PARTIAL CLIENT LIST
Penguinkids, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Random House, Scholastic, Amazon, Houghtin Mifflin, Running Press (Hachette), Albert Whitman & Co., Harper Collins, Uitgeverij Gottmer, Magination, Chronicle Books
AWARDS
2024 Golden Kite Sid Fleischman Honor Award for Humor
(Fenway and the Loudmouth Bird)
2023 Bank Street Best Books of the Year (Fenway and the
Bone of Thieves & Frisbee Trick)
2019 Kerntitel in de Kinderboekenweek (Alle Hens Aan Dek)
2019 First Runner Up in Eric Hoffer Book Awards
2019 Gold medal winner Nautilus Book Awards (I See You)
2018 Gold medal winner in IPPY Awards (I See You)
2018 Mom's Choice Award Gold (I See You)
2017 Gold Medal in Foreword INDIES BOOK Awards
(I See You)
2015 Mom's Choice Award Gold (Reindeer Dust)
2015 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards (1 Gold & 2 Silvers)
(Reindeer Dust)
2012 Beehive Book Award (CLAU)
2011 Gryphon Award
• Winner Bank Street Child Study Children's Book
• Award Juvenile
• Winner IRA CBC Children's Choice Juvenile • Illustrators of New York Honors
• Society for Illustrators of Los Angeles Honors
• SCBWI Honor
Nice to meet you. I’m Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (pronounces as Friet-hoff) but most people call me JO.
I am an illustrator of picture, chapter, middle grade and educational books. I was born in Malaysia, grew up in Los Angeles and New York, currently living between Malaysia and Amsterdam. I studied illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. And for a short stint, I worked in the television industry as a character and concept illustrator for clients pitching childrens television shows. And then one day I decided to take a big leap and moved to New York where I worked as a graphic designer/Art Director at an AD Agency. Four years later, I found myself moving to Europe where I began my journey as a full time children’s book illustrator.
I make fun and serious books. My illustrations and characters are whimsical, wistful and full of sassiness but there is also sensitivity and tenderness to the characters. My illustrations take us back to our childhood memories when we were wild and free full of curiosities of the world. Because of my childhood experiences, I am also drawn to difficult and painful subjects that need a gentler and lighter touch of story telling that supports younger readers to understand and communicate better their thoughts, life challenges and feelings.
I also make hilarious dog books like Fenway Chapter Book Series by Victoria J. Coe and cool badazz books like Hilde Cracks the Case Series by 10 yearold journalist Hilde Lysiak. Some of the more serious, thoughtful subjects I also worked on which I hold dear to me are A Day with Parkinsons, You’ll Find Me, and the Beautiful Series.
Brick Lane @joannelewvriethoff.
Batik Painting @joannelewvriethoff