autumn allen, senior editor at barefoot books

REMOTE (April 13 - 17)

Autumn Allen is a senior editor at Barefoot Books, where she acquires, edits, and art-directs picture books and board books. Her debut young adult novel, All You Have to Do, was a Black Caucus of the ALA debut honor award winner and was long listed for the Massachusetts Book Award. ​Her picture books, Step On Board: Sculpting a Memorial to Harriet Tubman, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, and Answered Prayers, illustrated by Charly Palmer, are forthcoming from Knopf.

www.autumnallenbooks.com
instagram: @autumnallenbooks

Most recent book you published/agented/edited (as of September 19, 2025):

ZAMZAM FOR EVERYONE: SHARING WATER AT HAJJ (Barefoot Books)

bunmi ishola, senior Editor, waterbrook, an imprint of random house children’s books

IN-PERSON (Saturday, April 11 & Sunday, April 12)
REMOTE (April 13 - 17)

Bunmi Ishola is a Senior Editor at WaterBrook Children’s, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books focusing on books by a diversity of Christian authors that help kids discover the abundance, joy, and adventure found in living a life of faith. She acquires fiction and nonfiction for readers from ages 0 to 18. Before becoming an editor, Bunmi survived seven years as a middle school teacher, and had short stints working as a journalist, bookseller, photographer, and nanny. Born in Texas and raised in Nigeria, she currently lives in Los Angeles, although you can often find her traveling as far as her budget will allow.

Next book of yours to watch for in 2026:

Isaiah Johnson and the Big Game by Esau McCaulley (05/05/2026)

grace kendall, senior editor at farrar, straus, giroux books for young readers, an imprint of macmillan

Grace works on a range of projects from picture books to YA novels, fiction and nonfiction. She publishes exciting projects from debut authors, seasoned veterans, and award-winners, including A PLACE INSIDE OF ME by Zetta Elliott, illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Noa Denmon; MAMA AFRICA! by National Book Award Winner Kathryn Erskine, illustrated by CSK John Steptoe Winner Charly Palmer; YOU BRING THE DISTANT NEAR by Mitali Perkins, which was a Walter Honor Book, South Asia Book Award Winner, and a National Book Award Nominee; ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson, a groundbreaking IndieBestseller about growing up Black and queer in New Jersey ; and BETTY BEFORE X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Newbery Honoree Renée Watson. Grace also publishes ongoing series, like the Jasmine Toguchi chapter books by Debbi Michiko Florence and Elizabet Vukovic. And she has a special love for fantasy that questions power structures, as in BLACK WINGS BEATING by Alex London and THE BONELESS MERCIES by April Genevieve Tucholke, both of which received several starred reviews. You can keep in touch with her on Twitter at @GraceKendallLit.

shulokhana khan, assistant editor at scholastic

IN-PERSON (Saturday, April 11th)

Shulokhana Khan is on the 0-8 team at Scholastic with a primary focus on picture books and board books. She is particularly interested in books with strong voices that are funny, empowering, dark, or touching, with special interest in the variety of BIPOC experiences.

Next book of yours to watch for in 2026:

Love, Panda by Elaine Su and Charlene Chua (July 2026)

mikaela luke, editorial assistant at Stonefruit Studio, an imprint of Sourcebooks

REMOTE (April 20 - 24)

Mikaela Luke is a Taiwanese Canadian children’s book reviewer, scholar, and editor with a Master of Arts in children’s literature. Her paper on transnational migration and magical narratives was published in volume 47(3) of The Lion and the Unicorn. She currently lives in New York and works on a range of picture books to young adult novels as an editorial assistant at Stonefruit Studio, an imprint of Sourcebooks.

One diverse book and author (not written/edited/agented by you) that you want more people to read:

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

jasmin rubero, art director at kokila, an imprint of penguin random house

IN PERSON (Saturday, April 11th)

Jasmin Rubero began her publishing career as an intern at Dial Books for Young Readers, an experience that taught her how graphic design and art are intertwined in children’s books. Her internship turned into a fulfilling full-time position as a design assistant, and she stayed at Dial for seventeen years. During that time, she worked with then Editorial Director Namrata Tripathi, and when Namrata founded the Kokila imprint at Penguin Random House, Jasmin joined the team as Art Director. Kokila’s goal is to bring together an inclusive community and focus on stories and storytellers that have been historically marginalized. Some of the critically acclaimed and bestselling artists Jasmin has worked with over the years include Weshoyot Alvitre, Leo Espinosa, Shane W. Evans, Michaela Goade, Vashti Harrison, Erika Meza, Zeke Peña, and Nikkolas Smith.

Most recent book you published/agented/edited (as of September 19, 2025):

Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre; City Summer Country Summer written by Kiese Laymon illustrated by Alexis Franklin; Our Lake by Angie Kang; The History of WE by Nikkolas Smith, The Interpreter by Olivia Obtahi illustrated by Monica Arnaldo

Next book of yours to watch for in 2026:

Gwei the Hungry Ghost written by Emeline Lee illustrated by Basia Tran; Main Street A Story About Redlining Written by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell; Illustrated by David Wilkerson & Hold Written by Randy Ribay; illustrated by Zeke Peña

allison weintraub, associate editor at harpercollins

IN-PERSON (Saturday, April 11th and Sunday, April 12th)

Allison Weintraub joined HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2019, and has grown into the role of associate editor. She is thrilled to have worked with many wonderful and award-winning creators. Her favorite books to work on reflect readers’ complexities—both directly and through a genre lens—and center historically marginalized perspectives. She is interested in middle grade and teen novels and graphic novels across all categories.

One diverse book and author (not written/edited/agented by you) that you want more people to read:

Don't Date Rosa Santos (book) & Julian Winters (author)

PHOEBE YEH, VICE PRESIDENT AND EDITOR AT LARGE, CROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS/RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS

IN-PERSON (Saturday, April 11th & Sunday, April 12th)
REMOTE (April 13 - 17)

Phoebe Yeh is a Vice President and Editor-at-Large at Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s Books. She edited Monster the first Printz winner and three National Book Finalists, all by Walter Dean Myers. She has edited the Magic School Bus series, Big Nate and The School for Good & Evil. She has published the New York Times bestsellers, Max & the Midknights and Dear Martin. These authors published children’s debuts with her: Kwame Alexander, Kelly J. Baptist, Mahogany L. Browne, Frances Cha, Soman Chainani, Lamar Giles, Jamie Jo Hoang, Traci Huahn, Wade Hudson, Ellen Oh, Patricia Park, Lincoln Peirce, Kelis Rowe, Nic Stone and George Takei, author of My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story.

She has published anthologies on themes of social justice with Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson of Just Us Books and short story anthologies with We Need Diverse Books.

Yeh is a recipient of the inaugural CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Award.

Most recent book you published/agented/edited (as of September 19, 2025

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by Mahogany L. Browne

Next book of yours to watch for in 2026:

Ambrosia Lee Drops the Mic by Patricia Park (April 28, 2026)

jazmia young, Associate Agent, Curtis Brown, Ltd.

REMOTE (April 13 - 17)

Jazmia Young is an associate agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. She received her bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing at the City College of New York and was a graduate of the Publishing Certificate Program at CCNY. She’s interested in representing children’s books, picture books through YA, focusing on middle-grade fiction with the goal of amplifying underrepresented voices. She loves stories with friendship ties, complicated family dynamics, and grief or loss. Being a New York native, anything based in NYC has her heart. Jazmia is also the Administrative Assistant of the Association of American Literary Agents.

Most recent book you published/agented/edited (as of September 19, 2025):

Soggy Like Cush Cush by Karly Pierre