Lauren Emmons is an illustrator and author of children’s books. They grew up in Minnesota exploring forests and learning important skills like turning the top of an acorn into a loud whistle. While they currently live in North Dakota they are very passionate and proud of their home city Minneapolis, and take a great deal of inspiration from their childhood growing up there in their work.

They have a Masters Degree in Children’s Book Illustration from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England; and was an award winner in the World Illustration Awards. Their debut author illustrated book, No Cats In The Library, was published by Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster in 2024, and was featured in the inaugural episode of the Reading Rainbow Reboot in 2025!

They create their illustrations with a mixture of traditional and digital methods. They start each illustration by drawing in pencil before scanning it into their computer to color it digitally, occasionally adding in mixed media elements into the design. They also use a method inspired by screen printing, which they used for No Cats In The Library. They are explicitly anti AI, and firmly disavow any use of generative art. They use no AI or generative works in their art.

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When not illustrating you can find Lauren at their local library where they work, birdwatching with their wonderful spouse, snuggling their two cats with a good book in hand, or doing one of their many crafts (knitting is their current favorite).

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Preferred pronouns: they/them