Violet Lemay

As a girl in the happy land of St. Louis, Missouri, Violet Lemay was always drawing and making things with her hands. When she grew up, she became a costume and set designer and moved to New York City. Even though she loved her work and living in NYC, Violet realized that her true dream was to illustrate books for children. She moved south to attend a school for illustrators. Since then, Violet has illustrated nearly 50 books for children, including 8 which she also wrote. Her most recent, "Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, won nine awards including Reading the West's Best Picture Book and the Hoffer Grand Prize. Violet grew up in the middle of the US. As an adult, she's lived in China, Malysia, and New Zealand, but she'll always be a midwestern girl at heart.