Specializing in silly stories and funny drawings for kids (and immature adults), author/illustrator AJ Smith is passionate about crafting books that will fuel a lifelong love of reading. He endeavors to create work that is never saccharine or didactic–but sometimes subversive and always silly–with a touch of heart. His illustration style blends cut paper, marker, colored pencil, acrylic, colored pencil, and a bit of digital know-how with coffee stains (sometimes on purpose) and grape jelly (mostly not on purpose). For AJ, writing and illustrating are very reciprocal processes that both offer exciting opportunities to tell stories in different ways.
AJ loves to bring fresh ideas to the table and collaborate with creative clients, who have included Cartoon Network, Highlights, Kids Can Press, Nat Geo Kids, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, and Sourcebooks. When not creating kidlit books and other artwork for the children’s market, AJ loves illustrating on projects that tap into his love of animals, the outdoors, travel, and tasty eats. Over the past 20 years, he’s scribbled up illustrated projects ranging from icons, character art, hand lettering, and branding to clothing, greeting cards, murals, packaging, murals, maps, and stickers.
AJ lives with his family and a few furry friends a bit north of Boston, where he also works as a high school art educator. He is a longtime member and workshop instructor for the Society Of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.
AJ is proudly represented by Carter Hasegawa (carter@tugeau2.com).
