Keisha Morris grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia and currently resides in Maryland. She spends her days creating stories and developing characters that inspire, bring joy, and promote wonder. She creates her illustrations by collaging tissue paper and finishing her illustrations in Photoshop. This allows her to produce whimsical, vibrant, and eye-catching illustrations that ignite the imagination. In her free time, Keisha enjoys spending time with her wife, daughter, and two crazy cats, Ollie and Elphie (named after Elphaba from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked, and yes, she is a black cat!). She also enjoys traveling, watching re-runs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, animated movies, listening to podcasts, and weight lifting.
Awards / Honors
- 2024 CBC-NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Award – All Aboard the School Train
- 2024 Black Caucus ALA Best of the Best List for 2023- All Aboard the School Train and Words of Wonder from Z to A
- 2023 Kirkus Best of 2023 – All Aboard the Schooltrain
- 2023 3 Starred Reviews (Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly- All Aboard the Schooltrain
- 2022 Booklist from Rise: A Feminist Book Project- Legacy
- 2022 Bank Street Books List- When My Cousins Come to Town
- 2020 Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice – For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World
- 2018 SCBWI Spring Spirit Illustration Portfolio Showcase – Second Place