Penguin Workshop

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Overview

At Penguin Workshop, we make great books for every kind of reader, from birth through teen. Here, you’ll find unique board books, beautiful picture books, laugh-out-loud chapter books, the New York Times Best-Selling Who HQ series, Mad Libs, and Penguin’s award-winning leveled reader program.

We make readers laugh. We make readers feel accomplished. We make readers.

Meet the Team

Francesco Sedita, President & Publisher

Francesco Sedita is the publisher of Penguin Workshop, where he works with an incredible team of people.  Together, they make lots of things.  Things like books of all shapes and sizes, from the sweetest of board books and pictures books like Jessica Hische’s Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave to Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.  And series like Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth’s Klawde, about an evil alien warlord cat who really is just looking for a friend on planet Earth.  And beautiful middle-grade like She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) by the incomparable Ann Hood.

Francesco and the Workshop team also make the bestselling Who HQ series—and even made the Emmy Award winning and hilarious The Who Was? Show on Netflix.

Daniel Moreton, VP & Publisher, Grosset & Dunlap, Brands & Licenses

As VP & Publisher, Grosset & Dunlap, Brands & Licenses, Daniel oversees both Art and Design, and Licensing Acquisitions for the group. He collaborates on the development of more than 250 books a year, including Penguin Young Readers Licenses, Mad Libs, The World of Eric Carle, Grosset & Dunlap, and the New York Times Best-Selling series, Who Was?

Daniel has spent the last thirty in children’s publishing and entertainment products. He has worked for some of the leaders in books and television, including Scholastic, Disney, Nickelodeon, and Simon & Schuster. Daniel loves to work collaboratively to create new and innovative experiences for children.

Rob Valois, VP, Associate Publisher, Editorial Director, Penguin Workshop

Rob Valois edits commercial middle grade fiction and the occasional picture book or YA novel.  

Cecily Kaiser, Vice President & Publisher

Cecily Kaiser joined Penguin in 2019 with a mission to create engaging, empowering, and elegant books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. She has previously worked with major contributors to this category such as Norman Bridwell, Caroline Jayne Church, Barney Saltzberg, Jean Jullien, Leslie Patricelli, Chris Raschka, and Lotta Nieminen, and looks forward to continuing to publish groundbreaking talent for the youngest readers.

Cecily was previously the Children’s Publisher at Phaidon Press, and prior to that, launched the Appleseed imprint for 0-5 year olds at Abrams Books. She began her career almost 20 years ago at Scholastic, first as a Book Clubs manager, and then as Editorial Director of the Cartwheel imprint for 0-6 year olds. Cecily earned a degree in child development at Tufts University and a Masters in Business from NYU. She is devoted to her young readership, bringing a developmental perspective to her editorial work, and a commitment to ingenuity.

Cecily relishes the inspiration and support she receives from her husband, David, and their two young children, Ezra and Billie. Together, they share music, books, plants, chocolate & snuggles.

Paula Manzanero, Director of Who HQ and Nonfiction Publishing

Paula Manzanero edits the Who Was? series as well as the ancillary titles of the WHO HQ brand, such as activity books, journals, and joke books. She also publishes dynamic nonfiction on a wide variety of subjects for ages 8 and up.

Renee Kelly, Executive Editor

Renee Kelly is an Executive Editor acquiring early readers, picture books, chapter books, and select middle grade.

She’s drawn to diverse, dynamic voices and seeks stories that focus on friendship, humor, and the nuances of growing up. She hopes to see more narratives that explore neurodivergence, gender identity, and social justice. Above all, she aspires to publish books that are inspiring, inclusive, and entertaining.

Renee earned her BA in English at Rutgers University with a brief stint abroad at University College London. She adores animals, including her constant companion, a miniature poodle named Buddy.

Nick Magliato, Senior Editor

Nick Magliato edits and acquires titles across a wide range of categories and formats. On his lists, you can find both fiction and nonfiction and board books and YA novels — and everything in between. A lot of his publishing is informed by seasonal and pop culture trends.

Brian Clark, Senior Editor Mad Libs

Brian Clark earned his MA degree in Children’s Media/TV Writing & Gender Studies from NYU, his BA in English at the University of Miami and is a former member of the Groundlings Sunday Company Improv/Comedy Troupe. Prior to joining the Penguin Random House team in 2019 as the editor of the Mad Libs brand, Brian worked as a freelance TV writer, producer, author and editor, based in Los Angeles. Brian and the rest of the writing team received an Emmy nomination for their work on The Who Was? Show on Netflix (based on the highly successful Penguin Random House book series). Brian loves Mad Libs because he loves comedy and part of speech equally! Well, almost equally!

Elizabeth Lee, Senior Editor

Elizabeth Lee is a senior editor dedicated to showcasing and uplifting marginalized voices, particularly in stories that push storytelling boundaries and center around joy, hope, and healing. She primarily acquires contemporary and light fantasy middle grade and young adult fiction and graphic novels, as well as the select, lyrical picture book. Her titles include HOW TO SPEAK IN SPANGLISH (Target Book Club Pick), LEI AND THE FIRE GODDESS (ALA Notable Social Studies Book,  Amazon Best Book of the Month, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year), instant New York Times Bestseller DOLLY PARTON’S BILLY THE KID MAKES IT BIG, and HOME IN A LUNCHBOX (Junior Library Guild Selection), among many others. 

An alumna of Barnard College of Columbia University, Elizabeth previously edited novels and picture books at Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers after interning at Macmillan, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. When Elizabeth is not editing, she writes novels under the pen name E. L. Shen. These include The Comeback, The Queens of New York (YALSA and NYPL Best YA Fiction Book of the Year), and Maybe It’s a Sign. 

Alex Wolfe, Associate Editor

Alex Wolfe is an associate editor who works on picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, and everything in between. She is particularly passionate about fiction that emphasizes humor, strong female characters, distinctive artwork, joyful stories, and anything weird, whimsical, and absurd! When not editing, you can usually find her listening to a comedy podcast, watching musical theater, or drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Tyiana Combs, Assistant Editor

Tyiana is an assistant editor who works on picture books, leveled readers, middle grade titles and YA. She has a specific interest in character-driven narratives that focus on telling various stories of people of color, with an emphasis on Black fantasy tales, Black contemporary and romance works and historical fiction projects. Overall, she hopes to publish books that children will carry throughout their entire lives to ensure readers feel seen, heard, and represented at every stage of life.

Celina Sun, Assistant Editor

Celina Sun is an assistant editor at Penguin Workshop, where she edits the Who HQ graphic novel line as well as select illustrated fiction. Celina looks to champion joyful, escapist stories by underrepresented voices that capture all the tender and thorny emotions of growing up, falling in love, and navigating evolving relationships with friends, family, and oneself. 

She’s especially drawn to voice-y, character-driven commercial middle grade and YA in the contemporary realistic and fantasy spaces, as well as picture books and graphic novels that take full advantage of their format. She’d love to see fresh takes on beloved tropes, irresistible characters, and sparkly, propulsive writing.