About

Hi! I am Julianne Stokes! I am the author and illustrator of ABC Healthy, Dolphins Don’t Eat Donuts, and Ski Bird and Powder Piggy: Race to the Top. Most recently with the help of my sidekick, aka, husband, Jim, I illustrated and published Stoked to Color! An Activity Book for Winter Adventure.

I have loved art from a very young age. When I was past the point of scribbling, I decided to take it to the next level and attend small painting classes at the Long Beach Island Art Foundation in New Jersey. That is where I found a love for watercolor painting! I changed a little direction with my medium preference in high school. I found out I could take classes with a real dark room! It was a turning point in the world of photography when Photoshop was becoming more popular and digital cameras were finding their way into the hands of people everywhere.

After high school I went to the University of Colorado Boulder. Deep down in my heart I knew I wanted to study art, but I did some exploring before committing to my major, Studio Art with an Emphasis in Photography. I loved taking philosophy, creative writing, and journalism classes. It was an unforgettable education. Two of my last classes at CU Boulder were Teaching Art to Children and Teaching Literature to Children. This is when I knew I wanted to be involved with children’s art. I just didn’t know how yet. When I returned to New Jersey, I decided to be substitute teacher. Well, let me tell you, that is where you find inspiration! I was lucky to have so many art classes to sub for. It was in the elementary school when the absent teacher would leave me a book and an art project that a light bulb went off in my head. I can do this. I can make something like this.  

And so I did.

Now, why the healthy books you ask? Well, I am passionate about healthy living. When I am not writing and illustrating, I enjoy spending time with my family in the mountains of Colorado or at the beach in New Jersey.  We are always active together.  If I’m not chasing the kids around to their junior lifeguard tournaments in the summer, I am trying to keep up with my ski racer kids’ schedules in the winter. My sidekick and I hit the streets running every morning rain, snow, or shine. We have always taught our kids in order to be active and stay active, you need to fuel your body with healthy food.

And now why the skier safety book you ask? I’m glad you asked. Perhaps it goes back to my own ocean lifeguard days where I learned the best saves are the ones that never have to happen. Lifeguarding is all about prevention. Many injuries on the mountain can also be prevented if skiers and snowboarders Know the Code (The Skier Responsibility Code). While that is an important lesson in the Ski Bird and Powder Piggy book, I also just had a ton of fun creating the characters!

Long story short, I write to teach what I know. These lessons may seem like common sense, but children need fun ways to learn them. I am very grateful to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for helping guide me on my journey in the children’s book world.  I love to encourage artists and writers who dream of publishing a book to check out scbwi.org.

To follow my adventures as a writer and illustrator visit my blog at juliannestokes.blogspot.com, on Facebook at Julianne Stokes, and on Instagram @jstokesart. Just know, I don’t always post, so these socials may be out of date. I try to live in the moment and take any free time I have to create.