2024 HCBF Archives - Page 4 of 6 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Cummins, Lucy Ruth

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author, illustrator, and art director of children’s books. Her author-illustrated books include “Stumpkin,” “Vampenguin,” and “Our Pool.” She is also the illustrator of “Truman,” written by Jean Reidy, and the author of “Sleepy Sheepy,” illustrated by Pete Oswald, among others. She lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York.

Awards

Governor General’s Award shortlist, Publisher’s Weekly Best Book, New York Times best book, NPR best book, Irma Black Honor book.

3 Fun Facts

1. I am the youngest of six children
2. I have met the president
3. I prefer pie to cake.

Baker, Jennifer

Jennifer Baker is a publishing professional of 20 years, the creator/host of the Minorities in Publishing podcast, and a faculty member of the MFA program in Creative Nonfiction at Bay Path University and a writing consultant at Baruch College. Jennifer is also the editor of the short story anthology Everyday People: The Color of Life (Atria Books, 2018) and the author of the YA novel Forgive Me Not (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023). Her fiction, nonfiction, and criticism has appeared in various print and online publications. Her website is: jennifernbaker.com.

Awards

Jennifer Baker’s essay “What We Aren’t (or the Ongoing Divide)” was listed as a Notable Essay in The Best American Essays 2018. She received a 2017 NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship and a Queens Council on the Arts New Work Grant for Nonfiction Literature. In 2019, she was named Publishers Weekly Superstar for her contributions to inclusion and representation in publishing. Forgive Me Not was listed by New York Public Library as a “Best Books for Teens 2023,” included on the Texas Library Association’s 2024 TAYSHAS Reading List, and Electric Literature’s “Best Novels of 2023.”

3 Fun Facts

1. Jennifer is an amateur baker who has won local competitions.
2. Jennifer is an active cyclist and a big fan of NYC’s new bike lanes.
3. Jennifer’s biggest goal is to travel to every country in Asia and eat all the things!

Hagan, Ellen

Hagan, Ellen

Ellen Hagan is a writer, performer, and educator. She is the author of Don’t Call Me a Hurricane and Reckless, Glorious, Girl and the coauthor with Renée Watson of Watch Us Rise. Her poetry collections include Blooming Fiascoes, Hemisphere, and Crowned. Her work can be found in ESPN Magazine, She Walks in Beauty, and Southern Sin. Raised in Kentucky, she now lives in New York City with her family. www.ellenhagan.com • @ellenhagan

Awards

Ellen is the recipient of the 2020 New York Foundation for the Arts fellowing in poetry, the 2013 NoMAA Creative Arts Grant and received grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts.

Gutman, Dan

Gutman, Dan

Dan Gutman was born in a log cabin in Illinois and used to write by candlelight with a piece of chalk on a shovel. Oh, wait. That was Abraham Lincoln. Actually, Dan has written 175 books for beginning readers (“Rappy the Raptor”), young readers (“My Weird School”), and advanced readers (“The Genius Files”, “Flashback Four”). Dan lives in New York City. You can visit his web site (www.dangutman.com) and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. www.dangutman.com

Awards
A few state book awards. More importantly, My Weird School has sold 35 million copies. So who cares about awards, right?

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m left handed.
2. I’m partly color blind.
3. I love watermelon and ShopRite bran flakes.

Kramer, Jackie Azúa

Kramer, Jackie Azúa

Jackie Azúa Kramer- Many lives ago I was born into a Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian loving family. Together we travelled to far away places.Now I’m an author, and wile away my time writing children’s picture books. What ties these all together are my dreams and imagination. Most of the time you’ll find me reading, watching old movies, globe trekking and whenever possible sharing laughter & food with my family. jackieazuakramer.com/

Awards

Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year; Junior Library Gold Selection; Best Books Canadian Children’s Book Centre; Chicago Public Library-Best of the Best Books; Winner of Japan’s 31st Bronze Kembuchi Picture Book Award; Winner of 2021 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award; Silver Medal-Parents’ Choice Awards.

3 Fun Facts

1. I swam with dolphins.
2. I speak Spanish fluently.
3. I once worked as an actor.

Bolling, Valerie

Valerie Bolling was an educator for 30 years and is passionate about creating stories in which all children can see themselves and feel seen and heard, valued and validated. Her debut picture book, LET’S DANCE!, was published in March 2020 and won SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award in 2021.

Valerie is the author of five more picture books (Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection I SEE COLOR; Kirkus Prize Finalist TOGETHER WE SWIM; TOGETHER WE RIDE; RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN!; and BING, BOP, BAM: TIME TO JAM!) as well as a Scholastic Acorn early reader series, RAINBOW DAYS.

Sharing her books with children and inspiring them to write their own stories brings Valerie immense joy! Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut and enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing.
linktr.ee/ValerieBolling

Awards

SCBWI Crystal Kite Award fro LET’S DANCE! Kirkus Prize Finalist for TOGETHER WE SWIM My books have also been on “Best of” lists.

3 Fun Facts

1. I grew up in an extended family. I was the only child in a house of seven adults, living with my mother, grandmother, three great-aunts, and great-grandparents.
2. I have traveled to five of seven continents. In the future, I hope to have the opportunity to visit Australia and Antarctica.
3. I am never without a book. I have always loved to read. I read in the car, while waiting in lines, and on exercise equipment.

Trimmer, Christian

Trimmer, Christian

Christian Trimmer is the author of numerous books for children, most recently THE GOOD HAIR DAY (art by J Yang), WOMBAT, THE RELUCTANT HERO (art by Rachel Gyan), and WHAT ARE YOU? (art by Mike Curato). When he’s not writing stories, he’s editing them, most recently for MTV Books. He lives in Hillsdale, New York, with his husband. Learn more at christiantrimmer.com.

Awards

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2023 (THE GOOD HAIR DAY)
Starred Reviews for THE GOOD HAIR DAY, SNOW PONY & THE SEVEN MINIATURE PONIES, and TEDDY’S FAVORITE TOY
Keystone to Reading Book Award (SIMON’S NEW BED)

3 Fun Facts

1. When I was 11, I broke my left thumb doing the shuttle run in gym class.
2. My favorite book when I was young was THE GIRL WHO OWNED A CITY by O.T. Nelson, a story in which all the adults in the world are gone.
3. I learned to drive stick shift in a Porsche (it wasn’t mine).

Schmidt, Tiffany

Tiffany Schmidt is the author of ten acclaimed books for young readers. Most recently, All is Found – Frozen Anthology, and Once Bitten Twice Dead (7/2024)—set in the original Monster High world. She’s also written I’m Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas and the four book YA rom com series: Bookish Boyfriends, as well as several other YA novels. A former sixth grade teacher, she currently lives in Pennsylvania with her impish twin sons, their rascally little brother, a spoiled pup, and her very saintly husband. Follow her online at TiffanySchmidt.com or on Twitter and Instagram @TiffanySchmidt.

Awards

YALSA Teen Top Ten nominee, Indie Next List, and Romantic Times Top Pick.

3 Fun Facts

1. I have run three half-marathons at Disney World.
2. I cannot whistle, snap, or wink.
3. When I get stuck writing a scene, I switch to writing by hand.

Rissi, Anica Mrose

Anica Mrose Rissi is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for kids and teens, including picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and YA. Her essays have been published by The Writer and the New York Times, and she plays fiddle in and writes lyrics for the band Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves. Anica grew up in Maine and spent many years in New York City, where she worked as an executive editor in children’s book publishing. She currently lives in central New Jersey with her very good dog, Sweet Potato. Learn more at anicarissi.com.

Awards

Honors include the Maine Literary Award, the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, Horn Book Fanfare Best Books of the Year, Texas Library Association’s Tayshas Reading List and 2×2 Reading List, multiple foreign translations and starred reviews, and Junior Library Guild Selection.

3 Fun Facts

1. Loves writing scary stories, but gets easily spooked
2. Plays the violin in an electro-country band called Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves
3. Lives with a very good dog named Sweet Potato

Shapiro, Esmé

Shapiro, Esmé

Esmé Shapiro is an author and illustrator of books for children. She grew up amongst the succulents and coyotes of Laurel Canyon, California. These days, she lives in an old farm house in the Catskills with her husband and their two scruffy dogs. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Her next book, ROY IS NOT A DOG will be coming out in 2024. www.esmeshapiroillustration.com

Awards

Esmé is a past recipient of both the Nancy Lee Rhodes Roberts Scholarship and the SILA West 53 Gold Award-Phillip Hayes Scholarship. She has exhibited at The Society of Illustrators and her work has been featured in Taproot, Quill and Quire, and Plansponsor Magazines. Her first book, OOKO, was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award and was # 1 on the National Post Best Seller’s List. Her most recent book, MY SELF, YOUR SELF, was was listed as one of the Best Children’s Books of the Year 2023 by The Bank Street College of Education.

3 Fun Facts

1. I know how to do an Irish jig!
2. I wish bagels could talk.
3. I have two scruffy dogs named Chebini and Olympia!