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Photographed by Nicki Sebastian
Authors & Illustrators

The Bookshelf: L.A.-Based Author/Illustrator Jon Klassen

Written by Erin Feher

Photography by Nicki Sebastian

Jon Klassen is a former animator who made his name on the kids’ book scene with his quirky trilogy about missing headwear: I Want My Hat Back, We Found a Hat, and This is Not My Hat. The Canadian-turned-Californian has since illustrated more than 15 children’s titles, including another quirky trilogy about misbehaving shapes (Square, Triangle, and out tomorrow, Circle), written by his friend and colleague Mac Barnett. To find out more about this award-winning creator, Jon recently showed us around his sunny garage studio in Silverlake, introduced us to his sweet two-year-old son, Issac (and revealed that there’s another baby on the way), and talked inspiration, process, and why he’s glad some kids don’t like his books.

For more children’s books inspiration, check out our previous “The Bookshelf” profiles with authors Yuyi Morales and Isabel Sanchez Vegara, and peep our recent round-ups of inspiring black history books for kidsgreat books to give as gifts and the best children’s books of 2018.

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