A Diverse group of award-winning illustrators & authors creating across many industries.
Stephen Costanza

Agent: Claire Morance

Stephen Costanza studied music theory and composition at Syracuse University before attending the Philadelphia College of Art to pursue a career in the visual arts. Stephen’s background in music led him to write and illustrate the picture books Mozart Finds a Melody, Vivaldi and The Invisible Orchestra, and King of Ragtime. Stephen’s illustrations have appeared in magazines, newspapers, advertising, and textbooks, from The American Prospect and Cricket to brochures for the Boston Ballet, Four Seasons Hotel, and Boston Lyric Opera. King of Ragtime was the 2022 Golden Kite Award Winner for Picture Book Illustration, and was selected for the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Exhibition. Stephen lives in North Haven, Maine.

Client List

Sterling Publishing
Henry Holt
Scholastic
Sleeping Bear
Simon & Schuster
Anne Schwartz Books/Penguin Random House
Gibbs Smith Education
Trillium Publishingg
Carus Publishing

Awards / Honors

  • 2022 Topaz (TX) Nonfiction Reading List- King of Ragtime
  • NYPL Best Books for Kids (Top 10)- King of Ragtime
  • 2022 Capital Choices (DC) Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens-King of Ragtime
  • 2022 NCTW Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts – King of Ragtime
  • 2022 ALSC Notable Children’s Books List- King of Ragtime
  • 2022 CCBC Choices- King of Ragtime
  • 2022 Bank Street Books List- King of Ragtime
  • 2022, Golden Kite Award Winner for Picture Book Illustration – King of Ragtime
  • 2021  The Original Art, Society of Illustrators – King of Ragtime
  • 2013 Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year – Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra

Reviews

Praise for Smudge and the Book of Mistakes

“Costanza's well-researched paintings are the book's strongest feature, with appealing characters, evocative settings, and handsome borders and decorated letters.”

Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Smudge and the Book of Mistakes

“Costanza paints full-page interiors in deep hues of red, green, and purple that convey both the darkness of the monastery and illumination within its inhabitants.”

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
Praise for Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra

“...a pleasing interpretation of the creative process and the power of art to connect individuals.”

Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Mozart Finds a Melody

“Costanza is an illustrator to watch. Blending the burnished palette and twirling energy of Raul Colon, the softness of Leonid Gore, and a sense of fun that trills to a melody all its own, his paintings offer an ingenious view of eighteenth-century Vienna.”

Booklist

Featured Portfolio

Authored Books

King of Ragtime - Simon & Schuster)
Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra (Henry Holt & Co.)
Mozart Finds a Melody (Henry Holt & Co.)

Illustrated Books

Smudge and the Book of Mistakes (Sleeping Bear Press)
A Christmas Spider's Miracle (Sleeping Bear Press)
Ten Big Toes and a Prince's Nose (Sterling Publishing)
Noodle Man (Scholastic)

Videos

King of Ragtime Book Trailer