Agent: Lori Nowicki

Gene Barretta is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books.  Before launching his career as an illustrator, he received a BFA in Film Studies from NYU and worked for many years in film and television production. He has written, animated, and scored several films for Sesame Street and designed characters for the Jim Henson Company. Gene’s film education has set the tone for the pacing and layout of his illustrations. His primary goal as an author-illustrator is to make learning enjoyable and revitalizing for kids, and his works often focus on inspiring figures. He loves to explore connections to the past, and the historical origins of modern objects and ideas. His books are filled with personal touches. The backgrounds include family, friends, and even cameos by The Three Stooges. Since 2006, readers have watched his son grow up in thematic book jacket bio photos. Gene is the author and illustrator of critically acclaimed books, such as Dear Deer, Lincoln and Kennedy, Now & Ben, Neo Leo, and Timeless Thomas. In 2021, he received an NAACP Image Award nomination for writing, The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver. He lives outside of Philadelphia with his son.