SATA
ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: I’m Always Loving You
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://acamydesigns.com/
CITY: Las Vegas
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two; first name is pronounced uh-kay-me.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and illustrator.
WRITINGS
Author has illustrated numerous coloring books.
SIDELIGHTS
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2024, review of Not My Cat; October 15, 2024, review of I’m Always Loving You.
Publishers Weekly, September 30, 2024, review of I’m Always Loving You, p. 51.
ONLINE
Acamy Schleikorn website, https://acamydesigns.com/ (April 27, 2025).
Sub It Club, https://subitclub.com/ (February 19, 2025), author interview.
Weyakin Designs, https://www.weyakindesigns.com/ (April 29, 2024), author interview.
Children’s Book Illustrator | Author | Hand Lettering Artist
Acamy Schleikorn
Acamy Schleikorn is an illustrator and author from Las Vegas. From a young age, she knew that she wanted to make a difference in a child’s life. Her favorite thing about writing and illustration is that a world can be formed out of nothing. It is very important to Acamy that her work reflects the diverse world that we live in. When people see her work, she wants them to feel beautiful, valued, and encouraged.
Acamy identifies most with the black community and wants to birth stories that reflect the strength and joy they experience on a daily basis. She creates her illustrations digitally making sure to bring aspects of texture and wonder to her work to give it more of a traditional feel. When she isn’t illustrating, she is spending time with her husband and two children laughing and making memories.
Acamy Schleikorn is an illustrator from Las Vegas. She began drawing at a very young age and was encouraged by her grandma to keep going. As an adult, she discovered the magical world of children’s books, and became passionate about creating stories that make a difference in a child’s life and reflect the diverse world that we live in. Anytime she creates art, she wants it to bring some kind of good into a world filled with a lot of hurt. She is inspired by her two children to create work that they will love, enjoy, and see themselves in.
She loves to illustrate joyful Black characters with big dreams, and Black characters rocking their natural hair. Acamy’s hair was chemically straightened ever since she was a child. It wasn’t until she was an adult that she started her natural hair journey and learned about the true texture of her hair, finally learning to love it. She wants Black children to see that their hair is beautiful no matter what their texture is, too.
When she isn’t illustrating, she is spending time going on adventures with her husband and two children.
The Postcard Post: Acamy Schleikorn
Sub It Club is thrilled to welcome Acamy Schleikorn to The Postcard Post. I saw Acamy’s work and postcard on Twitter. Yet another way to get your postcards out there!
Acamy Schleikorn is a children’s book illustrator and hand lettering artist. She was raised in Las Vegas and started creating art from a very young age. She always knew that she wanted to do something to make a difference in a child’s life. After exploring hand lettering and digital illustration, she discovered the magical world of children’s books. She is passionate about creating meaningful stories and illustrations that children can identify with, especially those that are underrepresented. Acamy wants to tell stories that instill hope, spark joy, and inspire creativity. It’s a success in her eyes when a child can see themselves and connect with the characters and stories she brings to life. She is inspired by nature and people who persevere through hardships. When she isn’t illustrating or writing, she is spending time with her husband and children. She also loves playing guitar and going on adventures.
How do you choose the image(s) for a postcard?
I tend to choose illustrations that highlight a character and their interaction with the environment. I also want the character to show some type of emotion* or action rather than an uninteresting, static pose. The goal is to grab the viewer’s attention and keep them interested in seeing more. You want something with a strong narrative. Show your very best work!
*Yes! Showing emotion is more likely to evoke an emotion in the viewer and that’s key.
Digital Postcard: no front or back so all the contact info accompanies the image
Do you prefer text on the front of the postcard with the image or do you prefer all text on the back of the postcard?
At this time, I only create digital postcards.* In fact, I have never sent out a physical postcard to promote my work. That being said, everything is shown on the front of the image.
*Ha! I suddenly feel very old 😉 During the pandemic, lockdowns, illustrators stopped sending postcards via snailmail but some art directors and editors are back in their offices and would like to receive physical postcards. Digital is another option now and some prefer that.
Do you create illustrations specifically for your self-promotion pieces?
I haven’t created an illustration specifically for a postcard. However, the illustrations I choose for my postcards are always images straight from my portfolio, which is carefully curated to highlight my best work.
Some illustrators create a series of postcards and send them out over time. Do you create a series or stand-alone images?
I have never created a series. I have created digital, stand-alone postcards to share on Twitter during #KidLitArtPostcard which occurs once every month.*
*Illustrators: you can use this hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. Really brightens up the feeds in social media.
Lots of emotion!
How often do you send out postcards?
This year, I plan on participating in the Twitter event I mentioned above every month. I participated this past year twice, so I want to be consistent from here on out! It never hurts using events like this to put yourself out there.* It should be easy now that I have created a template in Procreate, so I can easily update and edit my postcard!
*So true!
Who do you target with your mailings?
When I initially started participating in the Twitter postcard event, I was unagented. At that time, I was targeting agents since I was seeking representation and my goal was to be traditionally published one day. Now, my goal is just to simply get my work out there, so I want to target the people making children’s publishing decisions (art directors, editors, etc). That way, if they like my work and want to work with me, they can then contact my agent from there.
Do you have any tips on the production process?
I primarily use Procreate to create my illustrations as well as my postcard! My tip would be to create a template in whatever program you want to use for your postcard. Add all of the information needed to it such as your name, what you do, your website, social media, etc. I also added a cute picture of myself that I illustrated. After you have all of your basic information in, make sure you have an area where you can drop in the illustration(s) that you want to use. You can choose to do one image only or you can make a collage of your favorite pieces. Get creative! The possibilities are endless with the colors you could use as well as how you arrange it!
In the postcard that I created, everything on the left (my basic information) generally stays the same, unless there is something that I want to change as I grow as an artist. When it’s time to update my featured illustration, I simply replace the image on the right. It makes updating my postcard a breeze; it’s super easy.
Big thanks to Acamy for sharing her work and tips! I’m so glad to have our first digital postcard. Any art directors and editors out there: let us know your preferences for receiving postcards: digitally or via postal mail.
See more for Acamy here:
Website: www.acamydesigns.com
Instagram: @acamydesigns
Twitter: @acamydesigns
Facebook: Acamy Designs
If you’re joining us for the first time at The Postcard Post, you can catch up with a general article on postcard mailings for illustrators and previous featured illustrators in the archive(there’s a tab above too). And you can see recent posts by sear
KidLit Connection: Getting to Know Illustrator, Acamy Schleikorn
Posted on April 29, 2024.
Two children play in a living room with a space ship made out of a cardboard box. A playful illustration by Acamy Schleikorn.
Illustration by Acamy Schleikorn
Illustrator and author, Acamy Schleikorn smiles in an outdoor garden backdrop. Academy is a Black woman with glasses, hair in locs, and in this photo wears a floral blouse.
The latest KidLit Connection interview is here! And I’m so excited to celebrate a very happy book birthday with illustrator, Acamy Schleikorn! This past week, Acamy celebrated the release of her debut book, NOT MY CAT, written by Stacy Patton, published by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers. Acamy is an illustrator and writer from Las Vegas who creates stories and art that celebrate diversity and joy in the Black community. Her illustrations have a focus on family, friendship, joy, and imagination with a unique and playful style, using digital tools with a textural, traditional feel.
In this interview, Acamy shares more about her process, what inspires her, and more about her new book and upcoming projects. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Acamy as a critique partner in the past and it’s been a joy to see her grow and bloom in her picture book career. I can’t wait for you to learn more and read her new book!
An Interview with Children’s Book Illustrator and Author, Acamy Schleikorn
Can you tell us more about yourself? What do you love about illustrating books and what inspires you and your art?
For those that don’t know, my name is pronounced uh-kay-me and I absolutely love my name! I’m a wife and mom. When I’m not illustrating, I’m spending time with my family, practicing piano, or baking anything sourdough. My favorite thing about illustrating picture books is that I get to include snippets of my own world into my art. I love expressing myself in that way. The very things that make me who I am can be seen sprinkled throughout a lot of my art. For example, I love laughing, so you’ll see a lot of joy and heartwarming scenes depicted in my art. I think it’s awesome because we can never have too much joy in our lives, right?! It’s truly my favorite thing to illustrate. Honestly, all kinds of things inspire me like nature, my family and other art. I like reminding myself that there is inspiration all around me if I take the time to notice it.
How did you get your start illustrating picture books? We’d love to know more about the path you took to get here.
Before I was an illustrator, I was a hand lettering artist that focused on weddings. I’d hand letter wedding welcome signs, seating charts, table cards, and all kinds of other things. It was cool, but it became repetitive for me, and I just wasn’t fulfilled. Once I discovered the world of picture books, it was a wrap. I was hooked and in love. I have a heart for children, so this was a perfect way for me to do something that would impact them in a positive way. I posted a lot of my artwork on social media when I was just starting out. My agent actually found me using the #PortfolioDay hashtag on Twitter. It was truly a blessing, because I didn’t even realize I had that kind of potential at the time. My agent is awesome, because she is able to draw out the gold in me that I didn’t know was there. When my agent emailed me about an inquiry she received for me to illustrate NOT MY CAT for the first time, I was shocked! The amazing journey I was on became so much more real!
Your debut picture book, NOT MY CAT (written by Stacey Patton and published by Simon & Schuster), is a funny story about Staceypants who says she doesn’t want a cat, but somehow finds herself with a cat who chooses to adopt her. Can you tell us more about this book?
The book cover for NOT MY CAT by Stacy Patton and illustrated by Aacamy Schleikorn. A Black woman with locs sits on a sidewalk with a grey cat leading up to a yellow house.
Absolutely! The thing I love about NOT MY CAT is that it is based on real events that happened between Stacey Patton (AKA Staceypants in the story) and the cat who “wasn’t hers”. This made me feel as though I was putting a new lens on reality with my illustrations as opposed to creating my own world. There’s definitely a greater level of care that goes into projects like this because you want to represent the things that happened both accurately and creatively. The publisher sent me several images of Stacey with her cat, so I took it upon myself to bring some of that to life. The cat yoga scene in the book is based off of a real photo! So fun!
What were your favorite parts about working on NOT MY CAT? Was there anything you found challenging with this project?
I actually enjoyed so much about working on this book! But if I had to narrow it down, I’d say I loved the fact that the main character had locs and crazy pants! I also have locs, so it was a connection point to the author for me. And drawing crazy pants… well, that’s just fun! I was really able to let my creativity shine and come up with different patterns and colors that I could only dream of having on my pants.
The challenging thing about this project is that… believe it or not, I had never really illustrated a cat before this! It’s one thing drawing a cat, but it’s another thing drawing the same cat in different poses and making sure it’s consistent throughout. Sometimes the body would be too long or wouldn’t be hairy enough in some scenes. So it was basically trial and error for me to figure out what worked best. I actually love these types of challenges, though! You say yes and figure out the details along the way!
Two pages from NOT MY CAT. On the left a woman does yoga on a porch with her cat. On the right, the same woman lies on a blanket outside with her cat. Illustrated by Acamy Schleikorn.
A spread from the book NOT MY CAT, by Stacy Patton and illustrated by Acamy Schleikorn
You also have another book you illustrated coming out at the end of the year called I’M ALWAYS LOVING YOU (written by Kathy Wolff). Can you tell us more about illustrating this book?
Of course! This book is so personal to me. Once I read the manuscript, it was an immediate yes to illustrate this book. As a mother myself, I could relate to every single word (well almost, because there is a line about coffee in there, and I am definitely not a coffee person at all, haha). For the illustrations, I decided on following three different family units throughout the story. I wanted to be as inclusive as I could because all families are different. The first family is a family of four that consists of a mother, father, son, and daughter. The second family is a single father with his daughter, and the third family is a grandmother with her grandson. I cycle through each of these families throughout the pages to show how love expresses itself in different ways. Some of the scenes have a bit of humor that I believe many parents/caregivers can relate to while other scenes are very sweet. I poured my heart out onto those pages!
How would you compare illustrating your first book to your second book? How were the experiences different or similar?
I loved both experiences, but they were very different! For NOT MY CAT, since it was based on a true story about the author, there were certain qualities about the main character, the cat, and the surrounding environment that I needed to make sure I incorporated into the art. So I had a little bit of art direction with that one, but it wasn’t so much that it was overbearing. I was still able to pour myself into the art like I usually do. I really enjoyed it!
For I’M ALWAYS LOVING YOU, it was more of a free for all! I was able to simply read the manuscript and illustrate whatever I wanted to. That felt like a lot of freedom compared to my first book and allowed me to incorporate even more qualities from my life into the story. For example, one of the family units shown in the book… is a direct reflection of my own family! I was very intentional about every little detail and finding ways to tell a separate story from the manuscript itself.
A wooden desk with an iPad and MacBook on top with a black chair and some white filing drawers below.
We’d love to know more about how you work and make your art. Can you share more about your creative process and tools?
All of my illustrations are created digitally using an app on my iPad Pro called Procreate. It’s a powerhouse! My favorite thing about it is the ease of working anywhere. If I want to work at my desk, cool! If I want to work on the couch, also cool! It’s convenient because I don’t have to worry about cleaning up any art supplies; I can easily grab my iPad and go! I recently just built my own desk out of butcher block, and I absolutely love it. I’ve fallen asleep way too many times on my bed while “working” on my iPad, so this will be helpful. It’s way easier to focus at my desk!
What is your biggest hope for your work as a children’s book creator?
Honestly, my biggest hope for my work is that children will be able to see themselves in my art. I am a firm believer that representation in picture books is so important. I didn’t see enough of myself growing up and I want to ensure that children today have a bunch of options! And as a Black woman, I want to be able to connect to Black girls specifically. That’s also why I love drawing natural hairstyles! I want to remind them that however their hair grows out of their hair is perfect and beautiful! Another one of my dreams is to have my author-illustrator debut! I don’t yet have a polished story for my agent to start querying yet, but I’ve been trying to work toward that.
What is something you’d like to share with other illustrators wanting to break into this industry?
Be yourself! Your art should be a reflection of you and have a unique voice. If you are weird, show that in your art! If you love drawing food or astronauts, make sure those specific things can be found in your portfolio! And don’t include anything you aren’t 100% happy with or anything you don’t enjoy drawing. Always keep working on your craft and asking the right people for feedback! Be okay with making mistakes and creating art you aren’t proud of. It’s all a part of the process, and sometimes you have to crawl through the mud to find some gold.
Learn More About illustrator and author Acamy Schleikorn
An illustration of a young Black girl with vitiligo and her hair in bantu knots, wearing a red jumper. Art by Acamy Schleikorn.
To learn more about Acamy, see more of her work, and follow her on social media, check out these links:
Visit Acamy Schleikorn’s Website
Buy a copy of NOT MY CAT, out now!
Follow Acamy on Instagram
Follow Acamy on Twitter/X
Follow Acamy on Facebook
Follow Acamy on BlueSky
Acamy is represented for children’s books by Claire Morance at Painted Words.
Patton, Stacey NOT MY CAT Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $18.99 4, 23 ISBN: 9781665927963
Is "Not My Cat" the right name for this feline?
Staceypants, a Black artist and gardener who wears colorful trousers, lives in a quiet neighborhood and does not like messes. When a fluffy gray cat appears, Staceypants sets out some tuna. But Staceypants is far too busy for a cat--plus, they scratch the furniture and use a litter box, YUCK!--so the feline is dubbed "Not My Cat." The cat might have other ideas, however. She continues to visit, and the two of them do yoga, eat breakfast, take selfies, sunbathe, and nap. Where does Not My Cat go when she's not with Staceypants? "Maybe, like me, she spends a lot of time alone. Maybe, like me, she is cautious about making friends and keeping them too." One day, Not My Cat doesn't show up. One day turns into many. After weeks of worry, Not My Cat returns, and a joyful Staceypants realizes that maybe the cat needs a name change. Inspired by the author's own experiences (photos of Patton and her cat are appended), this is a sly, sweet tale of friendship. Staceypants' musings on Not My Cat's whereabouts hint at yearnings--and fears--of making new connections. The digitally rendered illustrations pop with texture and color; they're a fine match for the text and make it clear that a real friendship is blossoming.
Sure to be catnip for all cat fans, whether reluctant or enthusiastic. (Picture book. 3-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Patton, Stacey: NOT MY CAT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A782202723/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d41f4a1c. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
Wolff, Kathy I'M ALWAYS LOVING YOU Bloomsbury (Children's None) $18.99 12, 17 ISBN: 9781547614202
Some things can't be shared often enough.
Throughout this cheery book, narrated in jaunty verse, several diverse families explain that they always love each other. Relying on energetic, colorful digital illustrations that brim with warmth and humor, this tale demonstrates that love's all around and can and should be declared every day, everywhere, whether families are together or apart, and in a variety of settings and circumstances: home, school, the playground, and more. Exactly who's sharing this beautiful message isn't always apparent on each page: Is it a parent with a child? A child with parents? One parent with another? Does it matter? Love can and should be expressed by anyone--and this is a wonderful tale that can be shared by any reader seeking cheery affirmation. On one spread, for instance, a parent and child are trying out new hairstyles before a mirror; the accompanying text reads, "I love you when you brush your hair / and try out something new." Either the parent or the child could be expressing this feeling, or each could be saying it to the other in turn; either option works, and it's satisfying to believe that both parent and child are freely expressing their love. In the end, though, the day clearly begins and concludes with a sweet and fitting parental declaration of love.
A joyful read for families and a thoughtful gift at baby showers and for new parents.(Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Wolff, Kathy: I'M ALWAYS LOVING YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811898398/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d2357cc0. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
I'm Always Loving You
Kathy Wolff, illus. by Acamy Schleikorn. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5476-1420-2
A bevy of adult caretakers characterize the unconditional love they feel for children in their lives throughout this sunny picture book. Wolff's warm rhyming stanzas ("I love you when the answer's yes,// and also when it's no...// ...when we're sitting sorta quiet/ or we need to go-go-go!") and Schleikorn's cheery digital illustrations capture tender, relatable moments within the daily routines of families of varied skin tones and configurations. Whether it's dancing together or dealing with disappointment, the children and adults are all buoyed by their solid bond. A family rushing out the door, with kids in tow and tote bags aplenty, is among the spot-on scenes across this steadying message of everlasting adoration. Ages 3-6. (Dec.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"I'm Always Loving You." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 37, 30 Sept. 2024, p. 51. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811729308/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2b4e3bf0. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.