Archives: Contributors

Hector Dexet is a Paris-based author and illustrator known for his bold, bright graphic style that captivates toddlers and young readers.

Sara Stefanini was born in Sorengo, Switzerland in 1982. She graduated in illustration and multimedia animation at the IED in Milan in 2006. She currently works as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator for both Italian and foreign magazines and publishing houses. In 2016, she was selected for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition.

Yue Zhang is a young and emerging author and illustrator. Yue hails from the coastal city of Shantou in China’s Guangdong Province. With an early passion for drawing, he is now expert at crafting enchanting illustrations that seamlessly blend cultural influences with magical fantasies, brimming with intricate and mesmerising details.

Fátima Ordinola is a graphic designer and illustrator born in Peru and currently residing in Cambridge, UK. In 2023, she graduated from the Cambridge School of Art with a distinction in the MA Children’s Book Illustration programme. She enjoys working with traditional materials such as chalk, pencils, ink, and digital collage. Her work has been recognised by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, The Batsford Prize, The Hamburger Bilderbuchpreis, and The Unpublished PictureBook Showcase. Her first picture book as an author, titled Our Love will be published by Post Wave in 2025. Between her passionate work in illustration and her new lifestyle in Cambridge, she finds time to explore various activities like reading, sketching, and cycling around town.

Sarah Finan is a British designer and illustrator, living in Italy. Her first book, Erik the Lone Wolf, published in 2018, and was longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize in 2019. She also won second place in the Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2015 for Yankee Doodle Stanley. In 2024, Sarah was longlisted for World Illustration Awards for her book, What We Wear When We Take Care.

Joanna Rzezak is a versatile artist and illustrator based in Paris, originally from Warsaw. A multidisciplinary creator, she works across painting, illustration, design and children’s book projects. She has published six children’s books and illustrated several others. Her works have been translated into several languages and are enjoyed by young readers around the world.

Kasia Antczak is an animal psychologist and dog trainer. Her dream is to live in the country. She loves animals, the smell of the forest and the sound of the sea. She is mother to Filip and caregiver of two rescue dogs, Coco and Luna.

Tonka Uzu was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, and has lived in Italy before relocating to Cambridge, UK. She holds a BA Hons in History and Theory of Art from the University of Bologna and a Master’s degree in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art at Anglia Ruskin University. Alongside her career as an illustrator, Tonka works as an artist facilitator. She has a passion for drawing children and animals, bringing her unique blend of cultural experiences and academic background to her enchanting illustrations.

Iris Samartzi was born in Athens, Greece. She studied Graphic Design and Interior Design & Architecture in Vakalo School, and graduated with a scholarship. She has attended seminars on child painting and drama in painting. She collaborated with Vakalo School as an assistant professor in Scenography courses, Product Design and Architecture Interiors. She has been working as a children’s book illustrator since 2004, and has been awarded by the Greek IBBY, the EBGE Design Awards, and the Greek National Book Prize. In 2016 she won the Compostela Prize for picture books for the book El último día (author: A. Papatheodoulou). She has been nominated twice for the H.C. Andersen Award (2020, 2022) and is also a nominee for the 2021 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She teaches art to preschool children.