Meet the illustrators for Plant A Seed, Read

  • Hatem Aly

    Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator based in New Brunswick, Canada. His work has been published by all major publishers, and his books have earned multiple starred reviews and positions on The New York Times Bestseller list, including The Proudest Blue, Newbery Honor winner The Inquisitor’s Tale, In My Mosque, Salat in Secret, the Yasmin series, The Book That Almost Rhymed, and many other books for children. His illustrations frequently depict underrepresented characters and regions in a positive, uplifting light. He lives with his wife, son, and more pets than people.

    Find him online as @metahatem and at www.metahatem.com.

  • Sarah Ferone

    Sarah Ferone is a Philadelphia-based illustrator with a love for cooking and the natural world. Her artwork often depicts scenes from the kitchen, garden, or the great outdoors, capturing the beauty of everyday life. By blending
    handdrawn inky textures with digital techniques, she adds a unique and personal touch to each project. Sarah has collaborated with notable clients such as HarperCollins, Chronicle Books, Ten Speed Press, and Papyrus, among others. Outside the studio, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband and son, roller skating, and learning how to quilt. But above all, nothing beats sharing a good book with her son.

    Find her online at https://www.sarahferone.com/

  • Jory John and Pete Oswald

    Jory John and Pete Oswald are the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, The Cool Bean, The Couch Potato, The Smart Cookie, The Sour Grape, The Big Cheese, and other books in their internationally acclaimed series. Jory and Pete also collaborated on the picture book That’s What Dinosaurs Do and The New York Times bestselling The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape! and The Bad Seed Presents: The Good, The Bad, and the Spooky! Jory writes at home in the Pacific Northwest and Pete illustrates in his California studio.

    Visit them at www.joryjohn.com and www.peteoswald.com.

  • Wendy Xu

    Wendy Xu is a bestselling, award-nominated Brooklyn-based illustrator and comics artist. She is the creator of Infinity Particle (2023, HarperCollins/Quilltree), Tidesong (2021 HarperCollins/Quilltree), and co-creator of Mooncakes, a young adult fantasy graphic novel published in 2019 from Oni Press. Her work has been featured in various places on the Internet including Catapult, Barnes & Noble Sci-fi/Fantasy, and Tor.com. She loves obsessing over the perfect line, making matcha lattes, and art history.

    You can find more art on her Instagram: @artofwendyxu; or bluesky: @wendyxu