I Like to Read Books

Pat Schories is the author-illustrator of many early readers for children. Her most recent books include Squeak the Mouse Likes His House, Pie for Chuck, and Pants for Chuck, all “”I Like to Read”” books published by Holiday House. She has also created several wordless books about a dog named JACK. Pat is also the illustrator of the highly acclaimed BISCUIT series of “”I Can Read”” books written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and published by HarperCollins Her early readers include simple text with lots of repetition. She makes sure her illustrations mirror the text, which is vital for children learning to read. Pictures become reading cues. Her books are endlessly useful for encouraging careful observation, language development, sequencing, plot development, and ultimately, a love of books and reading. Many of her books have won awards, including Junior Library Guild Selection, Bank Street College of Education’s “”Best Children’s Books of the Year,”” CCBC Choices, select state awards, and starred reviews.

Joe Cepeda received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach, and also studied Engineering at Cornell University. He is a fine artist, as well as an illustrator of more than thirty-five book jackets and picture books, which have received many honors including Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, Parenting Magazine’s Reading Magic Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, Texas Library Association 2x2 Reading List, ALA Notable Books, and Child Magazine’s Best Book of the Year. Joe illustrated Hey, Hey, Hay! by Christy Mihaly, ¡Vamonos! Let’s Go! by Rene Colato Lainez, and Swing Sisters by Karen Deans. He both wrote and illustrated two I Like to Read books–Up and I Dig. Joe received an American Library Association Pura Belprè Honor and the Recognition of Merit Award from the George G. Stone Center for Children’s Books. He lives in Southern California.

Paul Meisel, who holds a master’s degree in graphic design from Yale University, has illustrated many books for children, some of which he also wrote. Two of his I Like to Read(R) books, See Me Run and I See a Cat, are Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor books. His Nature Diary series began with My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis, a finalist for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books and a Virginia Reader’s Choice. The Schmutzy Family, written by Marilyn Rosenberg and illustrated by Paul Meisel, was a National Jewish Book Award Finalist. Paul lives in Connecticut.

Susan Batori lives in Budapest, Hungary, with her soul mate, Robert, and with her cat, Kamilla. She studied graphic design at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest. She worked as an art director at an advertising agency; then she noticed that drawing hilarious characters was much more fun. Since 2013, Susan has been working as a freelance children’s book illustrator. Humor is the one thing in her studio that she could not live without.

Marilyn Janovitz is the author and illustrator of I Will Try, an I Like to Read(R) book. She lives in New York City and works in a studio that looks out on the Empire State Building.