Author Archives - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

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

Blackall, Sophie

Sophie Blackall, AM is an award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children, including the New York Times best-selling Ivy and Bean series, the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner, Finding Winnie and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner, Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote. She is the five-time recipient of The New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book Award and has worked with UNICEF and Save the Children, UK on global health and literacy initiatives. Originally from Australia, she now splits her time between Brooklyn, New York, and the Catskill Mountains, where she and her husband run a retreat for the children’s book community called Milkwood Farm. www.sophieblackall.com

Awards

Caldecott Medal 2016
Caldecott Medal 2019
Five time recipient of New York Times Best-Illustrated children’s book award

3 Fun Facts

1. Sophie Blackall turned a dilapidated 19th century dairy farm into a retreat for the children’s book community, called Milkwood.
2. She collects vintage tiny furniture.
3. She still calls Australia home.

Bean, Cara

Bean, Cara

Cara Bean is an obsessive doodler, author, and art educator. Here I Am, I Am Me: An Illustrated Guide to Mental Health is her first book for adolescents. She is also the author of Draw 500 Faces and Features, and her work has been featured in Pen America Illustrated, The Women’s Review of Books, and Teaching Arts Magazine. Cara enjoys watching the beginning of complex ideas emerge from the simple act of doodling on paper. She provides interactive workshops on creativity with people of all ages and backgrounds in various public forums. Cara lives on the Southcoast of Massachusetts with her partner Matt and their dog Raisin. https://www.carabeancomics.com/

Awards

2018 Liminka Comics Center Resident, Oulu, Finland
2019 Cornish Center for Cartoon Studies Fellow, Cornish, New Hampshire, USA

3 Fun Facts

1. I love drawing squirrels.
2. It annoys me when erasers on pencils leave a mark on the paper instead of erasing.
3. I am always searching for the perfect green hoodie.

Lukoff, Kyle

Kyle Lukoff is the author of many books for young readers. His debut middle-grade novel, Too Bright To See, received a Newbery honor, the Stonewall award, and was a National Book Award finalist. His picture book When Aidan Became A Brother also won the Stonewall, and his book Call Me Max has been banned in schools across the country. He has forthcoming books about history, unicycles, breakups, and lots of other topics. While becoming a writer he worked as a bookseller for ten years, and then nine more years as a school librarian. kylelukoff.com

Awards

National Book Award finalist, Newbery honor, two Stonewall awards.

3 Fun Facts

1. I love climbing trees.
2. My kitchen is filled with foraged and/or fermented food experiments.
3. My bike is named Sheila and my car is named Carol.

Love, Jessica

Love, Jessica

Jessica Love is the award winning author & illustrator of Julián Is a Mermaid, Julián at the Wedding and A Bed of Stars. She studied Visual Art at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and then Drama at The Juilliard School. She lived New York City for 15 years making plays, and now she lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and son, and makes books.

Awards

Stonewall Book Award, Bologna Opera Prima Award, Klauss Flugge Prize, Ezra Jack Keats Honor

3 Fun Facts

1. I worked as a professional actor for 15 years, and my first time in the Hudson Valley was to play Rosalind at the the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and I fell in love with it here.
2. I love swimming more than almost anything else in the world.
3. My favorite flavor is sour.