We are especially excited to feature an interview with the amazing, noisy, colorful artist,
. His art is like joy on canvas. Our other favorite thing this issue is poems by
- fun rhymes to say when we are greeting someone and saying goodbye
- a surprisingly loud noise popper made with a few simple folds
- a beloved fable on the value of the simple things in life
- a hilarious new Ask Arden about kindness
Join us!
The target audience for each magazine is children ages 3–8, or children who are being read to and/or are just learning to read—but because children are never far from their siblings and caregivers, we created a magazine that can be enjoyed by all ages, from 1 to 100.
Root & Star is published six times per year. Join us with one issue, or SUBSCRIBE here for 40 full-color pages of beauty and life in your mailbox SIX times per year.
Thank you for allowing us to bring heartfelt literature and art to children all year long. Hooray!
Gwendolyn Brooks (Narcissa and Robert poems) lived from 1917 to 2000. She published her first poem when she was 13 years old, and she went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry when she grew up.
Heather Feinberg (Ammi) is a mother, counselor, writer, educator, and the founder of Mindful Kids, a nonprofit organization in Austin, Texas, whose purpose is to help children (and the child inside us all) discover their voices, access their power, and, most importantly, connect to their inner knowing.
Nadira Filatova (What is that noise?!?!?!) is an artist. She lives in Moscow, Russia and dreams of seeing the whole world.
David Gregal Jr. (Ask Arden art) lives in Washington, DC. At the end of the day, he loves reading books with his wife and two kids before bedtime.
J.D. Ho is a rock. With rocky thoughts. Living on a rocky mountain. With other rocks.
Ken Horne (Loud Colors) is a father, artist, and social worker who lives on a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia. In his free time he enjoys growing things, daydreaming, and visiting with his three dogs, three cats, two chickens, and two donkeys.
Aimee Hagerty Johnson (Merry Giants and Stick!) has always loved to do all kinds of art. Some of her favorite things to draw are horses, sweaters, coffee pots, trees, and telescopes.
Lida Larina (Root & Star comic) lives in Russia. Every day, Lida walks her best friend—her black dog named Babai. After their walk, Lida draws the sleeping Babai.
Gina Marie Mammano (Recipe for Found Sounds poem) is a longtime teacher, storyteller, and poet. In her spare time she likes to sing, play her sweet, shilver flute, and make friends with the outside world.
Courtney Mandryk is one of the makers of this magazine. She is made of paper. Her favorite thing is string. If she ere a smell, she would be Elmer's glue. Her mama would say to her, "Rise to the occasion."
Sofi Naydenova (covers) is an illustrator who makes joyful illustrations and short animations about life, human relationships, and funny characters, but she also shows conceptual pieces with subjects covering ecology and veganism. Her work has been shown in Hungary, Germany, Russia, and Japan.
Bridget Piazza (kid photo) is a mother of two children, three dogs, two cats and a hermit crab named Derek. She enjoys hiking, yoga, soccer, and she especially loves photographing children and dogs playing in nature, using film as the medium.
Queequeg (Raindrops and Mairzy Doats) is the long pony you never saw coming. Suss them.
Faith Ringgold (Narcissa and Robert art) is a painter and writer whose art has lived in galleries and museums all over the world. She is known for her story quilts that explore African-American history.
Heather Franzen Rutten (Penguin comic) is an artist and illustrator living in Philadelphia. In her free time, she likes playing video games and attending orchestra concerts.
Preeta Samarasan (Ask Arden inspiration) was born in Malaysia, moved to the United States in high school, and now lives in France. She is the author of the novel Evening Is the Whole Day.
Atabey Sánchez-Haiman (Hello/Goodbye, Tender Buttons art) is a Puerto Rican artist and scientist who lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her son. They spend their days drawing, reading, laughing, and going for walks.
Gertrude Stein (Tender Buttons poem) lived from 1874 to 1946. She is known for writing in a “stream of consciousness” style, which means she liked how the mind sounded.
Christine Hartzler Woodruff (Noise-O-Meter) lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is a busy mother, erstwhile poet, reborn tennis fanatic, and maker of many things (like dinner, paintings, and music on the piano).
