“In this tale of sled-riding friends, Alexandra Boiger, successfully captures the Olympic spirit. Max and Marla is a story about persistence in pursuing goals and sends a positive message that true Olympians never give up to readers of any age.”
– Elephant Books
» Read the Elephant Books interview
Before I begin to tell you some boring, official and semi-important things about me, I thought I’d start with a few fun facts. And maybe, that’s really all you want to know. Here we go!
#1 I love chocolate and cookies.
#2 I come from a big family. In fact, I am the youngest of seven children: we are six sisters and one brother. Yes, you’ve read that correctly! Now you’re probably thinking: “Oh, the poor boy!” No! He was always loved by many women.
#3 I love to hike. In my childhood, my landscape was defined by chestnut trees and pine tree forests. Today, it’s defined by redwood trees and the Pacific Ocean. Nature is where I decompress and recharge.
Are you ready for the other stuff ? You know..the boring things? Here we go:
I grew up in Munich, Germany, and studied graphic design at the Fachhochschule Augsburg. A career in feature animation at Warner Brothers and Dreamworks first brought me to the UK and finally to the US. Visual storytelling, exploring emotions, psychology, and history is at the core of my work.
The very first picture book I illustrated, While Mama Had a Quick Little Chat, was written by Amy Reichert and published by the legendary Dick Jackson books and was a Fall 2005 Book Sense Pick and a Parents’ Choice Award recipient. Since then, I have illustrated thirty books, several of which I wrote as well. I’ve loved working on all of these projects, but right now, I’m especially excited about my most recent book. Drumroll, please! Bum bang! Coming to you in September 2023… Lola’s Heart a wordless picture book about the power of love.
Some other books I’ve worked on include The New York Times #1 bestseller She Persisted: 13 Women Who Changed the World and its companions, all written by Chelsea Clinton. These nonfiction picture books celebrate inspiring women who had the courage to speak up and show us how one person can make a significant difference in the world. The popular Tallulah series by Marilyn Singer portrays a feisty little dancer and her brother, who also loves to dance.
All of Us by Kathryn Erskine poetically shows young readers how the whole world is a community of people, more similar than we are different.
The Max and Marla books, which I also wrote, explore friendship, kindness, and adversity.
Several of my titles have been translated into different languages. She Persisted, The Musical was the first to be translated for the stage. Some of my work was included in various exhibitions in the US and Japan.
I call Northern California my home and share my life with my husband and daughter.
Helloooo, dear Reader, are you still there? Because, well…look!
P.S. Fun fact #4 I was told that…ON OCCASION, I snore. There you have it.
P.P.S. We have a very furry, loving cat, and my daughter, who lives mostly at a far-away college, has a very loving dog. His coat is short and smooth. I just thought you’d like to know.