Question: How did I start illustrating children's books?

It all started with Ryan.

I had been freelance illustrating for years: various gardening magazines, surgical tools for Johnson & Johnson Professional, educational textbooks. At the time, I was working on 17 illustrations for Androcles and the Lion, SRA/McGraw Hill, 2002. Ryan was a senior at Boston College High School. A scholar of Ancient Greek and Latin, he was the past president of the Massachusetts Junior Classical League; The captain of his Certaman team (think of Jeopardy! with only Latin and Roman questions); and he had earned the Ancient Greek Scholarship at Boston University for the upcoming fall session. He was the perfect Androcles!!

I picked him up at the train station after school one day. He hopped into the car excitedly. "I got you a great job today, Mom" he exclaimed!

Cynically I asked him about it (a job at BC High? In the cafeteria? Mowing the lawn?).

He told me that children's book author Jerry Pallotta had come to school at lunchtime to discuss his occupation. Jerry had attended BC High and so had his two sons. Ryan knew both of the boys, Neil and Eric, and said that they were great kids. Jerry spoke about his career as a children's author and his second career as a traveling lecturer; visiting school children across the country, encouraging children of all ages to Read A Zillion Books! Jerry also mentioned that he was writing a book about lions and that he was looking for an illustrator.

Unbeknownst to me, Ryan had taken some of my full color brochures and was using them as bookmarks in his textbooks. He was very proud of me and my illustrating!

After Jerry finished speaking, Ryan went up to him with a brochure. He handed it to Jerry and told him, "You should hire my mother!"

Jerry looked it over and was impressed. He asked Ryan if I was busy. Ryan told him, "Not after she finishes illustrating Androcles and the Lion!"

Jerry told Ryan that I'd be hearing from him. Within two weeks I did. The first book I was assigned was Icky Bug Shapes, Scholastic, 2003.

Comments

[Ryan]

Actually, I also told Jerry that your style seemed akin to the style used in his other books. Anyways, good luck on the shark book.