Illustrators
Illustrators
Samantha Cotterill
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Bright colors, light and shadows, 3-D design, fun and whimsical
About the Illustrator
"Samantha Cotterill is an award winning picture book author and illustrator of many books for children. Samantha has been featured in The New York Times (as illustrator for Just Add Glitter, written by Angela Diterlizzi and A Grand Day, written by Jean Reidy) and The Wall Street Journal for her art in The Jinx and The Doom Fight Crime! (written by Lisa Mantchev). She has recently launched a book series for kids on the Autism spectrum and/or with sensory issues entitled Little Senses, with This Beach Is Loud! chosen for Dolly Parton's 2020, 2021 and 2022 book list for The Imagination Library. Over 1,000,000 copies have been distributed nationwide through this program. Samantha contributes regularly as a resident host for the 3 Point Perspective Podcast, and as instructor at the School of Visual Storytelling. Samantha is represented by Kirsten Hall of Catbird, and works out of her studio in Upstate New York" (Taken from Samantha Cotterill's About page).
Illustration Examples
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| This Beach Is Loud, written and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill |
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| Look, written by Gabi Snyder and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill |
Videos
Rose Robbins
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Thick lines, yellow and blue hues, anthropomorphized animals, brush pens, pencils, Ipad
About the Illustrator
"Rose Robbins is a UK based author and illustrator. Her internationally published picture books are highly character-led and explore subjects around disability and neurodiversity. As an autistic person herself with other autistic family members, she is passionate about inclusion in children’s literature. She graduated with a first class honors degree in Illustration at the University of the West of England in Bristol in 2012, and received the DandAD “Best New Blood” Award at the DandAD Graduate Fair in the same year. Since then she has completed the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art, and was Highly Commended in the Carmelite Prize 2017. Her book “Me and My Sister” was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s book prize in 2019, and her book “Talking is Not My Thing” was selected for the 2021 IBBY collection of outstanding books for young people with disabilities. Rose currently lives with her partner in a flat in London, where they support a delightful cat" (Taken from Rose Robbins's Contact/Info page).
Illustration Examples
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| Talking is Not My Thing! Published by Scallywag Press 2019 |
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| Whisper to the Rescue, Published by Scallywag Press 2024 Videos |
Steve Asbell
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Solvent/pigment based markers, colored pencils, graphite, Photoshop, clashing and bright colors
About the Illustrator
"Steve Asbell was diagnosed with autism and draws a comic strip called “Stimmy Kitty” that shares childhood experiences through an autistic lens. Asbell is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He lives in Florida, where he can be found drawing and gardening with his family. Featured at the 2024 National Book Festival, Asbell’s debut picture book, “Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming,” shows how four children navigate from sensory overload to self-regulation" (Taken from the Library of Congress's About Steve Asbell page).
Illustration Examples
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| Stimmy Kitty Comics |
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| Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming |
Videos
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Abigail Balfe
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Bright, happy colors, pattern design, limited color pencil drawings, digital and traditional media, humorous, emotional
About the Illustrator
"I am a queer neurodivergent (auDHD) Brighton-based author/illustrator represented by Emily Talbot at United Agents, and an Emmy award-winning creative producer. My debut middle-grade illustrated children's book A Different Sort of Normal, my real life story about growing up autistic and undiagnosed, was Puffin/Penguin Random House's lead non-fiction debut of 2021, was shortlisted for Children’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards and longlisted for Best Book with Facts at the Blue Peter Books Awards 2021. I am a graduate of Cambridge School of Art's MA Children's Book Illustration and A Different Sort of Normal was originally the final project of my Masters degree. I often speak on podcasts, TV, radio and at live events about autism, neurodiversity and disability inclusion within publishing and entertainment, and I will be taking booking for these as well as school events from summer 2024 - so if you'd like to discuss a project/make a booking please get in touch :)" (Taken from Abigail Balfe's About Me page).
Illustration Examples
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| A Different Kind of Normal |
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Rebecca Burgess
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Long and short comics, expressive facial expressions, emotive, very animated/lively
About the Illustrator
"I am a freelance illustrator currently living in Bristol. My favorite things are nature, history, comics, psychology, and cuddling my girlfriend! I am most well known for my various long and short comics that explore and explain autism. My comics are also known for showing big feelings and loveable characters that people can connect to on a personal level (or so all the reviews say!). My previous clients include The Guardian, Harpercollins, Hatchette, and the NHS. I have both written and illustrated several award winning YA and children’s books/comics with Harpercollins, Jessica Kingsley and BQB" (Taken from Rebecca Burgess's Contact page).
Illustration Examples
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| Being Autistic (2024, Jessica Kingsley Publishing, written by Niamh Garvey) |
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| Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes (2024, BQB, written by Lindsey Rowe Parker) |
Videos
Florida Frenz
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Stark, bold, emotive, candid, pencil, markers
About the Illustrator
"Due to a glitch in the time-space continuum, Florida Frenz wound up on the wrong planet. On the planet she should have been on, everyone is autistic. When no work needs to get done, everyone spends their time flapping, doodling, and spinning. However, Earth has become a home to Florida, and she has discovered many Earthlings can be fun and nice. Florida especially loves Earthling kids, whose brains are very receptive to new ideas, and her friends, who like her, may be from other planets, but are adapting fabulously to their lives on Earth. She would also like to thank all of those who help her to remain incognito and support her right to act different when she chooses to" (Taken from Women Writers, Women['s] Books Author Bio page).
Illustration Examples
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| How to be Human: Diary of an Autistic Girl |
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| How to be Human: Diary of an Autistic Girl |
Video
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Ivelisse Housman
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Fairy tale enchanting, magical, strong females
About the Illustrator
"At all seven schools she attended throughout her childhood, she was infamously “that kid who gets in trouble for reading during class, but stubbornly refuses to stop.” Raised in a Puerto Rican-American home, she’s always been fascinated by stories about standing between two worlds. She was diagnosed with autism when she was 15, which made everything before and after that make a lot more sense. After switching majors way too many times, she remembered that writing was actually a career that people can have, and wrote her first novel while finishing her degree in graphic design. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her high school sweetheart/archnemesis and their two beloved rescue dogs" (Taken from Ivelisse Housman's About page).
Illustration Examples
Videos
Instagram Reel
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Jose-Sebastian Franco
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Vibrant illustrations, bright, cheerful
About the Illustrator
"Hello, my name is Jose Sebastian Franco, but you can call me Buddy!
I was born in Arizona, grew up in California, but now live in West Wichita. My mother and I moved here in 2011. A few of my favorite things about Wichita are the nice people, the weather (especially thunderstorms), and the low cost of living. Some of my hobbies are listening to music, cruising in my mom's convertible, and going to Lake Afton. I am very passionate about drawing and creating art. I also make my own animations, with sound effects that I create on my own. I can do lots of TV and movie character voices that you might recognize. Recently, I did the illustrations for a book called 'The Life and Adventures of Merle the Tortoise'. I am also in the beginning stages of doing more illustrations for a new children's book as well. Something some people don't know about me, is I am high-functioning autistic and legally blind. But I don't let that stop me from being adventurous and sociable! In the future, I hope to be able to illustrate more books, and hopefully find work as a voice actor. Thanks for reading!" (Taken from Wichita Wow Season 1 Episode 3 About Sebastian Franco page).
Illustration Examples
Videos
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Alexandra Adlawan
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Cartoon network inspired illustrations, colorful, simple lines
About the Author
"Hi, I’m Alexandra Adlawan, an autistic author, illustrator, and animator with a passion for storytelling and creativity. Ever since I was young, I’ve loved creating stories and drawing characters. These early creations, saved lovingly by my parents, became my escape and inspiration during challenging times. It all started when I was just 15 years old. That was the year I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a moment that became a turning point in my life. While I had always loved creating stories and drawing characters, this diagnosis helped me understand myself better and embrace the unique way I see the world. It set me on a path of discovery and creativity that has shaped everything I do today as an author, illustrator, and animator" (Taken from Alexandra Adlawan's About page).
Illustration Examples
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| The Adventures of Maddie and Albert |
Videos
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Lindsey Moreland
Website
Art Style and Techniques
Graphite, pencil, pen, digital art, colored pencils, colorful
About the Illustrator
"My mission is to share my story through our book, speaking engagements, and autism/mental health events. By sharing our family story of living with autism and mental health concerns, I hope to inspire others to survive, live, and thrive in today's society. I am also on a mission to spread awareness about bullying and to accept differences" (Taken from Autism LM's About page).
Illustration Examples
Videos
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