Antoinette Portis

Antoinette Portis is an American author and illustrator known for creating imaginative and visually simple picture books for young children. Portis studied art at the University of California, Los Angeles, and began her career working as a graphic designer and advertising art director, later becoming a creative director at Disney Consumer Products. After leaving the corporate world, she pursued her long-time goal of writing and illustrating children’s books. She is best known for her award-winning book Not a Box (2006), which celebrates imagination with a simple cardboard box that becomes anything a child dreams up.

She is also the author of “Hey Water!”, a beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book that introduces young readers to the concept of water in various forms and its importance in nature. Not a Stick, a stick becomes everything from a sword to a fishing rod through imaginative play, Kindergarten Diary – A diary-style picture book about a child’s first experiences in kindergarten, Wait, a gentle story about taking time to notice the world while on the move, A New Green Day, a poetic, nature-inspired book of riddles and discovery and more.

Her books are known for their simple illustrations, playful language, and focus on creativity, curiosity, and the natural world. Many of her stories encourage children to see ordinary objects in imaginative ways or to explore their surroundings with wonder. Portis has received several honours for her work, including a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honour for Not a Box, and she is also a recipient of the prestigious Sendak Fellowship. She lives in Southern California and continues to write and illustrate books for young readers.