Illustrator – Author – Speaker – Educator

Kaz Windness loves to make her readers laugh. Kaz is an award-winning, genre-crossing illustrator and author of heart-warming books for young readers. Proudly neurodiverse (Autstic-ADHD), Kaz specializes in character-driven books celebrating inclusivity, grit, and kindness. Best known for “When You Love a Book” (Dolly Parton Imagination Library) and “Worm and Caterpillar are Friends” (Geisel Honor Award), her recent books include “Worm and Butterfly are Friends, Always,” “Time Traveling Chickens: Bawk to the Future,” and “Bitsy Bat, Snow Star.” Learn more about all her books at WindnessBooks.com. Follow Kaz on your favorite social media! https://linktr.ee/KazWindness.

Kaz is a professor of illustration and curriculum author. She taught for 12 years at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) and founded CuddlefishAcademy.com where she inspires students to tell stories with pictures.

Kaz loves squishy-faced dogs, waffles, thrifting, and all things Halloween. Her favorite art mediums are pen and ink, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, collage, and pencil, but mostly digital illustration. There’s not much she won’t turn into an art supply. 

Kaz lives in Colorado with her English teacher husband, two children, and a bunny-obsessed Boston Terrier named Remy. 

Representation: 

Sarah DeVore, Speaking and School Visits How Now Booking
Kathleen Rushall, Writing and Illustration (trad. publishers only) ABLA 

Books:

Tux Guy, Cat Spy Series (2027), Time Traveling Chickens, BAWK to the Future (August 2026), Bitsy Bat, Snow Star (September 2026), Worm and Butterfly are Friends Always (January 2026), Squid in Pants (2025 Simon Spotlight), Bitsy Bat, Team Star (Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster 2025), GO! GO! DINO! (Simon Spotlight, 2024), When You Love a Book (w/Heather Brockman-Lee, Viking Flamingo/PRH 2024), Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea (w/Andrew Hacket, Page Street Books, 2024), Cat vs. Vac (Simon Spotlight 2024), Bitsy Bat, School Star (Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster 2023), Worm and Caterpillar are Friends (Simon Spotlight, Simon & Schuster 2023), Swim, Jim! (Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster 2022)

OLDER TITLES: If UR Stabby (Hermes Press, July 2021), Mother Goth Rhymes (Hermes Press, July 2019), Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Rise of the Undead Redhead (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky), June 2014), The Woe of Jade Doe (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, August 2015), Hooray for Boys and Girls (Westwood Press 2006), There’s a Hippopotamus Under My Bed (Windowbox Press 2013) 

Education: Valedictorian BFA Graduate, Illustration–Children’s Book Focus
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, Colorado: August 2002

Magazine & Newsletter Publications: Society of Illustrators Original Art Show (2022), RMCAD EDU newsletter (2022, 2018), SCBWI Kite Tails Newsletter (2016, 2017), RMC-SCBWI Newsletter (2016, 2017, 2018)

Some of Kaz’s Awards:

BITSY BAT, SCHOOL STAR
3 trade magazine starred reviews, B&N exclusive edition, Bank Street Best Books 2024, Keystone State Children’s Choice 2025

Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, written by Andrew Hacket, 2025 Winner Northern Lights Picture Book Award, 2025 Crystal Kite Awards Nominee

WORM AND CATERPILLAR ARE FRIENDS
Winner of the 2024 Geisel Honor. On 22+ “Best Books of the Year” trade and library lists, Cybil Award Winner, JLG Gold Standard Selection (See bottom of this doc for full list of awards.)

SWIM, JIM! Winner of the 2023 Colorado Book Awards, Society of Illustrators, NYC juried original art show 2022

When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman-Lee, A 2025 Dolly Parton Imagination Library Selection. Winner of the  2025 Colorado Libraries Early Literacy (CLEL) “READ” category

Exhibitions:

  • Society of Illustrators Original Art Show, NYC, October-January 2022
  • Stabbified Thrifts Solo Show, Wandering Jellyfish, CO, September 2021
  • SCBWI National Portfolio Showcase, LA, February 2019
  • SCBWI National Portfolio Showcase, NYC, February 2019
  • SCBWI National Portfolio Showcase, LA, August 2018
  • SCBWI National Portfolio Showcase, NYC, February 2018
  • RMC-SCBWI, calendar exhibition featuring contest winning images, January 2018
  • SCBWI National Portfolio Showcase, LA, August 2017
  • RMC-SCBWI, calendar exhibition featuring contest winning images, January 2017
  • SCBWI National Portfolio Showcase, LA, August 2016
  • RMC-SCBWI, calendar exhibition featuring contest winning images, January 2016
  • SCBWI National Portfolio Showcase, LA, August 2015
  • RMC-SCBWI, calendar exhibition featuring contest winning images, January 2014
  • Horse Expo Art Market, Denver Merchandise Mart, March 2013
  • RMC-SCBWI, calendar exhibition featuring contest winning images, January 2013
  • RMC-SCBWI Fall Conference exhibition, September 2012
  • RMC-SCBWI Fall Conference exhibition, September 2011
  • RMC-SCBWI Featured Illustrator, First Place Illustration Contest Winner, June 2011
  • RMC-SCBWI Fall Conference exhibition, September 2010
  • Studio 13 Gallery at Nine10Arts, Denver, Gone to the Dogs Exhibition, October-November 2009
  • Ink Lounge Gallery, Denver, Colorado Alliance of Illustrators Annual Show, May 2, 2008
  • BARK! Doggy Daycare Art Exhibition, May 2008 – August 2010
  • Craft and Hobby Association Expo, February 10-13th, 2008
  • Open Studios at Nine10Arts, November 30th, December 1st-2nd, 2007
  • Mouthfuls Pet Boutique, Denver, November 2007 – present
  • The Uncommon Gallery at Uncommon Scents, Denver, September-December 2007
  • Pickets Display Window/Golden Fine Arts Festival, August 2007
  • InsideOut07 at Nine10Arts, July-August 2007
  • Colorado Alliance of Illustrators Exhibition, May 2007
  • Nine10Arts Featured Artist, Show: “Who Let the Dogs Out – Of the Closet”, May 2007
  • Studio 6 Coffee House, April 2007
  • Holiday Art Market at Nine10Arts, December 2006
  • Reed Art & Photo Gallery, Denver, Colorado: April-May 2006
  • Lokken Gallery, Colorado: April-May 2006
  • Hands2Hearts Gallery, Denver, Colorado: May 2005
  • The Nook, Denver, Colorado: April 2005
  • Sunflower Art Gallery, Denver, Colorado: April 2005 – January 2008

Affiliations:

Personal:

Kaz resides in Colorado with her writer-teacher husband, two teens, and a Boston Terrier.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All images found on this blog are owned by Kaz Windness or credited photographer and may not be used, scraped or reproduced without the owners’ express permission. ©Kaz Windness