Press materials for Anna Alter

On this page you will find:

* Press releases

Here are some photos of Anna, click on thumbnail for a high resolution version you can drag to your desktop!
Please email Anna if you wish to use the image in your publication.

Expanded Bio

Anna Alter grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia in a house full of artists. Because both her parents and sisters were always involved in a creative endeavor of some kind, Anna was exposed to many different ways of making art; from posing for her father’s photographs, to her mother’s painting and collage artwork, to her sister’s adventures in printmaking and painting.

Anna has always been drawn to books as a form of self expression. She writes stories that stem from her experiences as a child and a teacher. With characters that readers can easily relate to, her books give children a place to see themselves in the world. Her stories reflect the sometimes complicated, often difficult, very beautiful experiences we go through growing up.

After graduating with a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, Anna entered into her career in children’s publishing at Houghton Mifflin Company, where she worked in the children’s book design department for three years. There she learned about the inner workings of a major children’s book publisher, which helped her to begin her freelance career as an author and an illustrator. When her first picture book, Estelle and Lucy, was published in 2001 it was a dream come true.

This book was followed soon after by a retelling of the classic nursery rhyme The Three Little Kittens, and her next authored and illustrated book, Francine’s Day. She continues to write and illustrate her own books, sometimes illustrating books written by other authors.

Throughout the course of her career in publishing, Anna has spent much of her time working with children. She was a preschool teacher for five years, and has taught art workshops to kids in the Boston area. Anna shows her original paintings frequently in various galleries and other venues around New England. She presently resides in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she freelances out of her home.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (Anna often gets asked these questions by kids or students)

Where did you grow up?
Charlottesville, Virginia.

Why did you become an author/illustrator?
I always loved to draw and paint, it felt like a really good way for me to express myself. When I was a kid, books were both a way to understand the world, and escape an into imagination. Making books is very similar, I get to create my own world, and then offer it to other people to explore.

Why do you usually have animal characters in your books?
When I was growing up we had many animals- cats and dogs, guinea pigs, fish and hamsters. Animals have always captured my imagination and they can do things in a story than people can't.

What does your studio look like?
The wall of my studio are covered in pictures of places I've visited, paintings by artists I admire, and clippings or quotes that I like to look at for inspiration. I like to surround myself with things I find visually interesting, that give me ideas when I get stuck on a project.

What is the greatest reward for you as an author/illustrator?
The greatest reward is when people (kids or adults) read my books and feel moved by them. It makes me really happy when someone is inspired by something I've made. It makes me feel, as an artist, that I have put something beautiful into the world.

What was the most challeging obstacle for you to overcome to become when you began?
Getting your first publishing contract is the most difficult thing about getting started. It can take a long time, and your work has to be up to a certain level. You also have to submit it to the right publisher at the right time. It is challenging to learn how to to take rejection and criticism well, to respond to comments about your work that you receive from editors and art directors in a productive way.

What advice can you offer to an aspiring children book illustrator?
The best advice I can offer is to thoroughly dedicate yourself to the genre. Read as much as you can, paint as much as you can, research as much as you can, really get a feel for the field. It is very competitive out there, so you have to be very focused and push yourself to create something unique. Whatever direction you go in, make sure that it stems from who you are as a person, that you are playing to your strengths.