Meet the author

Kathryn Durst.

Illustrator · Canada

Kathryn Durst: Canadian illustrator (of Paul McCartney's Hey Grandude!) whose charcoal-and-gouache art powers the silly, fourth-wall-breaking read-aloud Whale, That Was Unexpected, for ages 3-7.

Kathryn Durst is a Canadian illustrator, a Sheridan College graduate and former Pixar intern based in Toronto, whose lively, character-rich art has brought a string of picture books to life, including Paul McCartney's Hey Grandude! She illustrates Casey Lyall's Whale, That Was Unexpected (2026), a cumulative, fourth-wall-breaking sea story in which a crusty fisherwoman and her scruffy dog are swallowed by a whale and simply decide to throw a farewell party, rewriting the guest list as more creatures tumble in. Her charcoal-and-gouache illustrations give the pair enormous personality in a gloriously silly, laugh-out-loud read-aloud. A dependable, warm-and-funny picture-book illustrator for ages 3-7.