Brian LaRossa has spent more than two decades creating books for young readers and is an executive art director in the hardcover picture book group at Scholastic. He has designed and art directed more than a thousand children’s books, including New York Times bestsellers and titles that have received ALA honors. He served on the jury for the Society of Illustrators’ 2026 Original Art picture book exhibition and is a frequent faculty member for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
He teaches at Pratt Institute and The City College of New York, with courses spanning typography, critical writing, and advanced illustration, and mentors emerging illustrators through We Need Diverse Books. His illustration and design work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, the Type Directors Club, and PRINT. He also runs a display type foundry, which developed a typeface for Google Fonts.
He writes fiction and essays, with essays appearing in publications such as Design Observer and AIGA’s Eye on Design. His conceptual poetry is included in the permanent collection of the MoMA Library. His writing is represented by Liz Nealon, founder of Great Dog Literary.
He lives and works in New York City.
If you’re an illustrator and would like to share your portfolio, please use this form rather than emailing it directly. If you’d like to host him as a speaker or critic, learn more here. If you’re looking for him on social, he’s @brianlarossa on Bluesky. For anything else, say hello.
SELECT PRESS
▸ Literaticast, podcast
▸ Creative Boom, podcast
▸ Scratching the Surface, podcast
▸ SCBWI, interview
▸ Type Director’s Club, interview
▸ Type Thursday, interview
▸ Print Magazine, interview
