best-selling children’s books— Curls, Glow, Bloom, Ours and One— as well as children's book Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon, and several poetry collections. She has received the Barnard New Women Poets Prize, The Pen Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award, The National Council of Teachers of English Notable Book Award, and recognition by The American Library Association.
	Bridget George (Nimkiinagwaagankwe) is an Anishinaabe illustrator from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. She was born and raised on the shores of Lake Huron—the traditional territory of her people. She currently makes her home with her son Noah and husband David in London, Ontario. Bridget’s author-illustrator debut It’s a Mitig! garnered the prestigious Periodical Marketers of Canada’s Indigenous Literature Award. She has also illustrated Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom and Too Much by Laurel Goodluck.
	Laurel Goodluck writes picture books with modern Native themes that reflect Native children’s cultural experiences and everyday life, showing they have a unique and powerful perspective. Her books include Forever Cousins, Rock Your Mocs, She Persisted: Deb Haaland, Too Much, and Fierce Aunties!. She was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, from an intertribal background of Mandan and Hidatsa from the prairies of North Dakota and Tsimshian from a rainforest in Alaska. Laurel began writing by crafting a curriculum for community advocacy involving Native teen leadership and later for children newly diagnosed with mental health challenges. Laurel lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her Navajo husband and two children who are also bent on storytelling.
	Julia Pierre Hammond can't remember a time when she wasn't writing. She loves to write stories that include her Black and Brazilian heritage and to create books where children feel worthy and seen. Before becoming a full-time children's book writer, she danced ballet through college and taught grades 3–12. Julia lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, two kids, and dog.
	Shawn Harris is an award-winning creator of books for kids. His 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. The National Museum of Wildlife Art awarded Shawn’s cut-paper art in A Polar Bear in the Snow (by Mac Barnett) the Bull-Bransom Award for excellence in the field of children’s book illustration with a focus on nature and wildlife. Harris has illustrated a number of other books, including Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, and Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy.
	Kevin Henkes has been praised as a writer and illustrator and received the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to children’s literature. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors, one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include The World and Everything in It; A House; A Parade of Elephants; Chrysanthemum; and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.
	Karol Hernández was born and raised in Colombia. She currently lives in Florida with her husband, three kids, two dogs, and a fish. She is the author of I Am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes.
	Naseem Hrab is a writer and storyteller, and the author of the Otis & Peanut series, the Ira Crumb series, How to Party Like a Snail, and The Sour Cherry Tree, which won the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award. Her comedy writing has appeared on McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and The Rumpus. She loves improv and coffee ice cream. Naseem lives in Toronto, Ontario.
	Bee Johnson was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She studied illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design and has worked as a commercial and editorial illustrator since 2010. Her client list includes the New York Times, Warby Parker and the Guardian. She lives in the Northeast with her husband, their two daughters and a beagle named Banjo. What Can A Mess Make? is Bee’s first picture book.
	Rukhsana Khan is an award-winning author and storyteller. She was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and immigrated to Canada at the age of three. She has published many books for children, including the picture book Big Red Lollipop, which was chosen by the New York Public Library as one of the 100 greatest children’s books in the last 100 years. She lives in Toronto.
	Carrie Kruck was born and raised in Canada, studied and worked as a psychologist in Australia, and now lives in a cozy house at the edge of the woods in New England. Her home is filled with laughter and love and a lot of Legos, and has a room with built-in bookshelves that she calls “the library,” so she has pretty much everything she needs! Learn more at CarrieKruck.com.
	Born in Argentina, Ricardo Liniers Siri (a.k.a. Liniers) started his artistic career making fanzines for his friends when he realized we was not made for law school. He won the Inkpot Award for career achievement in 2018, and the Reuben Award for Best Newspaper Comic Strips in 2021. He has more than 30 books published, many of which have been translated to English, French, Italian, Czech, German, Portuguese, Korean and Chinese. He has illustrated 7 covers of the New Yorker magazine.
	Donald Lemke works as a children’s book editor and writer. He has written dozens of books for young readers—from board books to middle-grade novels—that often include today’s most popular characters, such as Batman, Superman, Scooby-Doo, and more. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his beloved family, which includes his wife, Amy, and their three growing-up-way-too-fast daughters.
	Bob Lentz is the other half of the Lemke & Lentz creative team and a co-creator of their Basic Training and Wearable Books series. He works as an art director and has illustrated—but thankfully not written—several books for children. Bob lives in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his wife, Rosalee, and their two children (and a very hungry Boston terrier).
	Katarina Macurova was born in Bratislava in 1983 and she studied under Professor Dušan Kállay in the Department of Graphics and Illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. She came to the attention of the public with her children’s books Proč nekveteš?/ Why Won’t You Flower?. She has an additional interest in 3D graphics. Her innovative work has already won her several prestigious awards, including the Communication Arts Award of Excellence in the USA.
	Zahra Marwan is the author of Where Butterflies Fill the Sky, which has received notable acclaim including NPR's Best Books of 2022, The Society of Illustrators’ Dilys Evans Founders Award 2022, a NYT/NYPL Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award, and an Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Honor Award. Zahra has also been recognized by the United Nations with a Minorities Artist Award on Statelessness, and SCBWI’s “Out of the Margins Award” 2022. She currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Zahramarwan.com
	Niña Mata is an illustrator and sometimes writer who has created many books for kids including the #1 New York Times Bestseller “I Promise” by LeBron James. She is also the illustrator of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honored series “Ty’s Travels” by the incomparable Kelly Starling Lyons. When Niña is not illustrating or writing, she is singing karaoke, napping with her cat, dancing at a hip hop class, or on a beach people watching with her husband and daughter by the Jersey shore.
	Zachariah OHora is the Show Creator and Executive Producer of Carl the Collector, PBS KIDS’ first show centering on a neurodiverse character. He is an award-winning author and illustrator of many books including the New York Times bestselling book Wolfie the Bunny. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide. He lives in Pennsylvania with his artist-sculptor wife, two sons and their dog Waffles.
	Angela Quezada Padron is a Latina author-illustrator who spent her childhood days writing stories and doodling on the garage walls of her New Jersey home and her summers visiting family in the Dominican Republic. As the Seas Rise: Nicole Hernández Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice is her author-illustrator debut. She won first place in the Portfolio Showcase at the 2023 Florida SCBWI Conference and was a semifinalist for the SCBWI Tomie de Paola Award in 2014. Visit her at www.angelapadron.com.
	Antoinette Portis is the author and illustrator of the international bestseller Not a Box (a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and a 2007 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book), Not a Stick, A Penguin Story (also chosen as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book), and many more books for children. She attended the UCLA School of Fine Arts and is a former creative director at Disney. Antoinette lives in Southern California.
	Lauren Redniss is an author, an artist, and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant”. Her previous books for adults include Radioactive, a finalist for the National Book Award, and Thunder & Lightning, winner of the PEN/E O. Wilson Literacy Science Writing Award. The New York Times called her book “astonishing” and “virtuosic”. Time Capsule was her first book for children.
	Scot Ritchie is an award-winning illustrator and author with more than 70 books to his credit, including most recently Zander Stays. His books have been translated into French, Korean, Indonesian, Polish, Finnish, Arabic, and Dutch. Scot has worked with the National Film Board of Canada and has had his illustrations exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
	Hayley Rocco is the author of Wild Places:The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough, her second collaboration with her husband, John Rocco. Before dedicating herself to writing for children full-time, Hayley worked as a publicist at several major publishers. An ambassador for Wild Tomorrow, a nonprofit focused on conservation and rewilding South Africa, Hayley travels the world armed with a pen, a journal, and her camera, discovering stories of wild things and wild places.
	John Rocco is the #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including Blackout, the recipient of a Caldecott Honor, and Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough, his second collaboration with his wife, Hayley Rocco. John, also an ambassador for Wild Tomorrow, ventures with Hayley into the wild in search of stories they can bring back and share with readers everywhere. John and Hayley live in Rhode Island in an old house tucked in the woods near the sea.
	Andrea L. Rogers is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts with an MFA in creative writing. Andrea lives and writes in the Boston Mountains in Arkansas.
	Aisha Saeed's novels include the New York Times bestseller Amal Unbound, Written in the Stars, Yes No Maybe So (with Becky Albertalli), Diana and the Island of No Return, and Forty Words for Love, and her picture books include Bilal Cooks Daal, The Together Tree,and Zuni and the Memory Jar. She is a Pakistani American writer, teacher, and attorney. As one of the founding members of the We Need Diverse Books campaign, she is helping change the conversation about representation in literature.
	Kabir Sehgal started his class newspaper in second grade and has been writing ever since. A bestselling author of several adult and children’s books, he is also a multi-GRAMMY® winner & EMMY® nominee. He is a US Navy Veteran.
	Surishtha Sehgal is a New York Times bestselling author and EMMY® nominee. She was a university professor who now enjoys reading with children during story time. She is the founder of a nonprofit that supports children’s education and promotes social responsibility in students.
	Jessica Slice, co-author of This is How We Play: A Celebration of Disability & Adaptation, is a writer who often writes about her experience as a mom who uses a power wheelchair. Her writing has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Glamour, HuffPo, and more.
	Briana Mukodiri Uchendu is an illustrator, visual development artist, and a first-generation Nigerian-American. Briana is a graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design where she majored in Illustration. In her illustration debut, her work for The Talk by Newbery Honor-winner Alicia D. Williams was juried into The Original Art 2022 by the Society of Illustrators and was awarded the Silver Medal. The book was also named a Coretta Scott King (Author) Honor Book and an Amazon Best Book of the Year, among many other honors.
	Ashley Woodfolk has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She started reading at age five, writing poetry and stories at age seven, and after majoring in English, worked in children's book publishing for over a decade. Now a full-time mom and writer, Ashley lives in a sunny Brooklyn apartment with husband, her dog, and the cutest kid in the world. She is the author of ten books including The Beauty That Remains, When You Were Everything, Blackout, Nothing Burns As Bright As You and the Flyy Girls Series. Beach Hair is her first picture book.
	Andrea Zuill is the author-illustrator of Regina is NOT a Little Dinosaur, and Indie Next List selection; Sweety, a Booklist Best Book of the Year; and Wolf Camp, a Children’s Choice Award finalist. Andrea is the illustrator of Donut by Laura Gehl, a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library selection; Cat Dog Dog by Nelly Buchet, an American Library Association Notable Book, which was called “A clever, winning read-aloud for modern families” in a starred review from Kirkus. Her work has been exhibited in galleries in California, Texas, and New York.

MODERATORS

	Jenny Arch, Children's Librarian, South Hadley Public Library (MA).
	Amalia E. Butler is a public school librarian (P-7) with experience in public libraries and special collections. She is an active ALSC member, most recently serving on the 2023 (John) Newbery Award Selection Committee and the ALSC Children & Libraries Editorial Advisory Committee (2020-23).
	Denise Dávila is an assistant professor of children's literature and literacy education at the University of Texas at Austin who has served on multiple book award committees. Her research agenda focuses on families' engagement with children's books by/for/and about members of marginalized communities to support early literacy development.
	Jonah Dragan reviews for School Library Journal and serves on their year-end Best Books Committees. He holds a Master's degree in Education from Bank Street College and is also a member of the Bank Street Children's Book Committee. His many other hats include preschool teacher, author, professional storyteller, rare book collector, and parent. He can often be found exploring the dusty shelves of used bookstores, curling up with a mug of tea and a good ghost story, or diving into worlds of imagination with his husband and child.
	Mandi Harris (Cherokee Nation) is a children’s librarian and PhD student at the University of Washington Information School, where she uses Indigenous Systems of Knowledge to examine children’s literature, education, and the futures of libraries. She is an American Library Association Spectrum Doctoral Fellow. Mandi has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Washington and has a decade of experience working in youth services at public libraries.
	Marva Hinton is the articles development editor for The Horn Book. She is also a freelance writer who frequently covers topics related to education, literacy, and equity. Marva hosts the ReadMore Podcast, an interview show that primarily features writers of color. She holds an MFA in fiction from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BA in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill. She lives in South Florida.
	Yesica Hurd is a Children's Librarian and writes reviews for Horn Book. She also served on the 2023 Newbery Committee.
	Louie Lauer is an elementary library media specialist for Fargo Public Schools, with 13 years of experience in this role. An avid reader, Louie is also a frequent presenter at regional and state conventions, a reviewer for SLJ, and has just finished his participation as a member of the 2024 Seuss Geisel Committee. When he doesn’t have his nose in a book, he can be found enjoying lake life in central MN, finding new regions of the globe to explore and spending time with his nine-year old dog, Truly.
	Kyra Nay is the Head of Children's at the Maple Heights Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library. She served on the 2022 committee for the Robert F. Sibert Medal. An avid nonfiction reader, she also enjoys hiking, board games, and exploring Cleveland.
	Ashley Rayner is a research librarian at NORC at the University of Chicago. She has been an academic and public librarian as well, all within the Chicagoland area. Ashley loves reading any genre but she has a special love for speculative fiction, historical fiction, and thrillers. She started writing book reviews for Booklist in 2020 and they help her stay connected to fiction as a librarian at a social science research organization. When she's not reading or researching, Ashley can be found playing video games, cooking, planning her next karaoke debut song, tweeting at @ashley_rayner, or hanging out with her husband and two kids.
	Myiesha Speight holds a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in English with a minor in History from Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2019, she received her Master's of Library and Information Science with a specialization in Diversity and Inclusion from the University of Maryland College Park’s iSchool located in College Park, Maryland. Myiesha Speight is currently a Book Reviewer for SLJ.
	Desiree Thomas is a Youth Services Librarian in Worthington Ohio. She has worked in libraries for the past 22 years and believes that our lives are made better when we share stories and learn about each other. She is an avid gardener, yogi, and reader’s advisory enthusiast.
	An SLJ reviewer for over 10 years, Rachel Zuffa’s professional work encompasses K-12 school and public librarianship. She served on the 2021 Morris Committee.