I was seven years old when I first thought about making books. At school I wrote stories and drew comics for my friends. When I left school I attended art college in England, where I was born. After that I served for several years in the British Royal Navy and then continued working as a designer and commercial illustrator. It was only when I came to live in the USA that I began to illustrate and write books for children.
Growing up I spent my childhood in the coastal town of Scarborough, Yorkshire in the UK. Now I live in midcoast Maine and work from home in my attic studio. Maine has an amazing heritage of children’s book authors and illustrators including Ashley Bryan, E.B. White, Melissa Sweet and Dahlov Ipcar - there is inspiration everywhere. I live close to the sea and swim when it’s warm enough, but Maine can be very cold. I do miss British fish and chips (and mushy peas), but I love Maine lobster! My two poodles keep me company in the studio - Toby, who has his own book, and Lucy, plus a lazy black cat called Sleep.
I’m the author and illustrator of Toby from Candlewick Press and I’ve helped create more than twenty children’s books including Borrowing Bunnies by Cynthia Lord (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), Imani's Moon (Charlesbridge), Animally (Kane Miller) and Where Do Fairies Go When It Snows? (Down East). You can find out more about my books - click here.
If you'd like to talk about an illustration project, arrange a visit to your school or library, buy a signed book or just say 'hi', please send a message below or email me at hazelgmitchell@outlook.com. thanks for visiting my website.
Awards and recognitions include: NYC READS 365 Anna Dewdney Read Together Finalist Audiofile Best Book Reading is Fundamental Choice Book Bank Street's Best of Children's Books Bronze Award Children's Books SILA MASL Show ME Readers MS Association Books For A Better Life Finalist Forewords Review BOTYA Gold Medal Learning Magazine Teachers’ Choice Award Charlotte/Mecklenburg Library Best Book List Chicago Library Best Book List Maine State Libraries 'Cream of the Crop' The Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California Distinguished Books PAL member SCBWI
Publishers include: Candlewick Press, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Charlesbridge Publishing, DownEast Books, Highlights, ABDO/Magic Wagon, Kane Miller, Freespirit, Reading A-Z and SCBWI.
Latest Books The Fall Fairy Gathering (by Liza Gardner Walsh) Down East Books 2020 I Love You, Oceanly (by Lynn Parrish Sutton) Kane Miller 2019 Borrowing Bunnies (by Cynthia Lord and John Bald) Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2019 Farmers Market Surprise (written and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell) Kane Miller 2018 How Do Fairies Have Fun in the Sun? (by Liza Gardner Walsh) Down East Books 2018 1,2,3 Fairies (by Liza Gardner Walsh) Down East Books 2017 Do Fairies Bring The Spring? (by Liza Gardner Walsh) Down East Books 2017 Toby by Hazel Mitchell Candlewick Press 2016 (see more HERE)
Exhibitions Cats in Hats Exhibition, Dr Suess Museum, Springfield, MA Boyd's Place Illustration Exhibit, Bangor ME Bronze Medal, Illustration West, Society of Illustrator's Los Angeles Brick House Museum,Kennebunk, ME Coduit Arts Centre, MA 'Process of the Picture Book' Rivertree Arts, Kennebunk ME Freeport Library, ME Warwick Museum Art, RI Pittsfield Library, ME Freeport Library, ME Bangor Children's Museum, ME
All images, text, photographs and ideas represented on this website are copyright of the artist Hazel Mitchell and may not be reproduced, copied or used in any way without written permission of the artist.
