In kindergarten, I drew a picture of what I wanted to be when I grew up: an artist and a farmer's wife. The farmer's wife part turned out to be a passing fancy. But not the artist part...

For that, I give a lot of credit to my tattered childhood copy of Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I never tired of getting lost in those collages. I wanted to make worlds and stories like that too. So I tried! (See an example to the left).

As a grown-up, I still read lots of picture books (regular stacks from the library as tall as my drawing table). And I've relished a years-long steady habit of drawing and writing, filling countless sketchbooks and journals.

It's one of my greatest joys that all that hard work has come to fruition with my first picture book, THE ELEPHANTS’ GUIDE TO HIDE-AND-SEEK, a tongue-in-cheek guide to aid elephants in improving their hide-and-seek skills, written by me and illustrated by Gladys Jose, and published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

I currently live in Bellingham, WA, in a century-old house full of color, books, pottery, art, and music (or sometimes just noise). When you can't find me in my studio or at my writing desk, I might be on my porch looking out at the bay, paddleboarding, tending my dahlia garden, eating yummy food made by my husband Bryce (he's a fabulous cook!), building LEGO with my nine-year-old Lars, or playing strategy board games with my teenage son Oscar. Or I might be traveling the world; I'm a sucker for a good adventure.

Also, I teach! I was a regular art teacher for grades 1-3 for eight years (and grades 4-6, for a few years too) and I love making art with kids.

Thanks for visiting my website!

How to Pronounce my name

• TeachingBooks.net link

  Hear how I pronounce my name

Interviews, Guest Blogs, & Podcasts with Kjersten:

• Ask the Author on Writer Maddie White’s Blog

  Where I offer some advice for aspiring authors.

• Tara Lazar’s StoryStorm Guest Blog Post

  How I turn one idea into ten!

• Interview on Justin Colón’s blog

  Fun to chat about writing from unusual points of view.

• Staying on Track With Goals, at 24 Carrot Writing

  I love to gamify with my goals!

• Celebrating Favorite Teachers, on the Soaring ‘20s blog

My teacher made the class into a time machine!

• On Matthew C. Winner’s Children’s Book Podcast

  I was scared to “get in the game” when I was a kid.

• Writing Humor When All You Feel Is Fear, on the Soaring ‘20s blog

  How writing funny things helps me cope with my own anxiety.

• Kjersten on Kirby Larson’s Blog for Friend Friday

How I wrote the Elephants’ Guide To Hide-And-Seek in the wake of a stinging critique.

• Maria Marshall’s Picture Book Buzz

The joys of being a debut author along with fellow Soaring ‘20s writers.

Quick Facts:

• THE ELEPHANTS’ GUIDE TO HIDE-AND-SEEK, written by Kjersten and illustrated by Gladys Jose, a tongue-in-cheek guide to aid elephants in improving their hide-and-seek skills, published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in April 2020.

• Member of The Soaring ‘20s Children’s Author and Illustrator Group.

• Winner 2016 SCBWI LA conference Most Promising Picture Book award for work-in-progress HOW TO BUILD A ROCKETSHIP IN 10 EASY STEPS.

• Cover art for the September 2016 Issue of Brain Teen Magazine.

• Long-time SCBWI member: regularly attend conferences, retreats, lectures, and workshops.

• Family lived in Malaysia from 2010 to 2012, son came home thinking the Northwest Washington forests should be full of elephants.

Represented by Mary Cummings of Great River Literary.

To purchase prints or handmade books please visit my etsy shop.