Kevin Henkes

State: Wisconsin

Kevin Henkes, born in Racine, Wisconsin in 1960, is an award‑winning author and illustrator of over fifty beloved children’s books. His gentle anthropomorphic mouse characters star in classics like Chrysanthemum, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Waiting, and Kitten’s First Full Moon. Henkes has earned the Caldecott Medal, multiple Caldecott and Newbery Honors, and the prestigious Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to children’s literature. Raised in a large family and educated at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, his stories often explore childhood transitions, family relationships, identity, and emotional empathy. He lives with his family in Madison and continues to publish both picture books and early readers, delighting young audiences around the world.

Genres: Contemporary, Humor, Picture Book

Audiences: Children's, Early Reader, Middle Grade