hi! i’m melissa.
who i am
a reader. I learned how to read at 2 years old and just kept reading, and reading, and reading...
a lover of kid lit. On average, I read over 600 picture books a year. Yes, I counted.
a daydreamer. This might have gotten me into trouble from time to time at school.
chocolate lover. Olive hater.
an excellent walker. The poodles (seen here) trained us to take 2 or 3 walks a day.
an incurable optimist. The glass is always half full and the clouds always have silver linings!
what i do
illustrator
62 children’s books illustrated and counting
2019 Moonbeam Award silver medalist for Best Illustrator, Steve the Dung Beetle
Highly Commended in The Illustration Station and CYA Conference Award 2021 - Published Category
author
Pug Is Happy (Pygmy Giraffe Publishing, 2018)
Imara’s Tiara (Pygmy Giraffe Publishing, 2020)
SCBWI-Michigan Nonfiction Picture Book Text Mentorship runner up (2020)
member of SCBWI since 2013
designer
book design and formatting for print
expert in Adobe Creative Suite & ProCreate
providing hands-on assistance at all stages of a book project
creative problem solver and effective communicator