About Talitha
Talitha Shipman is a picture book illustrator from Indiana. Her favorite subjects to paint are wild kids and wild animals. Nature inspires Talitha’s painting, and she hopes her work encourages curiosity and creativity in children of all ages.
Talitha’s books include the Sidney Taylor Honor recipient, Everybody Says Shalom by Leslie Kimmelman (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015), an American Farm Bureau Recommended Read, Applesauce Day by Lisa Amstutz (Albert Whitman, 2017), and most recently, a 2019 IPPY Silver Medalist, First Snow by Nancy Viau (Albert Whitman, 2018). Her debut Author/Illustrator picture book Finding Beauty from Beaming Books was published in Spring 2021. Her 2022 books include the Astrid the Astronaut Series by Rie Neal (Aladdin S&S) and What Little Girls are Made of by Susanna Leonard Hill (Sourcebooks).
Talitha lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with her husband, her seven-year-old wild child, and a black-and-white tornado French Brittany named Indy.
Talitha is available for school visits and illustration demos for kids of all ages in the Midwest. She also offers an in-person or Zoom program geared towards college students interested in the field of children’s illustration. Fill out the contact form on the Visits page to learn more.
Awards & Recognition
Sidney Taylor Honor, Everybody Says Shalom
American Farm Bureau Recommended Read, Applesauce Day
IPPY Silver Medalist, First Snow
Junior Library Guild Selection, Astrid The Astronaut Series
Clients
Aladdin
Sourcebooks
L.B. Kids
Random House
Albert Whitman
P I Kids
Beaming Books
Gefen Publishing
Workman Group
Cricket Magazine
Hallmark
American Greetings
Galison Mudpuppy
Papayrus
Smilebox
Birds N' Blooms
Live Happy Magazine
Family Circle Magazine
TESTIMONIALS
“From crafting the manuscript to fine-tuning each spread of art, Talitha Shipman brought such a careful eye to this project, as well as unique perspective on every page. Her art is refreshing, bringing whimsical qualities to a grounded story for children.” - ELIZABETH SCHLEISMAN- EDITOR, BEAMING BOOKS
“Talitha Shipman’s art for EVERYBODY SAYS SHALOM was warm and joyful—and totally accessible for young children. The research required and the challenges of the book never fazed her; she was a delight to collaborate with.” - LESLIE KIMMELMAN- FORMER EDITOR, RANDOM HOUSE
"Talitha Shipman was the perfect partner to help us design our children's book. She is a gifted designer with a great eye for detail, presentation and artistic symmetry. I believe Talitha's talents were a significant and meaningful contribution to the final outcome and can hardly wait to work with her again. I would highly recommend her!” - LARAE WRIGHT- CHILDREN LEADING CHILDREN
“Talitha is the consummate professional. She worked seamlessly with us on a tight publication deadline and produced an amazing book. Don't look any further for help with your children's book--just hire Talitha.” - JULIE ANNE EASON-THANET HOUSE BOOKS
“Talitha helped us format our story to be ready for submission. Her help was invaluable. She has knowledge and a great eye. She helped us transform our story into something great while keeping my daughter’s voice at the forefront. We highly recommend her expertise!” - HEIDI VANCE- SAMMIE’S BUDDY BENCH
“Talitha went above and beyond in working with the print-on-demand company to conform to their (confusing) requirements. She is extremely talented, and the cover art and interior of my coloring book for adults turned out amazing! I also appreciated her excellent communication and responsiveness. Will definitely use Talitha on future projects. Thank you so much, Talitha!” - KAREN MYERS - SELF-PUBLISHED COLORING BOOK CREATOR
“We will always be GRATEFUL that you said YES to the project, offered thoughtful suggestions for improvement, and poured your incredible talent into each and every page.” - MARLENE LEE, EDITOR, FEATHERED FRIENDS BY MADELYN LEE