Meet the author

Carson Ellis.

Writer & illustrator · United States · b. 1975

Carson Ellis: American Caldecott-Honor illustrator behind Du Iz Tak?, Home and the Wildwood Chronicles cover art — meticulous, Edwardian-inflected literary picture books for ages 4–10.

Carson Ellis is an American illustrator born in 1975, best known for Du Iz Tak? (Caldecott Honor), a picture book in a wholly invented insect language, and for Home (her own author-illustrated picture book) and the cover illustration for the Wildwood Chronicles by her husband Colin Meloy. Ellis's style is meticulous, painterly and slightly Edwardian-Edward-Gorey-inflected, with strong design sense and quiet emotional precision. She also illustrated The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events soundtracks artwork. A core literary-picture-book illustrator for ages 4–10, with strong giftability for adult co-readers.