Meet the author

John Hare.

Writer & illustrator · United States

John Hare: American author-illustrator whose warm, comic art brings a pencil's autobiography to life in Stubby, a funny, STEM-flavoured read-aloud for ages 4-8.

John Hare is an American author-illustrator, freelance graphic designer and self-confessed space nerd whose picture books pair clean, characterful art with quiet wit. He illustrates Sydra Mallery's Stubby: A Pencil's Journey (2026), the gloriously theatrical autobiography of a pencil narrated by Stubby himself, from towering cedar tree to well-loved stub - a funny read-aloud that sneaks in real science about how everyday objects are made. Warm, comic and full of heart, his work turns humble subjects into unlikely heroes and leaves children looking again at the things around them. A dependable picture-book illustrator, and author-illustrator of his own wordless adventures, for ages 4-8.