Katie

Mazeika

Award Winning Children’s Author

Non-Fiction & Fiction Children’s Writer & Illustrator

Travels from: Cleveland, OH

“A sweeping biography of an influential woman…and Mazeika’s text deftly balances her subject’s varied career. The illustrations have soft edges and strong, textured colors…” — Kirkus Reviews

Katie Mazeika is an award-winning author and illustrator specializing in telling stories based on real people and events. She is passionate about highlighting disabled voices in her work.

Her author/illustrator debut, Annette Feels Free: The True Story of Annette Kellerman, World-Class Swimmer, Fashion Pioneer, and Real-Life Mermaid, was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, a CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book, a Banks Street Best Book of the Year, 2023, and a Northen Lights Book Award winner. She is also the illustrator of numerous other books, including three books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul: Babies series. Her other books include Beulah Has a Hunch! Inside the Colorful Mind of Master Inventor Beulah Louise Henry (2023) about prolific and neurodivergent inventor Beulah Henry, and Maybe Just Ask Me (2024), loosely based on Katie’s own childhood experiences as a kid who wore an eyepatch.

As a picture book creator, Katie believes all children should see themselves in books and that neurodiversity and disability should be talked about openly rather than treated as something to be ashamed of.

When she’s not drawing, writing, or visiting schools and libraries, Katie enjoys gardening or reading other people’s books. Katie currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Katie's Featured Titles

Grades 2 and up: All About Biographies

Katie will go through the steps of writing and illustrating a picture book biography, starting with research. She’ll go over primary, secondary, and surprise sources using examples from ANNETTE FEELS FREE and BEULAH HAS A HUNCH. Katie will discuss how and where to find facts, how to tell if a source is reliable, and why Wikipedia is NOT a good source. (Katie will even share her secret on how to use Wikipedia the right way.)
Next, Katie will ask “What do we do with the facts?” She’ll share how she turns facts into a full story with a beginning, middle, and satisfying ending. She’ll also discuss how she looks for the individual within those facts and brings their character, personality, and story to life with illustrations. Again, using examples from ANNETTE FEELS FREE and BEULAH HAS A HUNCH.
This is a great presentation for a large group or assembly and can be tailored to accommodate any age above 2nd grade. (45-60 min)

All ages: The Life of a Picture Book-from idea to the printed page (Can be paired with a reading and Q&A).

Katie will read one or two of her books and discuss how a book gets made and everyone involved. She’ll include a (virtual) peak behind the scenes of her studio space. Katie will share early text drafts, revisions, first sketches, and initial artwork. This presentation emphasizes that even professional writers and artists spend time revising and redrawing to produce what is printed on the page. This presentation would work for a large or small group. (45-60min.)

PreK-K: Everyone Has Big Emotions! (paired with a reading)

PreK-K: Everyone Has Big Emotions! (paired with a reading)
Katie will read EVERYONE SHARES (EXCEPT CAT) and EVERYONE SAYS PLEASE (EXCEPT CAT). Then the group will talk about all the feelings Cat expresses in both books. Afterward, students spend time drawing their own favorite animal’s big emotions. Great for a smaller group! (30-50min.)

4th grade and up: Annette and Beulah at the turn of the 20th Century (with book readings and Q & A)

Katie will discuss the lives of Annette Kellerman and Beulah Henry in detail beyond the books. They were born only a year apart and spent parts of their lives in the same city. Katie will compare and contrast how the time period and environment shaped each woman. She will also discuss with the students how each woman responded to their disability.
Lastly, the students will take the facts and add some creativity with a writing prompt: Imagine Annette and Beulah if they were born in the 21st Century. What would they be doing, where would they live, and what would they be like?

4th grade and up: Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors (book reading and Q&A included)

Katie will start by introducing her favorite books as a young reader. She’ll discuss why these were favorites and talk about her own childhood disability. Katie will introduce to students the concept of books as “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors.” Then students will list their favorite books and which category they fit into. All students will be invited to share their list and discuss their book picks. This presentation can work for small or large groups.

“Our patrons really enjoyed Katie’s visit! She engaged very well with both the children and the adults as she read Annette Feels Free and led them through an age-appropriate activity. We were happy to have her.” — McKinley Memorial Library

“Mazeika observes how Annette’s physical disability led her to her life’s passion, setting her on the path of success and breaking boundaries. Annette’s legacy in competitive, artistic, and recreational swimming is undeniable, and Mazeika’s text deftly balances her subject’s varied career. Swim-pressive!” — Kirkus

“{ANNETTE FEELS FREE} is an enthralling introduction to a remarkable woman, and the splashy, stylized illustrations bring her vividly to life with a real sense of movement and play, while detailed endnotes and fabulous photographs round out the already intriguing story.” — Booklist

Annette Feels Free Curriculum Guide

Honors, Awards & Recognition

CBC Notable Social Studies Book
Banks Street Book List, Best Books of the Year 2023
Northern Lights Book Award
JLG Gold Standard Selection

Media clips

The News-Herald | Mentor’s Katie Mazeika hopes to inspire with her children’s book ‘Annette Feels Free’

Writers’ Rumpus | MEET THE AMAZINGLY TALENTED AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR, KATIE MAZEIKA!

The Children’s Book Review | Katie Mazeika Discusses Annette Feels Free

Whatwason | Katie Mazeika-What Was on Her

Nonfiction Fest | Finding the Character in a Picture Book Biography

Cracking the Cover | Katie Mazeika tells swimmer’s inspiring tale in Annette Feels Free

Productivity Alchemy | Episode 281 – Spell Slots, Katie Mazeika

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

Mazeika

Grades 2 and up: All About Biographies

All ages: The Life of a Picture Book-from idea to the printed page (Can be paired with a reading and Q&A).

PreK-K: Everyone Has Big Emotions! (paired with a reading)

4th grade and up: Annette and Beulah at the turn of the 20th Century (with book readings and Q & A)

4th grade and up: Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors (book reading and Q&A included)

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Media clips

Media Kit

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