Amanda (Moeckel) Calatzis holds an MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts. She is the illustrator of forthcoming picture books Mom Bod (Candlewick, 2025) and Just One Girl (Sleeping Bear, 2024). She illustrated board book Are You My Cutie Patootie? (Schiffer Kids, 2024), and picture book Mister Rogers' Gift of Music (Page Street Kids, 2022). She is also the author-illustrator of Khalida and the Most Beautiful Song (Page Street Kids, 2018). 

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Her first word was “light,” and her art shows her enduring obsession with it. Her stories for children are uplifting and soulful, with touches of magic. Her work has been featured on The Children’s Book Podcast, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, and other popular kidlit blogs.

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Amanda grew up near an old theme park in Massachusetts, then spent a couple decades as a city-dweller in DC, San Francisco and NYC. Now she calls NY's Hudson Valley home, along with her husband and two children.

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She is represented by Charlotte Boudreau of Prospect Agency.

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For her pet portraits, see MyAnimalArt.com.

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