Award-winning illustrator Brooke Smart creates her art using watercolor, gouache, pencil, and/or acrylic paint. Her work appears in children’s books, magazines, newspapers, and on walls of buildings near and far. Her art celebrates women in history, motherhood, family relationships, and the bonds we form as friends. She strives to make her artwork both meaningful and beautiful with a dash of humor. Brooke graduated with a BFA in illustration from Brigham Young University. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, Jeremy, a bearded architect, their son, two daughters, and a cat named Sunshine.
“The gouache, watercolor, and colored pencil illustrations are reminiscent of Maira Kalman’s style.”—School Library Journal
“Brooke Smart’s stylized illustrations vividly represent the aesthetic of the 1940s, from clothing and hairstyles to airplanes and wartime symbols, adding a visual layer of history to the story.”—Booklist
★ “This beautiful picture book takes the reader from a tree’s seed to a finished wooden table, lovingly constructed to become the center of a family’s life.”—Youth Service Book Review, starred review
CLIENTS:
Abrams, Greystone Books, Random House Kids, Viking, Penguin Workshop, Little Brown UK, Little Tiger UK, The New York Times, Bravery Magazine, and Better Days 2020.
HONORS:
• SCBWI NY Portfolio Showcase, twice awarded the portfolio honor (2016, 2018).
Please visit Brooke online at:
website | www.brooke-smart.com
instagram | brookesmartillustration
For more information, please contact Teresa at teresa(a)bookmarkliterary.com
Brooke’s Bookshelf:
This Table
by Alex Killian| Greystone Books | 2024
illus. by Brooke Smart
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• A CCBC Choices Best Book of the Year, 2025
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★ “This book is an explosion of possibilities. It tracks not the life, but the many lives a table can inhibit through the years. The illustrations, strong and simple, depict the deep joy around an inclusive family table… remind[s the] readers of the beautiful moments created not just by the table, but by those we love.”—School Library Journal, starred review
★ “This beautiful picture book takes the reader from a tree’s seed to a finished wooden table, lovingly constructed to become the center of a family’s life.”—Youth Service Book Review, starred review
“A warm charmer that will help readers reflect on life’s most important things.”—Kirkus
“A farm-style dining table, born from a single helicopter seed, becomes ‘the heart of someone’s home.’ Expertly shaped, sanded, stained, and sealed so it radiates a warm luster, the former tree becomes “strong and stable,” serving as center stage for a busy extended family, portrayed with various abilities and skin tones.”—Publishers Weekly
“Prompts discussions about readers’ own experiences around family tables.”—Horn Book
Families Belong and Juntos En Familia (Spanish Edition)
Families Can and Ser Una Famlia (Spanish Edition)
Families Grow|
We Share This School: A Community Book
We Share This Earth: A Community Book
We Share This Neighborhood: A Community Book
by Dan Saks
illus. by Brooke Smart
PRH Workshop Rise X | 2020 – 2024
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• An Amazon Editor’s Pick | Best Books Baby-Age 2 (Families Belong)
• A Dolly Parton Imagination Library Selection (Families Belong)
• An American Library Association Reading Pick, 2021 (Families Belong)
• An Amazon Best Book, 2020 (Families Belong)
• an NCTE Notable Social Studies Book, 2022 (Families Can)
• An Amazon.com Editor’s Pick | Best Books Baby-Age 2 (Families Can)
• An Amazon.com Editor’s Pick | Best Books Baby-Age 2 (Families Grow)
• A Kellogg’s Feeding Reading Program Pick (Families Grow)
• a CBC/Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Selection, 2023 (We Share This School)
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★ “A wonderful addition to library shelves everywhere.”—School Library Journal starred review (Families Grow)
★ “A sweet and inclusive look at the different ways that families are formed.” —Kirkus starred review (Families Grow)
“This lovely book about what makes a community safe and beautiful is a great addition to any collection.” —School Library Journal (We Share This Neighborhood)
“A lovely introduction to the concept of community.”—School Library Journal (We Share This Earth)
“Saks reminds readers in rhyming lines that on our interconnected planet, everything that happens affects others, even those we’ve never met.” —Booklist (We Share This Earth)
“A portrait of a welcoming community that demonstrates the values of care and inclusion.” —Kirkus Reviews (We Share This School)
“A charming introduction to the big idea of school, and an angle that will resonate: it’s not the building but the people that make up a school.” —School Library Journal (We Share This School)
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Translation | Turkish, Indigo Kitap (We Share This School)
Dorthy the Brave
by Meghan Browne
illus. by Brooke Smart | Viking | 2022
“Sisterhood, hard work, overcoming obstacles, missing home, wartime loss. The journey of Dorothy Lucas to becoming a pilot in the Women Airforce Service Pilots during WWII touches on all of these themes and more . . . Brooke Smart’s stylized illustrations vividly represent the aesthetic of the 1940s, from clothing and hairstyles to airplanes and wartime symbols, adding a visual layer of history to the story. The author’s note adds historical background, as well as period photos of the real Dorothy. Although many children will likely find the story interesting, it is probably best for slightly older readers who have some context for WWII and the history of women’s rights..” –Booklist
“The gouache, watercolor, and colored pencil illustrations are reminiscent of Maira Kalman’s style. Back matter includes an author’s note, photos, and recommended reading. VERDICT Women’s contributions during wartime are not a new subject, but this is a worthwhile addition.”—School Library Journal
“This is a straightforward, inspiring story of independence, determination, and courage despite risk, accompanied by soft gouache, watercolor, and colored pencil illustrations. A lengthy author’s note, which includes black-and-white photos of Dorothy and her fellow pilots, provides more explanation of Dorothy’s career and the development of the WASP program. A stirring account of a resolute woman who soared.” –Kirkus Reviews
Abe Lincoln’s Hat
by Martha F. Brenner
illus. by Brooke Smart | Random House | 2021
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter
by Laurie Wallmark | Abrams | 2021
illus. by Brooke Smart
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• A Junior Library Guild (JLG) Selection
• A Mighty Girl selection for “Science Is For Girls: 25 New Children’s Books About Girls and Women in Science.”
• Featured on Betsy Ramsey Bird’s 31 days, 31 lists: 2021 American History Titles for Kids 2021
• a Cybils Awards finalist for elementary nonfiction, 2021
• an Oklahoma Children’s Sequoyah Masterlist selection, 2023
• an NSTA Best In STEM Selection, 2022
• a the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath), NCTE, NCTM, and the CBC Honor, 2023
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“Wallmark’s lively, detailed text maximizes the appeal of Friedman’s story, focusing on the demand for Elizebeth’s skills apart from those of her acclaimed husband, and Smart’s digitally assembled watercolors sport a vibrant stylishness.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Youngsters will be fascinated by this engaging biographical selection of an original thinker, which includes elements of STEM and history and provides a picture of a dedicated, resilient woman.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Painted in watercolor and gouache and digitally assembled, the book’s attractive illustrations often incorporate a quote or a stream of letters representing code.” ―Booklist
“Watercolor and gouache drawings depict a rich visual background to Friedman’s life and career, including glimpses of her family and more dramatic scenes of trials and criminals. There’s just enough information about how codes work to inform readers without overwhelming them. Some of the illustrations show basic examples of code-breaking; the text also introduces simple concepts. Back matter describes basic code types and offers a “Crack the Code” challenge. VERDICT An engaging introduction to a unique woman in a fascinating field.”—School Library Journal
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• Activity Sheets
• Curriculum Guide
Bookmark Literary 