Mike Wohnoutka

Ever since Mike can remember he knew he wanted to be an artist. His dad, who was an engineer at the Hiway Department, would bring home reams of paper that had hiway plans on one side and were blank on the other. Mike would be so excited to have all that paper to draw on and would fill each sheet with race cars, snowmobiles, baseball players, super heroes - everything he was interested in. In high school his art teacher, Mr. Chase, encouraged Mike to pursue art as a career. This, along with a scholarship, led him to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Since graduating with a B.F.A. in Illustration, Mike has worked with various clients including Random House, Dutton Children's Books, Clarion Books, Holiday House, Scholastic Books, Walker & Co., Hyperion Books, Sterling Books, Cricket Magazine Group, General Mills, 3M, Medtronics, and Peaceable Kingdom Press.

Mike also enjoys visiting schools and talking to students about illustrating children's books.

Mike grew up in Spicer, Minnesota. He currently resides in Minneapolis with his wife, Anna, and two children, Franklin and Olivia.

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Awards and good things

-Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Selection for Jack's House
-Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award for Davey's Blue-Eyed Frog
-A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book for Jack's House
-A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book for Clementine Sweet
-Nominated for the Buckaroo Award for Cowboy Sam

Click here to read more about Mike's books