Pennsylvania: East

Meet the Faculty

Illustrator Day 2018

Our Faculty

AMY JUNE BATES

Amy June Bates is the illustrator of over 50 books. She picked up a pencil when she was three and hasn’t stopped drawing since. She grew up with 6 younger brother and sisters, none of whom have turned into crows or swans. She has lived in California, Maryland, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania and Japan. She loves to wander. She prefers the mountains.

Some of her books include The Dog Who Belonged to No One by Amy Hest, Bear in the Air by Susan Meyers, Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed by Leslea Newman, Sweet Dreams by Jewel, and Hillary Clinton, Dreams Taking Flight by Kathleen Krull.

In 2018 she published her first book, The Big Umbrella, as a writer.

She has a messy husband and three messy kids and they all live together in a messy house with their messy dog. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a town that is older than your great-granny. They all like to draw.

DANA FRITTS

Dana Fritts is an art director at HarperCollins Publishers. She is a graduate from Syracuse University with a BFA in illustration. Her passion for design and her love of children’s illustration lead her to a career in children’s publishing. She has worked on many picture books and illustrated middle grade books including the New York Times bestselling WILDWOOD Series, Pax, The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, and I Love You Like a Pig. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, and the New York Book Show. She has worked with award winning illustrators including Melissa Sweet, Carson Ellis, Charles Santoso, Jon Klassen, Greg Pizzoli, David Ezra Stein, Gris Grimly, and Julia Denos. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and toddler who both love children’s books too.

ALEXANDRA PENFOLD

Alexandra Penfold began her career in publishing as a children’s book publicist at Simon & Schuster. For eight years she served as an editor at Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster working on award-winning books for young readers of all ages. She is currently a literary agent with Upstart Crow Literary representing children book authors and illustrators as well as select adult projects. She’s especially drawn to projects that make her laugh, think and feel. Alexandra is the author of several books for children: Eat, Sleep, Poop, illustrated by Jane Massey, We Are Brothers, We Are Friends, illustrated by Eda Kaban, Food Truck Fest, illustrated by Mike Dutton and The Littlest Viking, illustrated by Isabel Roxas, and All Are Welcome, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. Visit her at alexpenfoldbooks.com and follow her on Twitter @AgentPenfold.

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