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kazwindness.bsky.social
Kaz Windness she/her
@kazwindness.bsky.social
4.1K followers 1.8K following 700 posts
•📕Out Jan 13!: WORM AND BUTTERFLY (S&S)
•📘Out now!: BITSY BAT, TEAM STAR (S&S)
•📚Check out: “When You Love a Book” (PRH)
Award-Winning Children’s Book Author-Artist, Art Professor, Autistic-ADHD 🌈📚Books, Classes, Social Media: linktr.ee/KazWindness
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kazwindness.bsky.social
Kaz Windness she/her @kazwindness.bsky.social · Nov 15
Hi! I’m Kaz Windness, a children’s book author-illustrator and educator best know for “Bitsy Bat, School Star” & “Worm and Caterpillar are Friends.” I’m autistic+adhd 🌈. I go hard on advocating for artists. I draw a lot of bats. 🦇 I eat a lot of waffles. 🧇 I appear taller online.
Kaz Windness, short, middle-aged white lady with pink hair standing behind a table stacked with picture books, all “Bitsy Bat, School Star”
kazwindness.bsky.social
It’s here! “Worm and Butterfly are Friends Always” is my sweet sixteenth book and the Kirkus Star-reviewed sequel to the Geisel Honor Winning “Worm and Caterpillar are Friends.”

I hope you'll love this new early reader in graphic novel format.
#kidlit #earlyliteracy #graphicnovel #bookbirthday
A book birthday graphic for Worm and Butterfly are Friends Always, a new graphic novel by Kaz Windness. A cupcake, candles, and balloon background with a cover image of a surprised worm hanging upside down from a tree branch and a rainbow-colored wing butterfly swooshing away towards other butterflies migrating over the mountain range.
January 13, 2026 at 2:58 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
WORM AND BUTTERFLY ARE FRIENDS ALWAYS is nearly here!

"A heartwarming story of found family that readers will flock to again and again." --Kirkus ⭐ Star Review

Request and read and check out "Worm and Caterpillar are Friends," too. 🥰-Kaz

#graphicnovelsforkids #earlyliteracy #wormandcaterpillar
New early reader graphic novel from the award-winning series "Worm and Butterfly are Friends" graphic with a pink and purple worm and a rainbow-colored butterfly saying "Our book is almost here!" "Yes! in only six or seven days!" Out January 13th. Image of cover with Butterfly flying towards the mountains while Worm, surprised, hangs from a tree. More info at KazWindness.blog or windnessbooks.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:39 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
This New Year's baby brought great news! "When You Love a Book" is part of the 2026 Dolly Parton Imagination Library and landing in mailboxes next month! May 2026 bring you health, happiness, and lots of book joy. Love, Kaz @heatherbrockmanlee.bsky.social #kidlit #kidsbooks #whenyouloveabook
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library logo with a locomotive coming out of a stack of books. Cover illustration for "When You Love a Book" with a boy holding a book with popouts of classic children's books: a little engine train coming out of a wild thing's sailboat, little red riding hood, if you give a mouse a cookie. Illustration by Heather Brockman Lee of a baby sitting on a rug holding a book that says "Hello." Confetti background for New Year's 2026.
January 1, 2026 at 4:05 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Hooray! "Bitsy Bat, Team Star" is part of the @barnesandnoble.com hardcover event. Featuring a new non-speaking character, Enzo Owl, this story champions teamwork, sportsmanship, and acceptance of differences like autism. Happy New Year, everyone!

#bitsybat #autismacceptance #kidsbooks
Barnes & Noble hardcover event with Bitsy Bat, Team Star half off. Graphic shows children's book covers for Bitsy Bat, School Star and the spanish edition, Bitsy Murcielago, estrella escolar. An illustrated image of an owl character holding a communication AAC "talker" tablet with a heart on the screen. Author-illustrator Kaz Windness with pink hair and pencil glasses and a pasted human finger pointing at the Bitsy Bat, Team Star listing saying 9.99
December 26, 2025 at 3:42 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
What's your favorite underwater creature? For #kidlitpostcard day, here's the evolution of "Squid in Pants." Did I make the right character design decision?

Process is everything! This journey began in 2019, and "Squid in Pants" is out now. Graphic by Danna Staaf+C.A. Clark
#kidsbooks #squidart
Evolution chart showing illustration design changes to a young squid wearing underwear, diaper, and finally pants in "Squid in Pants" and early reader by Kaz Windness. Background is a scientific evolution chart by Danna Staf and C.A. Clark for "Squid Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods"
December 4, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Kaz Windness she/her
andreabrownlit.bsky.social
🎨 Spotlight on Kaz Windness (@kazwindness.bsky.social)!

Kaz’s Illustrator Page

Kaz is represented by Kathleen Rushall and is especially interested in illustrating young graphic novels and chapter books.
A little bat wearing pajamas among a field of sparkling stars. A young boy reaches off his boat into the water to grab a sparkly-eyed young squid wearing the boy's clothes. A young witch reads while riding a grinning green crocodile in boots. A worm and a Stellar’s jay enjoy a meal. Dialogue bubbles say “MUNCH!” and “CRUNCH!”
October 10, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Reposted by Kaz Windness she/her
sarahluann.bsky.social
I can’t share the newer stuff I’ve been working on for Reasons, so here are some old MG spot illustrations—I love working in black and white. #kidlitartpostcard
SarahLuAnn.com
October 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Kaz Windness she/her
greenrainart.bsky.social
Happy #kidlitartpostcard day!
I’m Anya, illustrator and author of picture books.
Represented by Eve Adler at Red Fox Literary

#kidlitart #kidlitartist #choldrensbooksillustrator #greenrainart
Kidlitart postcard image- mom and kids picking mushrooms in an autumn forest
October 2, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Kaz Windness she/her
ginaperry.bsky.social
Happy #KidLitArtPostcard Day! I'm Gina Perry, an author and illustrator of children's books, and creator of this monthly event. I'm rep'd for books by Sean McCarthy, more work at: www.ginaperry.com #kidlit
Vertical illustration. A kid vampire is laying in his coffin, curled up with his cat and a book named SUN KID. The book is emitting a warm glow. Text reads Gina Perry www.ginaperry.com Rep'd by Sean McCarthy
October 2, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by Kaz Windness she/her
charlenedraws.bsky.social
Hello #kidlitartpostcard ! I am Charlene Chua & I illustrate books for kids.

🌟Open for 2026 book projects! 🌟

Portfolio - charlenechua.com
Agent - Tracy Marchini

#kidlitart #kidlit #illustration #PB #GN #chapterbooks #boardbooks
art of 3 cute witches riding on broomsticks above a city. each witch has a cute cat familiar riding with her.
October 2, 2025 at 2:10 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Happy #kidlitartpostcard day! I love seeing everyone's drawings of ghosts, witches, monsters, spiders, and my favorite, BATS! What's your favorite October topic?

I'm an illustrator and writer repped by Kathleen Rushall @andreabrownlit.bsky.social. Follow along for more #kidlit art! #childrensbooks
October 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
What's your favorite color? Hi #kidlitpostcardday! I'm Kaz Windness, and I love using teal and magenta in my art. Art directors say this is a good style branding approach, but I'm not doing this on purpose. Anyway, I hope you'll check out WORM AND BUTTERFLY ARE FRIENDS ALWAYS. #kidlit #graphicnovels
Four illustrations featuring a worm and a butterfly with rainbow color wings. The text in the speech bubbles reads "Hi Kidlit Postcard Day" "We are back" "With new friends!" "And more magenta!" "And teal." The bottom illustration is an evening scene in a meadow with a tree and a field and a lake in the background. There is a baby worm between the butterfly and worm and a blue stellars jay and a robin in the background. The jay is attempting to keep the robin away from the baby worm.
August 7, 2025 at 1:21 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Congratulations for surviving this week!!! YOU DID IT!!! I'm so proud of you. I don't know anyone who isn't in massive life upheaval. This is not easy. I see you. I love you. These changes are making room for better things for you.
July 19, 2025 at 11:12 AM
kazwindness.bsky.social
If you like art, comics, or illustration, come hang out with me and some world-class cartoonists and graphic novelists this Wednesday evening! We’re gonna be talking about all of that and more. It’s gonna be a blast! on YT at PencilToPencil #artist #GN #kidlit #illustration
New Episodes Wednesdays 8pm ET Pencil to Pencil hosted by mike manley, jamar nichoals, and steve conley This week Kaz Windness Author-Illustrator YouTube.com/penciltopencil Image of illustration of flying cute bat and flying cute owl, image of Kaz, white lady with pink hair, and squid in pants cover with an orange squid wearing striped pants.
July 15, 2025 at 7:31 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Beautiful interview with librarian, Mary Lanni, about how a book is created, how it becomes a Dolly Parton Imagination Library pick, and how books inspire friendships and friendship inspires books. #kidlit #library #librarian #whenyouloveabook youtu.be/Oi9JbJHEZBY?...
Author/Illustrator Interview: Kaz Windness and Heather Brockman Lee
YouTube video by @MaryLanniReads
youtu.be
July 15, 2025 at 7:26 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Hi friends, and happy #kidlitpostcard day! What's your favorite winter activity? I'm 2 pages away from finishing with BITSY BAT, SNOW STAR! Each book explores a different aspect of autism. Check out "Bitsy Bat, School Star" and "Bitsy Bat, Team Star!" #kidlit #childrensbookillustrator bitsybat.com
Three illustrations of winter scenes from BITSY BAT, SNOW STAR. Top image shows a little bat with light fur wearing a star sweater and winter hat and scarf flying over a snowy ground to a school that is also a tree. A mole, mouse, and bunny friend are sledding and stomping through the snow. Bottom left panel shows the mole pushing Bitsy on a sled and she flies through the air with the words "Whoosh! Zip! Zoom!" The third image shows Bitsy giving away her earmuffs, hat and scarf to a snowman while the rabbit looks concerned.
July 3, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Kaz Windness she/her
erlevar1031.bsky.social
A customer told me she couldn't believe this store would put up a Pride display, because what if children see it??

Anyway, it was my display, and I'm proud of it, and you (and your children) should all see it. #BookSky 📚💙
First shelf: The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School (Reyes), Learning to Fall (Morris), I Love You S'more (Desombre), She Gets the Girl (Lippincott & Derrick) Second Shelf: All That's Left in the World (Brown), Caught in a Bad Fauxmance (Rose), Heartstopper Vol. 1 (Oseman), The Darkness Between Us (Schaeffer) Third Shelf: Going Bicoastal (Adler), Where the Dark Stands Still (Poranek), Never Ever Getting Back Together (Gonzales), Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute (Hibbert), Flowerheart (Bakewell) Fourth Shelf: Hell Followed With Us (White), I Wish You All the Best (Deaver), The Sunbearer Trials (Thomas), Dead End Girls (Heard), The Sacrifice (Chupeco) Fifth Shelf: Loveless (Oseman), Icarus (Ancrum), Summer Bird Blue (Bowman), Radio Silence (Oseman), The Weight of Stars (Dow), Sawkill Girls (Legrand) Bottom Shelf: I Kissed Shara Wheeler (McQuiston), Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Albertelli), Nimona (Stevenson), Forget Me Not (Derrick)
June 20, 2025 at 7:19 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Facebook messed 💩 up again and just forced me to change my account to “professional” in order for my 5.8 K followers to see my posts. It came with a massive TOS agreement that states everything I post, they own. I wish my engagement was better here. I’ll be working on that.
June 19, 2025 at 5:41 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Happy Friday the 13th! Thirteen is my lucky number-- the number I share with my birthday and the first tattoo I ever got. Here's an old self-portrait I made of myself as the Kazness Monster as I was creating "Mother Goth Rhymes." Does anyone else have a goth-filled center like me? #illustration
A drawing of the Goth ness monster— a green sea serpent, covered in tattoos, wearing a nose ring, black eyeglasses, a skull T-shirt, and fishnet over its tail.
June 13, 2025 at 9:48 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Artists and Authors: Give me your best tips on how to stay calm, creative, and healthy, both mentally and physically, when you are really REALLY busy. Multiple deadlines busy. THANK YOU!!!! #kidlit #ondeadline #creatives #author #artist #mentalhealth #physicalhealth
June 13, 2025 at 12:28 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
What's your favorite creepy crawly? "Ode to a Slug" is based on a little friend I saw outside the barn at @highlightsfound.bsky.social on Thursday. And yes, I know slugs are not bugs, but the rhyme is to delicious to resist. #watercolor #collage #coloredpencil #digitalart

#poetry #kidlit #sluglove
Watercolor painting of a slug with a red back and kissy lips following a shiny trail to a tomato plant with a big ripe tomato with suggested human face features. Ode to a Slug by Kaz Windness I have never seen a bug, quite as handsome as a slug. Dancing eyes and glistening tail, writing love poems with their trail. Leading to our rendezvous, underneath these leaves of dew. To kiss my ripe and blushing face. Until I’m gone without a trace.
June 8, 2025 at 1:16 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
🦑SQUID IN PANTS👖received a nice feature in @publisherswkly.bsky.social!!! If you don't know about Ready To Read, they are all about supporting a child's literacy journey with beautiful and FUN stories that help a child fall in love with books. www.readytoread.com #earlyreaders #kidlit #SquidInPants
Graphic that says "NEW READY TO READ TITLES FOR SUMMER 2025!" An image of SQUID IN PANTS book cover with a squid wearing pants and SMOOSHE's super duper fun day, Michael Slack with silly aliens in a bumper car.
June 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
Great review of “Bitsy Bat, School Star” in Spanish! #autismacceptance #bitsybat #spanishedition www.slj.com/review/bitsy...
School Library Journal review of “Bitsy Bat, School Star” Spanish edition. Cover image with a light fur bat hanging upside down on a chalkboard. “This picture book effectively shows readers that diversity and variety of body abilities is a normal part of attending school. Although Bitsy's autism is hinted at in the story, the author’s note at the back of the book ­clarifies her need for headphones, sunglasses, and other stimulus-reduction adaptations. A great title for children who can find their own diverse abilities in the story, as well as for those who want to see how every person is special in their own way. VERDICT A good purchase for libraries serving Spanish-speaking communities and where diverse and neurodivergent books are needed or in high demand. Reviewed by Carolina Youssif
June 1, 2025 at 7:32 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it. Lure it to the coast. Smash it on the rocks. Don't let anyone tell you how to live your dreams.

Last #mermay for the month, I promise. #stabbyunicorn #darkhumor
A painting of blue unicorn-mermaids on the shorline swimming out to a large sailing ship with two UFOs in the sky above. Text says "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it."
May 26, 2025 at 1:21 PM
kazwindness.bsky.social
It's finally here! The Spanish edition of "Bitsy Bat, School Star" is out in paperback and hardcover. Request "Bitsy Murcielago, Estrella Escolar" at your favorite bookseller or library. #bitsybat #autismacceptance #kidsbooks #autismappreciation #autistic
A graphic that says "An autism acceptance story that celebrates what makes every child special. Now Out In Spanish: Bitsy Murcielago, estrella escolar." Image shows book cover for Bitsy Bat, School star with a light-furred bat hanging upside down in a classroom setting against a chalkboard.
May 20, 2025 at 2:20 PM