Lisa Thiesing

illustrator & author


A Short Bio
I have always wanted to be a children's book author/illustrator and have been lucky to have done that for many years. Receiving some recognition and awards for my work has been a wonderful bonus.
​Growing up in New York City, many of the places I loved were also in the books that I loved - The Plaza, Central Park, The Metropolitan Museum, the Zoo, and East 88th Street. It was a world I wanted to be a part of. My mother loved reading to me and sharing her excitement about the new children's books that were coming out at the time. Books like Little Bear and Eloise, now classics, were just being published. My mother appreciated all the illustrations and shared her thoughts on how they made the words and story more meaningful. On the other hand, my father would read me Der Struwwelpeter, in German(!), which was terrifying.
When I was a bit older I would spend hours in my room writing tremendously original stories about boys being saved from wells by their heroic dogs. Even though I tried my best, I drew terrible pictures to go with them.
I attended Parsons School of Design, where I finally did learn to draw. After graduating with a BFA, I went on to earn my early childhood teaching degree from Bank Street College and taught at a Montessori school for a few years.
All this led to my dreams coming true. It's been a privilege to write and illustrate books for children.
Currently, I live in the Mid-Hudson Valley with my husband and dog. Our daughter lives on a farm in Ithaca with her husband and lots of animals.
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