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Brooke Baum

@brookebaum.bsky.social

1.2K followers 1.9K following 880 posts

🌟 2025 #PBRisingStars Mentee 🎨 #kidlit author-illustrator 📚 Former children's bookseller and school librarian 😴 Current tired mom 🤓 Self-taught and still self-teaching brookebaum.com

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Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 6d

LATE BIRD is sick of Early Bird getting all the worms--and all the glory. But don't worry, Late Bird has a plan. Forget the alarm clock, this calls for a catapult. Look out world, here comes Late Bird!

THE BAD SEED x THE VERY IMPATIENT CATERPILLAR

#DVPit #ND #PB

Images of LATE BIRD looking for worms and getting increasingly agitated as he doesn't find any. Another image of LATE BIRD sweaty and out of breath saying "I made it!"

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 6h

Oh, oops. Missed the last 2-3 years bit.

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 6h

Marjane Satrapi (best known for Persepolis) has a couple shorter graphic memoirs. Embroideries is 144 pages and Chicken with Plums is 96 pages.

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 7h

Yes there was. And it bums me out because writers should know better! #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Look, I lived in Ohio for a bit when I went to OSU, so I'm very pro-Ohio! #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Maybe, but husband is a teacher and I'm noticing that the education realm isn't as anti-AI as we are. There is definitely a "learn to embrace it" attitude among a lot of educators...and even librarians. ☠️ Maybe not most, but definitely a good sized minority. #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

But a summer dress with leggings and a cardigan is 🔥 #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

On drive across country to move to Wisconsin, we drove through Utah in October. It was so beautiful! #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Okay, if you think Wisconsin has a better fall, comment with 🧀. If you think Ohio has a better fall, comment with 🌽 #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

AI cannot have the fall color scheme. It can't have em-dashes or the ✨ emoji. I refuse to live in that world! I will use them freely and without reservation. 😎 #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Everyone looks good in a sweater. It's part of their beauty. #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Wisconsin would like to have a word. #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Yes, the first time you get to wear your favorite worn, cozy sweater around the house is just incredible #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

I also really, really dislike summer, so I avoid it instinctively when writing/illustrating. As a reader, I'm automatically drawn to books that take place during fall and winter. #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Yeah, the contrast makes it feel that way, but I think it's also the cold air which makes the sky feel very clear and clean #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

Agreed. I moved to Wisconsin from the LA area a few years ago and the sky and leaves and air in the fall are just...even better than I imagined. #kidlitchat

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 8h

I write a lot of animal characters, which often means nature and seasons are a big part of the characters' lives. Also, I'm writing a story right now that I realized could be Thanksgiving adjacent, which naturally led to it occurring during fall. #kidlitchat

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 9h

Hi #PortfolioDay — I’m Brian, repped by @kaitlynleann17.bsky.social!
See what I’m up to at briankirbystudio.com/portfolio/
#kidLitArt #illustration #kidkit

A cartoon of a vampire unicorn hoarding blood oranges briankirbystudio.com

Cartoon of a tired dad holding an infant in a baby’s room at night, with a mom sleeping in another room across the hall. briankirbystudio.com

Carton of two kids on a stage, one staring at the reader while the other has a manic pillow fight with a blobfish. briankirbystudio.com

Cartoon of a dinosaur holding a taco, saying “mine” briankirbystudio.com

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 10h

Thanks, Justin! We would love that! And I'm pretty picky with rhyme and it was impeccable 🔥

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Greg Pincus @gregpincus.bsky.social · 11h

What do you know?! It's #kidlitchat day again. We'll gather her on Bluesky at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific and chat #kidlit for an hour with all of y'all who join in. It's hope that YOU are part of all y'all this week... but if not, we do this EVERY week. See some of all of y'all soon....

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 11h

🎃 31 Days of Halloween Books 🎃

Day 14: THE ZOMBEES by @justincolonbooks.bsky.social and art by @kalyquarles.bsky.social

Why I 🖤 it: I was not expecting this to be a rhyming PB but boy did Justin pull it off! Plus, Kaly's whimsical & adorable art had my 3 year old obsessed!

#kidlit #booksky

Cover of ZOMBEES

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Michael Dashow @mdashow.bsky.social · 17h

Hi #PortfolioDay , I’m Mike and I love drawing fun, colorful characters, animals, and situations.
I'm repped by @vickyweberbooks.bsky.social
and I'm especially looking for middle grade cover work.

See more of my work at mdashow-kidlitart.carrd.co or linktr.ee/mdashow

#kidLitArt #illustration

In a spooky night-time scene, a girl - approximately 14 with shoulder-length brown hair and wearing jeans and a denim jacket - crouches on a dirt driveway and looks behind her in consternation. Behind her is a large dark house with peaked gables and spiky points sticking out of the roof and a tall tower. The top floor of the tower is lit - the only illumination in the house - and a figure is silhouetted in the window. Behind the house are fir trees and a huge full moon. the entire scene is in spooky greens and blues.

An illustration of a hippopotamus ice skating in the Olympics. She's got a lovely lavender dress on with lots of sparkly sequins on it. She looks very graceful and happy.

A panicked apprentice witch (she's human, with pink hair, glasses, and light academia clothing) makes a mess of her cauldron while being calmy advised by an older, wiser witch (who is a bear.) Aside from the exploding cauldron, the browns of the scene make it warm and cozy.

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Nicola Schofield @nicolaschofield.com · 19h

Hello #portfolioday !

I am a #kidlit illustrator (of many things) and author (of picturebooks) and here is a little snapshot of my portfolio.

For a closer look, head to NicolaSchofield.com

I'm repped by @sallymkim.bsky.social at @andreabrownlit.bsky.social

#kitlitart #pb #illustration

Image showing the home page of NicolaSchofield.com with lots of kidlit illustration thumbnails

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 18h

Right??

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Jacob Souva @jacobsouva.bsky.social · 23h

Hello 👋 #portfolioday … I’m a #kidlit #kidlitart author and illustrator rep’d by @jenrofe.bsky.social of @andreabrownlit.bsky.social

🌟 work: www.twofishillustration.com
📚 books: www.twofishillustration.com/books

A boy is on a balloon ride over the city

A pillbug is playing the banjo

A boy is building a tower out of blocks. A bird landed on the top. A cat is looking mischievously at the whole thing

A spot from Whirby, a book from HarperCollins out in Feb ‘26

Reposted by Brooke Baum

Brian LaRossa @brianlarossa.com · 20h

Popping into #portfolioday on behalf of art directors to say thank you for sharing your work. It makes our job easier. We appreciate you.
💙❤️

Also, FWIW, I made a starter pack of hiring art-, creative-, design-directors who actively use Bluesky.
go.bsky.app/Hxoz9KX