Hey! It's me, Caleb

(In A Hurry)

I'm a storyteller and illustrator who creates picture books that resonate with children and adults.

(Time to Spare)

I’m a storyteller and illustrator working in graphite, marker, oil pastel, and digital collage. Heartfelt moments and humor are underlying themes throughout my work as a creator. I have over a decade of experience working with children as a Teaching Assistant and Daycare Provider. While working as a Teaching Assistant at the Cleveland Institute of Art, I further developed my passion for children’s literature. I was fortunate to become friends and connect with many of the children I was helping instruct. As I got to know each of the children, they began sharing their stories and experiences about loneliness, anxiety, and fitting in. Using these interactions as my inspiration, I created stories for them. My continued work on these stories has become my unique driving force. It has allowed me to develop designs that tell a sensitive and expressive story.

click here for a more recent photo of me.

(Caleb) reaches high standards for excellence by his tenacioius spirit and his patient, steady approach with his attention to detail and subtleties. He is a superb craftsman with a highly developed sense of design and composition, which, coupled with both tactile, and digital ability, rivals that of any of his professsional counterparts.

— Dom Scibilia

We need more of Caleb telling stories. We’ll sure try to do our part here at Cricket Media.

— John Sandford

What are Picture Books (to me)?

The quote "Don't hope, cope" by Tomi Ungerer (one of my absolute favorite quotes) perfectly captures what I've learned from nearly a decade in childcare. Children don't always seek happy endings in their play, they aren’t interested in the nice and neat ending or the hopeful message. Instead, they are coping with the things going on in their lives and role-playing the darker elements of life as they continue to make sense of the world and cope with it. This is what makes children's storytelling powerful – it should address mature themes honestly, giving space for kids in grown up conversations and without condescension. These stories should continue to push the envelop of what a picture book is and what it is believed to be. Picture books shouldn't just recycle old narratives with fresh illustrations. They should break new ground and respect children's intelligence. Even bedtime stories should spark imagination. The rich tradition of picture books deserves to be both honored and challenged as the art form continues to be pushed and evolves.

The process itself of creating picture books through writing and illustration is my sanctuary. It centers me, offering a meditative space where I can explore my thoughts and emotions. Through this work, I find my clearest form of self-expression.

What I'm reading

• The Village by Tom Cox
• The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
• The Locked Tombe Series by Tamsyn Muir
• Holes by Louis Sachar
  
  

What I'm listening to

• Oologies
• Shelved by Genre
• You are a Storyteller
• Creative Pep Talk
  
  

What I'm watching

• Survivor
• The Good Place
• Columbo