Kristi Valiant

Kristi Valiant is the author/illustrator of GOOD NIGHT, CUDDLE TIGHT (Tommy Nelson) and PENGUIN CHA-CHA (Random House). Some of the recent books Kristi has illustrated are POPPY TAKES PARIS and NELLY TAKES NEW YORK by Allison Pataki and Marya Myers (Simon & Schuster), FEEL THE BEAT: Dance Poems that Zing from Salsa to Swing by Marilyn Singer (Dial), PRETTY MINNIE IN PARIS and PRETTY MINNIE IN HOLLYWOOD by the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Danielle Steel (Doubleday), THE GOODBYE CANCER GARDEN by Janna Matthies (Albert Whitman), CORA COOKS PANCIT by Dorina K Lazo Gilmore (Shen's Books), and Cecilia Galante's early chapter book series "Little Wings" (Random House). Kristi's books have received a Starred Review from School Library Journal, the APALA Picture Book Award, Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year, and The Cooperative Children's Book Center top children's book picks.

Kristi graduated magna cum laude from Columbus College of Art and Design with a major in Illustration. Kristi grew up in Wisconsin and now lives and dances in Indiana with her husband, daughters, and rescue beagle. She tends to draw a mouse, hippo, monkey, and penguin somewhere in each of her recent picture books.

Kristi’s art is drawn and painted in Photoshop using a Cintiq display and pressure-sensitive pen. She finds working digitally allows her to be creative and edit easily, without the hazard of spilling dirty painting water or drinking it by mistake.