Kary Lee

Kary Lee is a Bank Street and Mom’s Choice Award-winning author-illustrator whose stories welcome readers with lively expression and a warm, enchanting style. Whether layering traditional watercolor washes on paper, crafting whimsical gestures on her iPad, or capturing real-world inspiration through urban sketching, Kary brings visually captivating, emotionally resonant stories to life. Her background in graphic design and art direction bring insight and understanding to publishing’s big picture, to create organic and deeply engaging narratives.

Early recognition with an SCBWI LA Portfolio Award ignited her passion for kid lit. Her work gained national attention when she and her teammate won the Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) competition, creating the Covid-19 Helpers e-book. This led to her 2020 Bank Street Best Book Award and its companion book, Covid Vaccines for Kids (Blair Press, 2021). Kary has illustrated several picture books, various editorial projects and now also writes her own stories. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Charles, and a backyard bunny. Visit her at karylee.com.