An award-winning, nonprofit organization that celebrates the powerful impact books have on young people
These beloved children’s book artists have contributed entertaining lessons in how to draw some of their favorite characters to help us celebrate Children’s Book Week 2021.
Each individual drawing instruction is available to follow by viewing online or to print and distribute to children, teens, and book lovers everywhere. If you love them all, download the full Drawing Characters Book.
Christine Battuz
Irene Chan
Brian Lies
Guy Porfirio
Jessica Roux
Casey Uhelski
Chad Thomas
Michael Wertz
Brenna Thummler
Peter WillisClick on each image to view or to download.
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Have you downloaded the latest #BookWeekSuperpower Drawing Characters Book? Featuring art by the talented [insert relevant @handle here. See below]! Get it here https://bit.ly/3ccvH5C
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Christine Battuz (Magination Press)
Christine Battuz has illustrated more than 60 children’s books, including Marvelous Maravilloso, My Sister Beth’s Pink Birthday, and Shy Spaghetti and Excited Eggs. Her work appears in educational books, magazines, toys, and toy packaging. She teaches art to adults and children of all ages. She lives in Bromont, Quebec.
| Visit her website. | Twitter.| Instagram.
Cozbi A. Cabrera (Simon & Schuster)
Cozbi A. Cabrera is the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor-winning author of ME & MAMA. She is also the illustrator of several books, including Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, for which she also received Coretta Scott King Illustrator and Sibert Informational Honors. Her cloth dolls (Muñecas) have garnered the attention of collectors around the world and have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
| Visit the website. | Twitter. | Instagram.
María José Campos (City of Light Publishing)
María José Campos, Peruvian illustrator and animation filmmaker, studied Audiovisual Communication in Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and Classical Animation in Vancouver Film School. She has illustrated nearly a dozen children’s books; her film Little Goddess has been screened at more than 25 festivals worldwide and her animated projects Camaquen and Chicho and Darz have won national awards. Campos currently lives in Denmark while earning an Erasmus Mundus master’s degree in Children’s Literature, Media and Culture.
| Visit the website. | Facebook.| Instagram.
Irene Chan (Charlesbridge)
Irene Chan is the illustrator of the beloved and best-selling Baby Loves Science series. She is also a designer, art director, and artist, with some of her work now licensed as children’s wall art, greeting cards, stationery, and various home décor products. She lives with her family in Atlanta, GA.
| Visit Irene online. | Facebook. | Instagram.
Jay Winter Collins (Mango Publishing)
Jay Winter Collins’ art can be described as Urban Folk Art, Illustrative Art, Naive Art, Decorative Art, Narrative Art, Subliminal Art, Imaginative Art, or Subconscious Art. Jay is a painter and illustrator working from Gainesville, Florida. She participates in art shows across the Southeast. Her work can be seen at the Lanza Gallery in High Springs, the GFAA Gallery in Gainesville, and in other locations around Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina.
| Visit the website. | Facebook.| Twitter. | Instagram.
Sophie Diao (Page Street Publishing)
Sophie Diao loves illustrating natural wonders and breathtaking landscapes. As a Google Doodler and freelance artist, she has created art highlighting Earth Day, the first day of the seasons, the northern lights, and the national parks. She lives in San Francisco with a scruffy dog and many plants. You can find Sophie on Instagram @snowpeasnow and at sophiediao.com.
| Visit the website. | Twitter.| Instagram.
Brianne Farley (Candlewick Press)
Brianne Farley is the author-illustrator of Secret Tree Fort and Ike’s Incredible Ink. Her most recent picture book is No Buddy Like a Book illustrated by Allan Wolf. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s, the New York Times, and elsewhere. Brianne Farley lives and works in Traverse City, Michigan.
| Visit the website. | Twitter.| Instagram.
Hello!Lucky (Abrams)
Hello!Lucky is all about using creativity to spread joy, fun, and kindness. Founded by sisters Eunice and Sabrina Moyle in 2003, Hello!Lucky is an award-winning letterpress greeting card and design studio working with dozens of partners to create products, including Abrams’ pun-derful children’s books: My Mom Is Magical!, My Dad Is Amazing!, Super Pooper and Whizz Kid: Potty Power!, Kindness Rules!, Christmas Is Awesome!, Go Get ’Em, Tiger!, and Thanks a Ton! They also offer bedding, ceramics, socks, stationery, custom photo albums, and more. Hello!Lucky is based in San Francisco, California.
| Visit the website. | Facebook. | Twitter.| Instagram.
Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR)
Brian Lies is the Caldecott honor-winning author-illustrator of New York Times bestsellers Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and Bats in the Band. His latest title is Little Bat in Night School. He has written and illustrated more than twenty books for children. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Brian lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with his family.
| Visit the website. | Twitter. | Instagram.
Nancy Meyers (Peachtree Publishing)
Nancy Meyers is the illustrator of the Geisel Honor Award-winning King & Kayla series and the proud owner of Sullivan, golden-doodle extraordinaire! She lives in Minnesota. Visit her at nancydrewit.com.
| Visit the website. | Facebook. | Twitter. | Instagram.
Helena Perez Garcia (Bushel & Peck Books)
Helena Perez Garcia is a Spanish illustrator whose work has appeared across magazines, newspapers, packaging, and books for children and adults internationally. Her illustrations are conceptual, whimsical, and rich in detail and color. Helena’s primary medium is gouache and her main sources of inspiration are art, literature, and cinema. After completing a Fine Arts Degree in Spain, Helena relocated to London in 2012, where she lived and worked for 6 years. During this period, and driven by the artistic history and cultural influences of the city and the country, Helena developed her characteristic style. She relocated to Madrid in 2018, where she is currently based.
| Visit the website. | Behance. | Instagram.
Guy Porfirio (Flyaway Books)
Guy Porfirio has illustrated more than eighteen picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Grandpa’s Little One by Billy Crystal, Papa’s Gift and The Worst Christmas Ever by Kathleen Long Bostrom, and Jump!, which he wrote and illustrated. For more information, visit www.guyporfirio.com.
| Visit the website. | Facebook. | Twitter. | Instagram.
Jessica Roux (The Quarto Group)
Jessica Roux is a Nashville-based illustrator and plant and animal enthusiast. She loves exploring in her own backyard and being surrounded by an abundance of nature. Using subdued colors and rhythmic shapes, she renders flora, fauna, food, and many other things with intricate detail reminiscent of old-world beauty.
| Visit the website. | Facebook. | Twitter. | Instagram.
Chad Thomas (Andrews McMeel)
Chad Thomas is the illustrator and cartoonist for the Epic Originals series Cat Ninja. He’s worked with a number of publishers in the comic industry on books such as TMNT, Star Wars Adventures, and Mega Man, and also illustrates activity and educational books for a number of different children’s publishers.
| Visit the website. | Facebook. | Twitter. | Instagram.
Brenna Thummler (Oni Lion Forge Publishing Group)
Brenna Thummler has always known her life is haunted. Much like Marjorie Glatt, she grew up in a small Pennsylvania town, where piano practice and ghost stories were part of her daily routine. It wasn’t until she attended Ringling College of Art and Design, however, that she realized her passion for storytelling (as well as her hatred of laundry). Now back in her hometown, she spends her days drawing, writing, and being suspicious of her sheets.
| Visit the website. | Facebook. | Behance. | Twitter. | Instagram.
Casey Uhelski (Calithumpian Press)
Casey Uhelski is an illustrator, graphic designer, and undeniable cat lady who loves making all things colorful, cute, and soft. She’s the illustrator of the award-winning KeeKee’s Big Adventurespicture book series. When not working on books or designing t-shirts, she can be found at home with her cat Vincent, going on runs and nature walks, finding new coffee to try, and staying up way too late.
| Visit the website. | Twitter.
Michael Wertz (West Margin Press)
Michael Wertz is a noted illustrator, printmaker, and educator. His work has been recognized and awarded by Communication Arts, American Illustration, 3×3, and The Society of Illustrators. He is the Assistant Chair of Illustration at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where he teaches portfolio, screenprinting, and digital tools classes. He has collaborated with clients like the DeYoung Museum, BART, Scholastic, Peaches Christ, Nike, Oaklandish, the Oakland Museum, and The New York Times to create vivid imagery that tells a story and delights the eyeballs.
| Visit the website. | Instagram.
Peter Willis (Mims House)
Peter Willis brings characters to life through a digital collage technique. His nonfiction illustrations for the Moments in Science series (Mims House) are quirky and humorous, but always faithful to the facts. His books have received starred Kirkus reviews, JLG selections, two NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, an NCTE Notable Children’s Book in Language Arts, an NCSS Notable Social Studies Book, and a Eureka! NonFiction Book Award Honor. He lives in northeast England with his wife and daughter.
| Visit the website. | Behance. | Twitter. | Instagram.
Everything you need to know about our upcoming celebration!
Downloadable bookmarks, activities, and more for 2024 Book Week events coming soon.
What is Children’s Book Week and how can you join in the celebrations?
Explore the amazing themes, materials, and events of the past.
Poster 
Illustrated Resources 
Promotional Materials 
Participation Ideas 
Club No Rules 
Multilingual Drawing Sheets