SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: It’s Winter!
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.kurillastration.com/
CITY: Bellingham
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 407
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born May 14, 1981, in Scranton, PA; married Keith Zoo (an illustrator); children: Zoey (daughter).
EDUCATION:Art Institute of Boston/Lesley University, B.F.A. (illustration), diploma.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator and writer. FableVision Studios (educational media company), Boston, MA, lead animation artist, 2005-c. 2015. Presenter at workshops.
AVOCATIONS:Playing guitar, sewing, painting in oils.
WRITINGS
Author of a blog.
SIDELIGHTS
Renée Kurilla became a children’s book illustrator through her connection with FableVision, an animation studio located in her adopted home town of Boston, Massachusetts. Now a full-time illustrator, Kurilla’s work has been paired with stories by Margarita Engle, Brandi Dougherty, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, and Emily Calandrelli, among others. She has also produced the self-illustrated picture book One Springy, Singy Day as well as a graphic novel, The Flower Garden.
A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Kurilla studied illustration and graphic design at the Art Institute of Boston/Lesley University and earned her B.F.A. She joined the creative staff of FableVision after several years as a freelance artist. During her ten years there, she designed animation for the Cartoon Network, Discovery Kids, and other television channels and eventually became a lead artist. Her first illustration project, the graphic novel Zebrafish, was based on an animated cartoon series created by FableVision colleague Peter H. Reynolds. Published in 2010, the book inspired Kurilla to seek outside jobs as an illustrator, and by 2015 she was illustrating children’s books full time.
Geared for middle-grade readers, Zebrafish focuses on Vita, an aspiring, purple-haired rock musician who is also the new girl at school. Fortunately, Vita’s desire to start a band she calls Zebrafish combines with her willingness to help classmates with a similar dream but less than stellar musical skills. After the band’s new members begin work on a music video, one member constantly misses rehearsals. Frustrated by this seeming lack of commitment, Vita discovers the reason for her bandmate’s absences and gains a lesson in compassion. Reviewing Zebrafish in School Library Journal, Janet Weber praised Kurilla’s “clear and sharply inked” four-color sequential panel art and noted that her use of contrast “creates balance and tone throughout” the work.
In One Springy, Singy Day, Kurilla pairs colorful, toddler-friendly images with a rhyming text that captures the way several children enjoy a typical day. Shown waking with a yawn, enjoying meals, napping, visiting a playground, and otherwise interacting with friends and family members, a “diverse cast” of young characters is featured within the book’s pages, according to a Kirkus Reviews critic. Praising Kurilla’s work here, the same critic cited her ability to pair a “singsong” text with “lively” and animated artwork “brimming with exciting details.”
Even as she expands into storytelling, Kurilla’s work as an illustrator continues to draw praise from reviewers. Appraising her artwork for Bardhan-Quallen’s humorous Chicks Rule!, Rachel Zuffa noted in School Library Journal that her “vivid and expressive digital illustrations” effectively capture the “emotions that set the stage” for the humorous read-aloud story. Citing the artist’s “lush, digitally colored illustrations” in Engle’s quirky Orangutanka, a Kirkus Reviews critic found them “as joyous and full of wonder as Engle’s verse” and Booklist critic Lolly Gepson dubbed them “hilarious.” Carol Brendler’s humorous picture book The Pickwicks’ Picnic: A Counting Adventure also comes to life in Kurilla’s art, and a Kirkus Reviews critic cited its “darling cartoon illustrations.”
As part of the Show-How Guides, writer Kurilla and illustrator Keith Zoo paired up to publish several craft-oriented books for children. Gingerbread Houses: 6 Essential Designs Everyone Should Know! Plus Dough and Icing Recipes offers kids designs for making a gingerbread house with instructions on baking, assembling, and decorating houses in classic as well as unique styles. Instructions include making dough and royal icing from scratch, without a package mix. Katherine Rao noted in School Library Journal that the illustrations are reminiscent of a retro 1950s line art style, while the book is “A fine choice for a topic that is not frequently detailed in books.”
Pumpkin Carving! The 9 Essential Designs & Techniques Everyone Should Know! provides cutting and carving techniques accompanied by illustrations on how to cut, scoop, and spook with pumpkins in both traditional and unique styles. Egg Decorating! The 18 Essential Designs & Techniques Everyone Should Know! Shows kids various egg crafts and egg decorating projects, such as making dye from food coloring or fruits and vegetables, and making egg people or animal designs. Safety notes and tips like covering your workspace with newspaper are given. A Kirkus Reviews writer lamented the illustrations in only black, white, and blue that fail to provide a sense of the art form’s creative potential, concluding that the book is “Simple and practical, although the visuals underperform.”
In One Upside-Downy Day, Kurilla brings back slightly older versions of the kids appearing in One Springy, Singy Day to play together. Being a toddler is full of gray days of sluggishness, weeping, sleeping, and bad moods. In the picture book, the kids are anxious, frowny, and angry, and they cry and shout. Someone steals a toy, but when it’s returned, there are hugs because sharing is fun. “Loose and bouncy rhythm and rhyme carry readers along,” according to a Kirkus Reviews critic.
Actor Matthew McConaughey wrote his debut picture book Just Because that Kurilla illustrated. In bouncy rhymes, the book shows how life is full of contractions and offers life lessons that empower children to be full of possibilities. For example, just because someone is in a race, doesn’t mean they are fully ready. McConaughey provides his soulful wit and folksy wry comments with a diverse group of children and their pets. Various activities show the playground, baths, meals, and parties. In an interview on WBZ NewsRadio, Kurilla told Andrew Rich that illustrating McConaughey’s book “was an absolute honor. It was one of the highlights of my career so far, and it continues to be.”
Praising the complex emotional lessons made easy for young readers, a Kirkus Reviews writer hoped that kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The writer added, “The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it.” Despite some messages that don’t line up with the illustrations, a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted: “the homespun homilies effectively communicate that everyone’s a complex being trying their best.”
Kurilla wrote and illustrated It’s Fall, with autumn activities for the season and for the holidays, such as jumping into a pile of leaves, trick-or-treating at Halloween, visiting an orchard on a class trip, baking holiday cookies and pies, and having apple cider and donuts. A diverse group of children celebrate autumn with sounds, sights, and smells of the season. The rhythm of the rhymed couplets creates a steady narrative for kids to follow along. “Black-outlined drawings in orange, rust, and yellow hues depict a bustling neighborhood with all the aspects described in the cheerful text,” declared a Kirkus Reviews contributor, who added that the uplifting seasonal verses show well-known customs and conventions. According to Carolyn Phelan in Booklist, “Throughout the book, the art creates an atmosphere of warmth and fun,” with cheerful portrayals of kids enjoying the season.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2010, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Zebrafish, p. 62; March 1, 2013, Francisco Goldsmith, review of SPF 40, p. 51; April 15, 2015, Lolly Gepson, review of Orangutanka, p. 55; June 1, 2016, Maggie Reagaon, review of “Bel the Weather Girl” series, p. 86; July 1, 2023, Carolyn Phelan, review of It’s Fall, p. 73.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, September, 2010, review of Zebrafish, p. 15.
Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2014, review of Orangutanka; June 15, 2017, reviews of Ada Lace Sees Red and Ada Lace, on the Case; July 15, 2017, review of The Pickwicks’ Picnic: A Counting Adventure; April 1, 2018, review of Lily’s Water Woes; January 15, 2019, review of Right This Very Minute: A Table-to-Farm Book about Food and Farming; January 15, 2021, review of One Springy, Singy Day; April 1, 2021, review of Saving Cosmo; January 1, 2022, review of Egg Decorating: The 18 Essential Designs & Techniques Everyone Should Know!; June 1, 2023, review of It’s Fall; June 15, 2023, review of One Upside-Downy Day; July 1, 2023, review of Just Because.
Publishers Weekly, April 22, 2013, review of SPF 40, p. 59; July 10, 2023, review of Just Because, p. 56.
School Library Journal, May, 2010, Janet Weber, review of Zebrafish, p. 139; April, 2019, Rachel Zuffa, review of Chicks Rule!, p. 56; September 9, 2022, Katherine Rao, review of Gingerbread Houses: 6 Essential Designs Everyone Should Know! Plus Dough and Icing Recipes.
ONLINE
FableVision, http://www.fablevisionstudios.com/ (June 15, 2011), “Renée Kurilla.”
Picture Book Builders, https://picturebookbuilders.com/ (May 24, 2019), Mike Boldt, interview with Kurilla.
Renée Kurilla website, http://www.kurillastration.com (November 18, 2023).
Tools Artists Use, http://thetoolsartistsuse.com/ (April 15, 2013), interview with Kurilla.
WBZ NewsRadio website, https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/ (March 3, 2023), Andrew Rich, “Bellingham Author, Illustrator Chosen For Matthew McConaughey Kids Book.”*
I create whimsical art and stories that encourage kids (and grown up kids) to spread kindness and appreciate the wonder of the world around them.
A young girl with long braided hair, wearing a yellow checkered shirt and orange cap, sitting cross-legged. She is holding a vase with red flowers and smiling happily. There is a card that says 'For Mom' next to her and a broken flower lying on the ground.
Hand-drawn yellow star with a dark outline on a black background.
Pink heart with a brown border
The word 'epic!' in bold, white, lowercase letters with an exclamation mark, on a black background.
Silhouette of a greyhound with the name Alfred A. Knopf underneath, on a black background.
Black and white logo with circular icons containing white letters 'L' and 'B', and the text 'Little Brown and Company' below.
Logo featuring a stylized figure of a person in a suit and hat dancing or performing, with the text 'Simon & Schuster' below.
Letter A in white on a black background with a gray circle around it
A red neon sign spelling 'Highlights' in cursive.
Logo of a Viking ship with a sail and oars, and the word 'VIKING' below
Drawing of an autumn leaf inside an oval shape.
As a child, I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in busy illustrations and being surprised by story endings.
When I discovered I could make a career in storytelling, there was no turning back! Today, I make art for kids and grown up-kids alike; everything a direct reflection of the world I want to live in. I do my best to create relatable characters, fun pictures for readers to explore, and stories that spark conversations.
Children and an adult playing with falling autumn leaves inside a library, with bookshelves and artwork on the walls.
Cute cartoon illustration of a smiling orange leaf with a face
Colorful crayon drawing of overlapping zigzag lines in red, orange, green, and blue on white paper.
ReneeKurilla_ItsFallPHOTO.jpg
Children's drawing of white daisies with yellow centers and green leaves on a red background.
A cartoon star with a blue interior and pink outline
Even though I began my career as an animator, it seems I was always in the vicinity of children’s books.
My first job was at a Boston based animation studio called Soup2Nuts, where I assisted the character designer for the Discovery Kids TV show, Time Warp Trio.
Not long after my contract ended, a new opportunity opened up at FableVision Studios, a children's educational multimedia company founded by author / illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. I worked at FableVision for 10 years as a Lead Artist, designing all kinds of interactives such as online games, board games, software, books, museum kiosks, websites, animated web series, and more.
I often refer to my time at FableVision as an incubation period because it was there, surrounded by like-minded creatives, where I began to hone in on what I love most about art-making: sequential storytelling. (I even met my husband at FableVision, so it truly was a life changing time!)
In the decade that followed, I illustrated over 60 books for kids– 8 of which I have also authored! I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing folks in publishing who encourage me to steer my creativity in new directions. Above all, it’s an absolute joy to create books and then share them with kids who return that joy, tenfold!
Kurilla, Renée IT'S WINTER! Little, Brown (Children's None) $18.99 10, 1 ISBN: 9780316570138
A look at hallmarks and celebrations of the coldest season.
Winter's here, and there are icicles, snow gear, sledding, and snowball fights, of course. Inside, kids make decorations, snuggle under warm blankets, and sip hot chocolate. We also see kids celebrating a variety of holidays. Children play dreidel and enjoy latkes while a menorah sits in the window. Some hang ornaments on a Christmas tree; others observe Kwanzaa. Youngsters also ring in the new year with "fizzy drinks to clink." Several kids perform a dragon dance on Chinese New Year, and in February, the little ones exchange valentines at school. The scope and vocabulary make this a perfect book to share with preschoolers both in a classroom setting and at home, and the rhyming gives it a read-aloud-friendly cadence. The illustrations perfectly encapsulate the blustery cold of winter as well as the comfort of hunkering down inside, thanks to wisps of wind across windowpanes and cozy, blanketed kids. All the scenes are fully imagined and well drawn, with plenty to observe, from squirrels peeking in at the kids making crafts and a bird's-eye view of the town where a menorah sits in a house and a car sports decorative antlers. The quality rhymes and meaningful illustrations make this a worthy selection. The kids depicted are diverse in terms of race and ability.
A child-friendly tale packed with all things winter.(Picture book. 3-5)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Kurilla, Renee: IT'S WINTER!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A802864993/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=473337dc. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Young, Jessica TODAY AT SCHOOL Knopf (Children's None) $18.99 6, 10 ISBN: 9780593812754
The first day of school brings with it a variety of emotions.
Tomorrow and her sister, Yesterday--a blue bird and a brown bear, respectively--are preparing for the first day of school. Tomorrow is eager for the start of the new year, anticipating the fun they'll have, while Yesterday tries to slow down and remember what was. As the day progresses, the siblings get into an argument ("You might need to slow down. You're always rushing." "If you'd hurry up, I wouldn't have to") that's quickly resolved with the introduction of Yesterday's new friend, an orange fox named Today. During recess, Today takes them to the top of a hill overlooking the town and shows them the beauty of living in the moment. Spotlighting common classroom experiences such as circle time, art class, and show and tell, Young and Kurilla offer a relatable look at the varied feelings associated with back-to-school days. While adults may find the book a bit didactic, many little ones will see themselves in both nostalgic Yesterday and eager Tomorrow. Kurilla's enthusiastic, digitally rendered art is colorful and child-friendly, if a bit busy at times; the all-animal cast are all round shapes and soft lines, and the illustrator uses color-coded speech bubbles to make clear who's speaking.
A sweetly purposeful back-to-school tale threaded with a message of mindfulness.(Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Young, Jessica: TODAY AT SCHOOL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A832991815/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f20bfd41. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
* YOUNG, Jessica. Today at School: With Yesterday and Tomorrow. illus. by Renee Kurilla. 40p. Knopf. Jun. 2025. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593812754.
PreS--Young has written a gentle celebration of yesterday, today, and tomorrow for the novice or experienced school-bound child. Sisters Yesterday and Tomorrow, anthropomorphic animals, are the main characters. They share a bedroom, a classroom, and a table in the lunchroom. Their differing attitudes towards the day and school are highlighted through bubbles of text. Tomorrow has a tendency to pull Yesterday along in a hurry-up manner. Yesterday longs for summer, and Tomorrow is looking forward to spring. The sisters exchange hurtful words over lunch. Following the spat, they meet new friend Today who shows them how to enjoy the current day during recess. Kurilla portrays adorable forest animals wearing typical preschool clothing. One school friend is depicted using a wheelchair. The illustrations, especially the recess time in a field of flowers, are delightful and add a touch of whimsy. Text and illustrations work together to convey expectations for classroom happenings and student behavior. In a Bluey-esque way, the tree where Yesterday and Tomorrow live reflects the reality of having children; the house is rarely perfectly clean. VERDICT A cute social-emotional back-to-school must-purchase.--Sarah Sieg
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Sieg, Sarah. "YOUNG, Jessica. Today at School: With Yesterday and Tomorrow." School Library Journal, vol. 71, no. 5, May 2025, p. 118. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A846210215/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6917b485. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.