Whitney Leader-Picone is the founder of Whitty Design, a freelance art direction and design firm. She is passionate about children’s books and studied children’s literature at Sarah Lawrence College and Oxford University, before getting her Masters in Children’s Literature from The Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons University.

Whitney has been working in publishing for over 15 years. Most recently as Art Director for Clarion Books at HarperCollins Children’s Books. She has worked on all kinds of kids books from board books through young adult. Though recently she has been concentrating primarily on picture books, graphic novels, and middle-grade non-fiction.

Some of Whitney’s more noteworthy titles include 2021 Caldecott honor winner Outside In by Deborah Underwood and Cindy Derby, New York Times bestseller Finish the Fight by Veronica Chambers, and art directing the #1 New York Times best-selling Little Blue Truck series. She’s worked with many award winning illustrators including Allen Say, David Wiesner, Beth Krommes, Juana Martinez-Neal, Raúl the Third, Pamela Zagarenski, and the late Steve Jenkins. As well as best-selling artists like Tom Lichtenheld. 

You can email me at whitlpdesign@gmail.com about any freelance projects you might have.