Meet Elisa Kleven:

"I've always loved to make little imaginary worlds. Growing up, my house was filled with art supplies, and I spent hours creating paper and clay characters, making up stories about them, and building them a dollhouse in my bedroom closet. Eventually I stopped playing with miniatures, but I've never stopped loving to create little imaginary worlds. After receiving a B.A. in literature and a teaching credential from UC Berkeley, and reading lots of picture books to my young students, I had a strong desire to make my own books. Most of my illustrations are done in mixed-media collage. As I did in childhood, I turn old scraps into new shapes: yarn becomes snow monkey fur, a piece of lace becomes a curtain, doilies, snipped to bits, become falling snow.

In addition to illustrating and writing picture books, I teach art to children, and frequently give workshops and presentations at schools, libraries and bookstores."

Take a look at the recent exhibit titled “Now & Then” at the Eric Carle Museum! Elisa was one of the illustrators invited to share a piece of childhood art alongside a current work - the spring time scene in “Hiro’s Hats.”

To learn more, visit Elisa Kleven’s website.