Agent: Claire Morance

Erika Lynne Jones is an illustrator and author who loves creating quirky characters and children’s books that serve as affirming celebrations of culture. Growing up, Erika’s favorite books were ones where she saw images of her family reflected back at her. Owning only two books that did so is one factor that fueled Erika’s desire to become an illustrator and write stories that use humor to heal hurts and infuse joy into the hearts of her readers. Her mission is for every child to know that they are worthy of good and see images of themselves in literature. She also aims to create stories where black children are allowed to express and process a wide range of emotions from joy to anger around their life experiences. Erika loves working in mixed media. She especially enjoys collage because it reminds her of her mother, an elementary school teacher, who helped her make sure her school projects had that special, artistic shine. Erika grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three daughters.