Kristin Sorra is an award-winning children’s book illustrator. Her parents immigrated from the Philippines to Baltimore, MD, where she was born. She remembers doodling inside a picture book as one of her earliest memories.
As a child, Kristin loved art in all its forms. She loved to draw, paint, make homemade cards, paper dolls, or repurpose found objects and clothes. When she decided to pursue a creative career, she majored in Fashion Design at Pratt Institute. After interning in the fashion industry, she realized it wasn’t the right fit, yet discovered that she loved fashion illustration and wanted to do a lot more painting and drawing. She earned a BFA in Communications Design with a focus in Illustration, graduating with highest honors, and receiving the class Merit Award for Excellence in Illustration.
After college, Kristin co-founded a digital coloring house in New York City that catered to comic book publishers. At the same time, she continued to hone her illustration skills until her first published children’s book was released. While she made art for picture books, she also illustrated for a variety of magazines, online games, hang tags, music and off-broadway posters, stationery, gifts, party goods, textiles, and designed halloween costumes.
When she is not doing art things, she likes walking her dogs, shooting hoops on her driveway, playing tennis, and spending time with her family, especially when it involves the ocean and sandy beaches. She also writes children’s stories and hopes to also call herself an author one day.
Kristin lives in the New York Hudson Valley with her husband, their blended family of three children, a foxhound named Penny, who makes an appearance in her work every now and then, and recently they welcomed a second rescue dog, Bessie, the sweetest mutt that ever was.
*Member SCBWI
Mami King: How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and the Perfect Bowl of Soup by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri (April 2024, Millbrook Press)
Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn (April 2024, Bloomsbury USA, Bookcover)
Colin Powell: A Little Golden Book Biography by Frank Berrios (January 2024, Golden Books)
Montgomery and the Case of the Golden Key by Tracy Occomy Crowder (October 2023, Lee & Low Books, Bookcover)
Barack Obama: A Little Golden Book Biography by Frank Berrios (August 2022, Golden Books)
Craters Short story by Tara Aru (October 2021, Cricket Magazine)
I Can Say No by Jenny Simmons (March 2021, National Center for Youth Issues)
Everyone Belongs United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (September 2019, Loyola Press)
Scarlett the Cat to the Rescue: Fire Hero By Nancy Loewen (August 2014, Picture Window Books)
No Dogs Allowed by Linda Ashman (August 2011, Sterling Children’s Books)
Good Morning (April 2011, Highlights Magazine)
My Friend Has ADHD by Amanda Doering Tourville (February 2010, Picture Window Books)
My Friend Has Autism by Amanda Doering Tourville (February 2010, Picture Window Books)
My Friend Has Down Syndrome by Amanda Doering Tourville (February 2010, Picture Window Books)
My Friend Has Dyslexia by Amanda Doering Tourville (February 2010, Picture Window Books)
Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub (December 2009, G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Beach Day! by Anahid Hamparian (April 2009, Marshall Cavendish)
Bungle Bear’s Burnt Toast (April 2008, Highlights Magazine)
Mama Mouse's Birthday Present (September 2008, High Five Magazine)
Waltur Paints Himself Into a Corner by Barbara Gregorich (October 2007, Houghton Mifflin)
Waltur Buys a Pig In A Poke and Other Stories by Barbara Gregorich (July 2006, Houghton Mifflin)
Turkey Riddles by Katy Hall (2002, Dial Books for Young Readers)
The King o' the Cats by Aaron Shepard (Jul 2004, Atheneum)
The Three Billygoats Gruff and Mean Calypso Joe by Cathrene Valente Youngquist (Oct 2002, Atheneum)
So Many Sounds by Dana Meachen Rau (2001, Scholastic)
Shells by Betsy Franco-Feeney (Mar 2001, Scholastic)
Venola In Love by Cheryl Ware (Sept 2000, Scholastic)
One Glad Man by Lynea Bowdish (Sept 1999, Scholastic)
2024 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection — Trouble at the Tangerine
2024 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection — Mami King: How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and the Perfect Bowl of Soup
2020 Gold Medal Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Religion/Spirituality — Everyone Belongs
Society of Illustrators 2013 Original Art Traveling Show — No Dogs Allowed
Society of Illustrators 2012 Original Art Show Selection — No Dogs Allowed
2011 Highlights Magazine Puzzle Poem Illustration of the Year — Good Morning
2009 Fall Junior Library Guild Selection — Groundhog Weather School
2008 SCBWI's Magazine Merit Runner-up Honor Award for Illustration — Bungle Bear’s Burnt Toast
2006 Publishers Weekly Starred review — Walter Buys a Pig in a Poke and Other Stories
AEP Award for Best Illustration in Periodicals — Bungle Bear’s Burnt Toast
2004 Fall Junior Library Guild Selection — The King o the Cats
SCBWI: Read Local Spotlight: Barack Obama (2023)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Rights Report for the story of Ma Mon Luk (2022)
COMIC VINE: Amy Chu and Kristin Sorra Discuss Capturing NYC, Coloring Comics, and Working on DMC #1.5 (2015)
CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY: Catholic bishops' anti-racism book wins prize for children's literature (2020)
NO DOGS ALLOWED: A Peek at the Creative Space of Kristin Sorra (2011)
READERTOTZ: Illustrator Interview for Groundhog Weather School (2010)