Indie Bookstores 'Have Played a Fundamental Role in My Becoming an Illustrator'
"Indie bookstores, particularly children's bookstores, have played a fundamental role in my becoming an illustrator (and also libraries). When I was starting out, I spent a long time looking at, reading, and buying picture books in order to study the form, but also to familiarize myself with certain publishers and how they chose their stories. 
What worked and didn't work? Who were the publishers I could possibly contact and work with that had an affinity with what I was doing?
"Bookstores are a great way to study the picture book form, the market, and current trends. Libraries and second-hand stores are great to form a historical knowledge of picture books. Novels have [also] been a great resource for me."
--Felicita Sala, author of Bored (Neal Porter Books), which is the #1 January/February 2026 Kids' Indie Next List pick, in a q&a with Bookselling This Week
