We use cookies to optimize our website. By continuing to use the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Further information about the cookies can be found in our privacy policy. Learn more.
IVAN TAURISANO
Assistant Editor, Children's
ABOUT ME
My name is Ivan (he/him). I’m a bilingual (Italian/English) Assistant Editor and I work on board books, picture books, and graphic novels. I hold an MA in Children’s Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons University.
WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR...
I am particularly interested in literary children’s picture books with award-winning potential. The picture books I love transport readers on an emotional journey and explore issues and themes in a fresh and unexpected way. I would like stories with diverse characters who embody the child’s courage to explore who they are, the world they live in, and who they wish to be in it. I like stories about childhood and growing up in a way that makes you stand out.
LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC books, I’m interested in books that explore loneliness/isolation, the longing to belong and fit in, different perspectives on the immigrant and bilingual experience, and stories that empower children. Anything with magic/magical realism, all things Christmas and Halloween. Send me the manuscripts that left you breathless, speechless, and made you say, “I didn’t know children’s books could do that…”
I am also interested in commercial and character-driven picture books with series potential (Grumpy Monkey; Pig the Pug). I am always looking for great rhymes, interesting characters and formulas, and seasonal potential.
Graphic novels: Anything like Pizza and Taco, Narwhal and Jelly, Investigators, Dog Man. I am looking for funny, exhilarating, laugh-out-loud stories. I am also looking for graphic novels like Mike Curato’s Flamer and Jerry Craft’s New Kid.
RIGHT NOW, PLEASE DON'T SEND ME...
Non-fiction, biographies, historical fiction, or religious books.
WHY I DO WHAT I DO...
I believe that a child who is changed by a book will always be a step closer to becoming an adult who will change the world. My job is to be a bridge between that child and that book and to champion the book’s creator in any way I can. I am committed to providing children with books that help them find their individuality and a dream to chase no matter what. Let’s change some lives together.
SOME FAVORITE BOOKS AND AUTHORS I DIDN'T PUBLISH...
Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love; Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady; Wishes by Muon Thi Van; Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer; The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson; Outside In by Deborah Underwood; I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott; Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris; Watercress by Andrea Wang.