RISE × Penguin Workshop – Praise

Publishing books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers is an immense responsibility. At RISE, we have the power to inspire our readers to become a generation of empowered, confident, self-loving, empathetic, and resilient people… all through the power of exposure. Every book we publish serves to help children feel smart, capable, important, safe, and loved.

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RISE × Penguin Workshop – Submissions

Publishing books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers is an immense responsibility. At RISE, we have the power to inspire our readers to become a generation of empowered, confident, self-loving, empathetic, and resilient people… all through the power of exposure. Every book we publish serves to help children feel smart, capable, important, safe, and loved.

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Tiara Kittrell, Editor

Tiara Kittrell is an editor, acquiring picture books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, and nonfiction across all categories for the Putnam Young Readers imprint. Prior to joining Penguin Random House, she was an associate editor at Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, where she had she acquired books by Alyssa Cole and Nia Davenport. Tiara first entered…

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Kim Sandve, Publishing Assistant

Kim Sandve is a publishing assistant at Viking Children’s Books. She began her publishing career as a member of the Writers House Intern Program. In May of 2023, Kim graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in communications studies (with a specialization in film studies!) and minors in English and creative writing.…

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Ellice Lee, Senior Art Director

Ellice Lee, senior art director of Philomel, joined the team in 2017. She holds a BA in sociology from UCLA and a BFA from Art Center College of Design. Ellice has worked with award-winning talent including Alexandra Boiger, Rafael López, Loren Long, LeUyen Pham, Christian Robinson, Kadir Nelson, Ed Young, and Floyd Cooper. Titles she…

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Rae Peckman, Senior Designer

Rae is a Philadelphia based designer with a love for thoughtful and intentional design. They believe that good design should bring joy, clarity and hope to others. Rae holds a BFA in Graphic and Interactive Design from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Prior to joining the RISE team in 2022, they worked at Running…

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AZ Hackett, Editorial Assistant

AZ Hackett is an editorial assistant at Viking Children’s Books, assisting Tamar Brazis and Jenny Bak. She began her publishing career as an editorial intern at Candlewick Press and a We Need Diverse Books grantee. AZ has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (Emerson College) and a Master of Fine Arts degree (the New School) in…

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Rocky Pond

Rocky Pond Books is Penguin’s newest children’s and YA imprint, with its first titles set to launch in Spring 2023. The imprint will publish books for two through teen, both fiction and nonfiction, with a primary focus on mental health and social-emotional learning.

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Asiya Ahmed, Junior Designer 

Junior Designer Asiya Ahmed is a Black and South Asian Muslim creative, and currently lives in New York. A graduate with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations, she has a Certificate in Visualization and Design and worked as a graphic designer for four years before joining Kokila. She believes in transforming powerful narratives through literature and…

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