Elisa Kleven spent much of her childhood happily creating magical, miniature worlds.  Her early passions have become her adult work, as she now makes little make-believe worlds inside of her picture books.

A self-taught artist, Elisa is the author and/or illustrator of over thirty books. Her books have been adapted for professional theater and ballet productions, and have received many honors, including a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award for SUN BREAD.  Her illustrations for ABUELA, by Arthur Dorros, toured children’s museums nationwide, as part of an exhibit of seven classic children’s books.

In 2018, Elisa delivered a Ted Talk on the power of creativity in children’s lives.

Elisa received a BA in literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and a teaching credential at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education. She continues to teach art to young children.

Elisa lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and pets.  Visit Elisa’s web site at www.elisakleven.com