I’ve lived in big cities in the U.S. and Italy and all those busy faces and places usually sneak up somewhere in my stories. Being bilingual in English and Italian informs my work in unexpected ways.

I have a degree in Creative Writing from Bard College and studied painting and illustration throughout my life.

Robin Rosenthal and I co-founded the children’s illustration blog Pen & Oink. This has allowed me to interview many heroes since 2012. I also run the Illustrator Spotlight at Linden Tree Books, a rotating monthly display celebrating children’s book illustrators.

I illustrated THE INVITATION, a picture book by Jennifer Phillips for Room to Read’s Peace and Equality Book Collection. The story features neurodiversity and inclusion.

You can find my comic strip Nutty Conversations in SundayHaha every Sunday.

ruthielafond [at] gmail [dot] com

instagram: @ruthielafond

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