Once upon a time, in Mrs. Hershner’s kindergarten art class, Katie Mazeika painted the perfect butterfly. Then she accidentally stuck her thumb in the middle of its right wing. To fix the problem, she stuck her other thumb in the other wing. Mrs. Hershner announced that Katie was a “Little Artist.” She decided to go with it.

Many years later, Katie is an award-winning author and illustrator who can’t imagine a better job than making books. She loves creating stories based on real people and events. Katie is passionate about highlighting disabled voices in her work. She strongly believes all children should see themselves in books. Katie hopes her work as a creator and advocate creates a space to openly discuss disability and neurodiversity. She does this through presentations, panels, and workshops for educators, kidlit creators, and young readers.

Katie's honors include Junior Library Guild Selection, Banks Street Books, Best Books 2023, CBC Best Trade Social Studies Book, Septima Clark Book Award, and Northern Lights Book Award. She is the author & illustrator of the nonfiction picture books Beulah Has a Hunch! (Simon & Schuster) and Annette Feels Free (Simon & Schuster). Her fiction debut, Maybe, Just Ask Me (Simon & Schuster) comes out in Spring 2025. Katie has illustrated three board books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul: Babies series (Charlesbridge). Her next  book as an illustrator only , Is That the Bus? by Libby Koppanen will be out in Fall 2024 (Charlesbridge).

When she’s not drawing, writing or visiting schools and libraries, Katie likes to spend her time gardening or reading other people’s books. Katie currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Katie is a member of the SCBWI.