I grew up drawing, dreaming, reading, running around, and climbing trees near Detroit, Michigan. Many years later, I now do exactly the same thing in Columbia, Missouri.
Here I am in the giant white oak tree that grows next to my studio. I look up through the skylights at its branches, and it was the tree of inspiration for my book, Bea Garcia: The Tree and Me.
I love putting words and pictures together to tell stories and have written and/or illustrated more than fifty books for younger readers. These include picture books, chapter books, drawing books, early readers, and humor books.
Publishers that I've worked with include Penguin/Dial Books, Creston Books, Blue Apple Books, Ranger Rick magazine, Dutton Children's Books, Grosset & Dunlap, Handprint Books, Houghton Mifflin, Andrews McMeel, Scholastic/Children's Press, Sterling Publishing, and Workman Publishing.
Some of my pictures are made with gouache paint on paper, and some are made with digital pixels. All are made with enthusiasm.
I love to talk with kids and older humans about writing, drawing and making books. For more information, click here.
If it 's hard to stay in your seat, hop over to see one frog's story in this Critter Crackup for Ranger Rick magazine.
Click here to listen to a radio interview with David Lile on KFRU.
For all inquiries, including school visits and usage rights, please email me at: [email protected].
¡Gracias!
All artwork on this website © 2021 Deborah Zemke