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Bright US' Highlights of 2018: Top Publications, Deals & Awards
last updated 14 December 2018
Illustration by Ebony Glenn
It’s been a big year for Bright, and now that it draws to a close, there’s nothing left to do but celebrate! New York Times Bestsellers, a record nine Bright artists featured in the Society of Illustrators Original Art show, and many books on end-of-year-lists; we’re grateful for all of the ways in which the hard work of our artists and agents has been recognized.
Without further ado, see below for the best and Brightest 2018 highlights; here’s to 2019 and many more to come.
Top Publications of 2018
Left: I’ve Loved You Since Forever, Illustrated by Suzie Mason, Harper Collins
Right: Princesses Save the World, Illustrated by Eva Byrne, Abrams
Left: The Big Bed, Illustrated by Tom Knight, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Right: Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment, Cover by James Lancett, Jimmy Patterson Books
Left: Be Kind, Illustrated by Jen Hill, Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan)
Right: Whale in a Fishbowl, Illustrated by Richard Jones , Schwartz & Wade
Left: Grandma Bird, Illustrated by Benji Davies, Simon & Schuster
Right: When Paul Met Artie, Illustrated by David Litchfield, Candlewick Press
Left: I Am a Cat, Writte and Illustrated by Galia Bernstein, Abrams
Right: Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us Are Kin, Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis, Simon & Schuster
Left: Gloria’s Voice, Written and Illustrated by Aura Lewis, Sterling Publishing
Right: Mommy’s Khimar, Illustrated by Ebony Glenn, Simon & Schuster
Left: LOOK!, Written and Illustrated by Fiona Woodcock, Harper Collins
Right: Loretta’s Gift, Illustrated by Alea Marley, Little Bee Books
Left: Animobiles, Written and Illustrated by Maddie Frost, Sourcebooks
Right: Once Upon a Zzzz, Written and Illustrated by Maddie Frost, Albert Whitman & Company
Left: Runaway Baby Brother, Written and Illustrated by Katy Hudson, Penguin Random House
Right: Crash! Boom! A Math Tale, Illustrated by Chris Chatterton
Mermaid School, Illustrated by Julianna Swaney, Penguin Random House
Top Deals of 2018
Mechal Roe will illustrate Senator Kamala Harris’ picture book, Superheroes Are Everywhere.
Alexa Pastor at Simon & Schuster has bought This Is MY Room! illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis.
Rotem Moscovich at Disney-Hyperion has bought The Magical Yet, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gomez.
Emma Ledbetter at Atheneum has bought the graphic novel adaptation of Bunnicula, illustrated by Teemu Juhani.
Tamar Brazis at Abrams has bought Along Came Coco, written and illustrated by Eva Byrne.
Erin Stein at Imprint has bought Bennie’s True Colors, illustrated by Anne Passchier
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has bought I Will Dance, illustrated by Julianna Swaney.
Marilyn Brigham at Amazon/Two Lions has bought It’s Not Little Red Riding Hood, illustrated by Edwardian Taylor.
Christian Trimmer at Henry Holt has bought Game, Set, Sisters: The Venus and Serena Williams Story, illustrated by Ebony Glenn.
Tamar Brazis at Abrams has bought Leyla, written and illustrated by Galia Bernstein.
Courtney Fahy at Little Bee Books has bought Making Their Voices Heard, illustrated by Alleanna Harris.
Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has bought Ava in Code Land, illustrated by Leire Martin.
Adrienne Szpyrka and Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids have bought Georgia written and illustrated by Zoe Persico.
Tara Walker and Elizabeth Kribs at Tundra have bought Mermaid Dreams written and illustrated by Kate Pugsley.
2018 Awards
Luisa Uribe won the Dilys Evans Founders Award, given by the Society of Illustrators at the annual Original Art Show.
Nine artists, including Luisa, were featured in the show this year!
Luisa receiving the Founders Award for The Vast Wonder of the World, left.
Left: Agent Anne Moore Armstrong with Jen Hill’s artwork from the New York Times Bestseller Be Kind, published by Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan). Right: David Litchfield’s artwork from When Paul Met Artie, published by Candlewick Press.
| from Kate, Who Tamed the Wind , illustrated by Lee White, published by Schwartz & Wade. | Fur, Feather, Fin: All Of Us Are Kin illustrated by Stephanie Laberis, published by Simon & Schuster. |
Benji Davies’ artwork from Come Home Already! & Fiona Woodcock’s artwork from LOOK, both published by HarperCollins.
Richard Jones’ artwork from Whale in a Fishbowl, published by Schwartz & Wade.
Galia Bernstein’s artwork from I Am A Cat, published by Abrams.
Read more about Bright at the SOI show here.
Five books illustrated by Bright Artists were New York Times bestsellers this year. I’ve Loved You Since Forever by Today Show host Hoda Kotb and illustrated by Suzie Mason hit the coveted #1 spot:
Left: I’ve Loved You Since Forever, Illustrated by Suzie Mason
Right: Princesses Save the World, Illustrated by Eva Byrne
Left: Be Kind, Illustrated by Jen Hill (read more about the book’s journey to the Bestseller List here.)
Right: Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment, Cover by James Lancett
How to Babysit a Grandpa, Illustrated by Lee Wildish
The New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2018
Whale in a Fishbowl and Bird Builds a Nest, both illustrated by Richard Jones.
Click here for more information on New York City libraries.
When Paul Met Artie, illustrated by David Litchfield.
Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2018
Smithsonian’s 10 Best Children’s Books of 2018
NPR’s Best Books of 2018
A Mighty Girl’s Best of 2018
Gloria’s Voice, Written and Illustrated by Aura Lewis.
And congratulations to Galia Bernstein, whose debut author-illustrated book, I Am a Cat, went into thirteen foreign editions since publishing in February (a few of them pictured below).
Warmest holiday wishes and a happy new year from Bright!
Interested in working with any of the artists above? Send us an e-mail.