KATHLEEN BLASI

​

Kathleen Blasi is drawn to telling stories that feature quiet heroes—like street musician Hosea Missouri Taylor, Jr. (Hosea Plays On, Sterling Children’s Books/Union Square, illustrated by Shane W. Evans), who uses his earnings to elevate the lives of his neighbors. Her latest release, Milo’s Moonlight Mission (Yeehoo Press, 2021, illustrated by Petronela Dostalova) celebrates connecting with nature and features budding astronaut Milo, who longs for quality time with his mother.

​

When it comes to ideas, Kathleen says, “Curiosity is crucial. As long as we wonder, we’ll have more story ideas than we’ll ever have time to write. Things we encounter or experience in everyday life can spark questions in our minds–such as, ‘Who is that person? What is his/her situation? Why or how did that happen?’ The seemingly ordinary, coupled with imagination, can be the makings of a story.”

​

Kathleen recently served as Co-President of Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators and is former Co-Director of the Rochester Children's Book Festival, for which she and her Co-Director received the 2015 New York State Reading Association Literacy Advocate Award.