2025 HCBF Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Mahoney, Daniel J.

Mahoney, Daniel J.

Daniel J. Mahoney is a children’s book author and illustrator whose most recent picture book, We Don’t Eat Our Neighbors, was published with Macmillan in August, 2024. He’s also the author of Monstergarten. When he’s not creating funny picture books, he can be found hiking and biking and remodeling his new house in the country, where he resides with his daughter Shay. Danieljmahoneyauthor.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I am a licensed Radiologic Technologist.
2. I am extremely neat.
3. I love anchovies on practically everything.

Kramer, Kara

Kramer, Kara

Kara Kramer is an illustrator and mixed media artist living in Brooklyn, NY. She has illustrated several picture books including Make Meatballs Sing: The Life and Art of Corita Kent, Erno Rubik and His Magic Cube, and is author/illustrator of the interactive picture book Tell Me a Lion Story. She explores many mediums and loves being in the creative process. www.karakramer.com

Awards

Best Stem Books K-12 2025
2024 Junior Library Guild Selection
2022 Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf Selection
2022 ALA Notable Children’s Book

3 Fun Facts

1. I love to ski because it feels like I am drawing with my feet in the snow.
2. I stink at whistling.
3. Can’t choose a favorite color, in love with too many!

Gephart, Donna

Donna Gephart Photo Riverbend 12, August 2018 – Donna Gephart

Gephart, Donna

Donna Gephart‘s award-winning middle grade novels include: Abby, Tried and True, Lily and Dunkin, Death by Toilet Paper and How to Survive Middle School. Welcome to the Woofmore is a fun, new early chapter book series from Abrams about a posh hotel run by dogs for dogs with a new VIP (Very Important Pooch) appearing in each book. Go Be Wonderful is Donna’s first picture book about being perfectly imperfect. She’s a popular speaker at schools, conferences and book festivals. Donna lives in South Jersey near Philadelphia with her awesome and paw-some family. Visit her online at www.donnagephart.com.

Awards

The Sid Fleischman Humor Award; California Young Readers Medal Winner; New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids; NPR’s Best Kids’ Books; Chicago Public Library’s Best Fiction for Older Readers, Great Words, Great Works Book Selection from the National Spelling Bee; Thurber House Children’s-Writer-in-Residence, etc.

3 Fun Facts

1. I won second place in the school talent show in 7th grade with my gravity-defying hula-hooping skills. (It’s not like I’m still bitter about not winning first place. Nope. Not at all.)
2. I’m not so great with numbers.

Scrivan, Maria

Scrivan, Maria

Maria Scrivan is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning syndicated cartoonist, and speaker based in Connecticut. Her laugh-out-loud syndicated comic, Half Full, appeared daily in newspapers nationwide for a decade, and is available three days a week on gocomics.com/half-full. Her cartoons have appeared in MAD Magazine, Parade, Highlights, National Lampoon, and many other publications. Nat Enough, her debut graphic novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller and launched her critically acclaimed six-book series of the same name. http://www.mariascrivan.com

Awards

New York Times Bestseller (Nat Enough)
Canadian Bestselling Author (Absolutely Nat)
Sakura Award Nominee (Nat Enough)

3 Fun Facts

1. I love running in trails.
2. I love standing on my head.
3. I love imaging what my dog would say to me if he could talk.

Chan, Ruth

Chan, Ruth

Ruth Chan is an author and illustrator of comics and books for children including her graphic memoir Uprooted. Prior to illustrating full time, she spent her teens in China and a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. She is a proud Canadian and lives and works in NYC. ohtruth.com

Awards

Cybils Award Finalist for Graphic Novels 2024
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2024
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2024
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2024
A New York Magazine Best Book of 2024
An NPR Best Book of 2024
A Common Sense Media Best Book of 2024

3 Fun Facts

1. I am really bad at math!
2. I once had seven milkshakes in one day.
3. I live by the beach… in New York City

Vaughan, Pam

Pam_Vaughan author photo 2 vertical – Pam Vaughan

Vaughan, Pam

Pam Vaughan is the author of picture books, MISSY WANTS A MAMMOTH, illustrated by Ariel Landy (2024 Holiday House/Pixel+Ink) and TENACIOUS WON’T GIVE UP, illustrated by Leanne Hatch (June 2025 Knopf BFYR). She is the Director of the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat and is the NE-SCBWI co-Assistant Regional Advisor. She lives with her family in central MA amongst turkeys, turtles, deer, and owls but can often be found playing ice hockey. Visit her online at www.pamvaughanauthor.com Pronouns – she/her

3 Fun Facts

1. My sister and I are nine months apart.
2. I have never had a pet mammoth, but I have had dogs and parakeets, and baby sat my friend’s parrot and snake.
3. I can spin a basketball on my finger!

Ho, Jannie

Ho, Jannie

Jannie Ho is an author, illustrator, and cartoonist. Some of her books include Bear and Chicken and The Lost Mitten, which was named an ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. She is also the illustrator of the graphic novel series Fry Guys. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. http://www.chickengirldesign.com

Awards

ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m known as Chicken Girl because I love chickens.
2. My favorite character in FRY GUYS is Mayor Spud.
3. I have a pet fish named Sir Bubbles.

Sanchez, Guido A.

Sanchez, Guido A.

Guido A. Sanchez is a writer, middle school principal, comic aficionado, and podcaster based in New York. He nurtures young people as they begin writing the myths of their own lives. After school, he co-hosts “Dear Watchers: The Omniversal Comic Book Podcast” and explores world-building and modern myths with his 30,000+ comic collection.

In 2015, he authored a girls’ puberty textbook still in use today. In 2023, his book Spider-Man: Web of Technology was released with Running Press. In 2024, he published Queer Mythology: Epic Legends from Around the World with the same publisher. http://www.GuidoASanchez.com

Awards

Submitted for awards
Many end of year lists from 2024 from newspapers, websites, podcasts, and book stores
Associated Press gift list

3 Fun Facts

1. I have over 35,000 comics & a comic book podcast.
2. I collect queer history ephemera.
3. My career started in LGBTQ & AIDS service organizations before transitioning into schools.

Reynoso-Morris, Alyssa

Alyssa Reynoso-Morris is a queer Afro-Latine/x Dominican and Puerto Rican award-winning storyteller. Her ability to weave compelling stories has opened many doors for her as an author and speaker. She is also a mother and community organizer. During the day, she works with community members, non-profit organizations, and government officials to make the world a better place. Then she puts her writer’s hat on to craft heartfelt stories about home, family, food, and the fun places she has been. Alyssa was born and raised in The Bronx, New York, and currently lives in Philadelphia, PA, with her family. She is the author of Plátanos Are Love & Los plátanos son amor (a NCTE Charlotte Huck Recommended Read); The Bronx Is My Home; Gloriana Presente: A First Day of School Book & Gloriana Presente: De la República Dominicana al Bronx; Bold, Brilliant and Latine; and Pieces of Home. She hopes you enjoy her stories. You can learn more about her at alyssaauthor.com

Awards

Plátanos Are Love – Recommended Literature List (2024), California’s Department of Education
Plátanos Are Love – KNEA Reading Circle List – Primary Title (2023), Kansas National Education Association
Plátanos Are Love – Charlotte Huck Recommended Read (2023), NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)
Powerful Latina in Education (2023), Powerful Latina Awards – Presented by El Sol Latino Newspaper and Hispanic Media
Author of the Year Award (2023), Philadelphia Latin American Book Festival

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m bilingual. I speak English and Spanish.
2. I love to travel. I’ve lived in 4 different countries (USA, Dominican Republic, India and Tanzania).
3. I’m a mom of three. I have a 5 year old and 4 month old twins.

Probert, Tim

Tim Probert is an author and illustrator. He is the creator of Lightfall, an all ages fantasy adventure graphic novel series. He has illustrated the D&D Dungeon Academy series, as well as several other books. Tim was also an art director at the animation studio Nathan Love for ten years, working on all sorts of short form projects. He lives in upstate New York with his wife Jodi and their two cats. https://timprobert.com

Awards

Harvey Award Nominee – Best Book and Best Children’s Book
Kirkus Reviews ‘Best Book’ for Lightfall Book 1, all three books received starred reviews
Junior Library Guild Selection for all three Lightfall books
Nominated for the ‘Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award’ at the 2023 Eisner Awards at San Diego Comic Con

3 Fun Facts

1. I live in a straw bale house with only a wood stove for heat
2. My favorite comic is ‘Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind’ by Hayao Miyazaki
3. My cats, Beau & Thor, are the inspiration for the characters Boisenberry & Snore in Lightfall