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Bio

Mike Wohnoutka

Ever since Mike can remember he knew he wanted to be an artist. His dad, who worked at the Highway Department, would bring home reams of paper that had highway plans on one side and were blank on the other. He would be so excited to have all that paper to draw on and would fill each sheet with snowmobiles, baseball players, superheroes—everything he was interested in. His high school art teacher, Mr. Chase encouraged Mike to pursue art as a career. This, along with a scholarship, led him to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Since graduating with a B.F.A. in Illustration, Mike has illustrated over 30 books for children. He is also the author-illustrator of several picture books, including Ups & DownsDad’s First Day, and the Croc & Turtle series. His various clients include Bloomsbury Publishing, Candlewick Press, Penguin-Random House, Christy Ottaviano Books, Holiday House, Clarion Books, Disney-Hyperion Books, Scholastic Books, Cricket Magazine Group, General Mills, 3M, and Medtronic, and Peaceable Kingdom Press.

A native of Spicer, Minnesota, Mike currently lives with his family in Minneapolis.

Book Highlights

Theodor Seuss Geisel AwardSee the Cat
Minnesota Book Award – How to Apologize and MOO!

Society of Illustrators Original Art Show – Jack’s House
National Jewish Book Award – Hanukkah Bear
ALA Notable Book – See the Cat and MOO!
Star of the North Picture Book Award – MOO!
Colorado’s Bell Picture Book Award – MOO!
Iowa’s Bridge to Reading Award – This Is NOT a Cat!
BCCB Blue Ribbon – MOO!
BCCB
Gryphon Award – See the Cat
Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award – Davey’s Blue-Eyed Frog
Michigan’s Great Lakes Great Books Award – See the Cat
Parents
magazine’s Best Children’s Book – See the Cat
Nerdy Book Award – See the Cat

Cybils Award – See the Cat
and See the Dog
Texas 2×2 Reading List – See the Cat

Kirkus Reviews Best Book:
So Big!, How to Apologize, See the Catand See the Ghost

Bank Street College Best Book:
The Foot-Stomping Adventures of Clemementine Sweet,
Jack’s House, Hanukkah Bear,
My Bibi Always Remembers,
Dad’s First Day, See the Cat, See the Dog, and See the Ghost

School Library Journal Best Book:
See the Ghost

Minnesota Book Award Finalist:
This Is NOT a Cat!, Dad’s First Day,
and Little Puppy & the Big Green Monster

Junior Library Guild Selection:
See the Cat, See the Dog, See the Ghost,
Croc & Turtle, MOO!,
So Big!, and
Go and Get with Rex