Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes is an American children’s book author and illustrator, born on November 27, 1960, in Racine, Wisconsin. He is known for his picture books featuring young anthropomorphic mice, as well as board books and middle-grade fiction, and he has been a published children’s author since the age of nineteen. His first picture book, All Alone, was published in 1981. Among his many works are Chrysanthemum, Jessica, and Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, along with the Caldecott Medal–winning Kitten’s First Full Moon (also available as a board book), and Newbery Honor novels Olive’s Ocean and The Year of Billy Miller. His picture book Waiting received both Caldecott Honor and Geisel Honor recognition, and in 2020 he was awarded the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to children’s literature.

Henkes attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has long been associated with Greenwillow Books, which published many of his titles. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has created close to fifty critically acclaimed picture books, beginning readers, and novels. He lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin, where he continues to write and illustrate books for children