2024 • Felipe Ortiz

Felipe Ortiz is a Mexican American illustrator based in Dallas, Texas. Their submission, My Little Village, was inspired by their childhood memories visiting family in Mexico, as well as the years when they were unable to due to economic hardship. As they grew up, Felipe realized this is a common experience among children of immigrants, so they wanted to create an immersive story that children experiencing the same thing could relate to while celebrating the beauty of the region where their parents were born.

Felipe is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, where they studied illustration. Their comics work has been exhibited in New York City and Prague, and they are continuing their studies to become a background painter in the animation industry.

2023 • Shuyan Chen

Shuyan Chen is an illustrator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her submission, The Brilliant Journey of Jeanne Baret, was inspired by the real story of an 18th century female botanist who led an unconventional, adventurous life against all odds. Her story celebrates the love for nature and the beckoning of the wider world.

Shuyan graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design where she studied Illustration. She is currently continuing her studies in the field of bookbinding and conservation.

2022 • Lázaro Miguel García

Lázaro Miguel García is a Cuban-born illustrator currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. Their submission, Hello Pierre, was inspired by their childhood growing up in Miami, Florida; specifically, the multicultural community of their childhood apartment complex. Lázaro’s story channels the creativity and playfulness of children while also celebrating the diverse community of not only the city, but of the community that helped raise them.

Lázaro graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration in the summer of 2022, and is currently freelancing while also working in the field of arts education.

2021 • Cathy Wu

Cathy Wu is a Chinese American illustrator based in Seattle, WA. Her submission, Popo and Mei Mei, was inspired by her own relationship with her grandma who helped raise her while both of her parents worked. Growing up, a lot of time was spent doing everyday things with Popo, like walking to and from school, going to the beach, and - of course - eating together. Her story celebrates the loving and joyful friendship they shared despite the gaps in culture, language, and generation.

Cathy graduated from the University of Washington where she studied Visual Communication Design. She now works as a freelance illustrated and runs her own businsess, itscathywu, creating illustrated greeting cards and paper goods.

2019 • Morgan Leung

Third annual winner Morgan Leung is Chinese-American, born and raised in the small town of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Growing up, he struggled trying to learn Chinese, especially remembering and recognizing the countless different characters. So he set out with Animals of the Chinese Zodiac—his winning entry—to create his own book of characters in order to provide a fun and easy way for other kids to learn Chinese characters.

Leung is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art with a degree in graphic design and an emphasis in illustration. He currently works as a UI/UX designer at a medical software company in Cleveland, Ohio.

2018 • Chiao-Chih Su

Chiao-Chih Su is a Taiwan-based illustrator and a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design. She won the 2018 Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award for Whose Princess, a magical picture book about a girl who goes from being her father’s little princess to being much more.

2017 • Jin Xiaojing

Jin Xiaojing is an illustrator based in New York City. She is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, and the author of Here You Are and The Gift Falls Off, both published in China, as well as the winner of the Xinyi Picture Book Good Book award. She was the first winner of the Little, Brown Emerging Artist Award for I Miss My Grandpa, her debut picture book in the United States. Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, I Miss My Grandpa was a 2019 New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book.