iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Artists! I'm looking for a painterly/traditional artist who works in the highly rendered, lush, sensual style that you'd see in classic pinups with LOTS of romantic suggestion. Unfortunately there's SOOO much slop out there I'm having a tough time finding someone who is a real artist 🥴

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I've been totally obsessed with finding a way to make "Would You Still Love Me if I was a Worm" into a picture book. I'm envisioning a high-contrast board book? Maybe it's got a hole in the middle for finger and YOU'RE the worm 😂

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I've been thinking a lot about seals lately.

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Betsy Uhrig @betsyuhrig.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

✨Major Cover Reveal! ✨Feast your eyes on this dazzling cover for The Boy from Elsewhere (coming 4/13/27 from McElderry/S&S)! Art is by Yuta Onoda, designed by Rebecca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social. 🐦‍⬛ More at www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Bets.... #kidlit #MGLit #romcom #romantasy #teenlit

A teen girl and boy grasp hands amid a swirl of black feathers and sparkling light.

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I've been thinking a lot about seals lately.

A graphic illustration of a grey seal wearing a traffic cone like a hat. Text below him reads "disrespect your surroundings"

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Not to brag but the dentist told me I was a *Great Listener* today 😌😌😌

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The HARDEST part of needle-felting for me is patience. The process is SLOW, and it's hard to resist sharing in-progress stuff before the vision is fully realized. These guys are a small part of what will hopefully be a bigger composition if I can juuust figure out how to get them to stand upright

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Maybe once a year I get my work inbox to single digits. And in that brief window of time I know what it's like to feel truly INFINITE

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

157 days until Halloween!!! Did you know that Halloween will be on a Saturday this year? We need to start planning our costumes!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

I've been feeling SO inspired by Laura Venditti's felted Adult Swim spots, and wanted to try my hand at a short animated loop. This was....a total failure, and VERY hard lesson in pre-planning. It taught me a lot about set construction and lighting, but for now it's still-life.

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Sprayed edges are all the rage right now (iykyk) and it's been so interesting to see how designers have adapted to having a whole new surface to design that wasn't available before. We're all still figuring out the limitations, but this was a fun first swing. Obviously it was BEGGING for teeth!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

HoooBoy This is an excellent example of "Trust the Process" 😭😂

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

It's EXTREMELY cool to see "Black History is Your History" on The Jennifer Hudson show today! This title was a huge collaborative undertaking (years in the making!), and includes a trove of gorgeous interior portraits by the sensationally talented Adriana Bellet!!!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

I could go anywhere with you 🎈☁️ (*Please dispose of your balloons properly! Don't let them fly away, no matter how big their dreams are*)

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Today marks my 7th year at Simon and Schuster, and my 10th year in children's publishing!! I'm very emotional!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

I've made the executive decision that I don't want to needle felt all the strawberry seeds from the original sketch. What should he be holding instead?? If you had a little mushy familiar, what would he help you carry home after a long day of foraging???

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

There's a real chance this is my magnum opus

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Tried my hand at needle felting for the first time, and I am very excited by the potential of it!! There were no coherent instructions included in the kit I ordered so I deviated from the script quite a bit, but I think it turned out super cute anyway!!!! He looks so polite!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Finished another Felt Little Guy!! I think he looks SO POLITE!! Would you give him treats?

A close-up on a brown felt bat as it is being sewn together. You can see the soft texture of the felt and the hand embroidered details of his face here

A handmade, plush, felt brown bat wearing a small orange bowtie. He is politely holding a bat-sized orange jack-o'-lantern treat bag

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Pretty sure every art director has at least one White Whale artist they've been dreaming of working with for YEARS, who they simply CANNOT find the right project for ( I see you pitching them for every. single. project juuuuust in case).

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PBS @pbs.org · 07/08/2025

An update from us here at PBS 💙

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

*crying in art director* Please please please let your #portfoliday gift to yourself be adding your contact info (email), portfolio (link), and NAME to your socials. Some of you are missing opportunities because we can't reach you!!!!! 🫣

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Lots of new people here, so let me reintroduce myself: I'm Becca. I'm an Associate Art Director in Children's Publishing. I use this account to research artists, share my work, and hype up YOUR creative projects! I also love hockey and internet cats. Say hi sometime!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Would you still love me if I was a worm? I'd watch the whole Worm World from the pocket of your shirt.

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

SO happy to share that HAROLD THE ICEBERG MELTS DOWN was named as a Blue Spruce Honor Book at the Forest of r Reading Festival!!! What an enormous honor! Congratulations to the winners and nominees! I am positively overjoyed to be included on such a spectacular list of creators! 🥗💚♻️

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

In an effort to beat burnout, I've put away the iPad, and pulled out the Big Drawing Pad™️ and good ol' crayons. I love how much more confident my lines look when the medium is chunky and totally unforgiving!!

A large fluffy cat sprawled on his back across a big drawing pad.

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

I LOVED Sailor Moon growing up, but seeing "Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer" first (when I was probably waaaaayyyy too young) is what fundamentally changed my DNA and set the course for the next 30 years of my life.

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

#illustrators I'm currently looking for an artist whose work is more painterly/ atmospheric/ bordering on abstract for a YA project. Please reply to this thread with a few samples of your work with a link to your portfolio if you think you might fit this criteria 🎨🖌️

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

My favorite guilty pleasure is spending my 20 minute walk to the midtown office rehearsing what I'll say when Humans of New York stops me

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Ok the lighting in my office is unforgivable but how SWEET did the slime-green spot color turn out on this latest F.T. Lukens jacket?! Another illustrated masterpiece by Sam Schechter 💚✨🔮

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Hey artists! I've updated my contact info so you'll have an easier time getting in touch! All emails can be sent to: query.becca@gmail.com This will help ensure your emails aren't getting lost with my electric bills 😂 Say hi! Send cat pics! Show off your art! Ask about my hockey team! Whatever!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

SO excited to see SATURDAY MORNING AT THE 'SHOP featured on CBS!!! Ken is such a tremendous illustrator and all-around kind soul, and I'm BEYOND grateful to have been a part of the team that made 'Shop. 💈♥️

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

The best part of being in love is the way your speech will devolve into nonsense sounds, but you'll still understand each other perfectly

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anerbananers🍌 @anerbananer.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Happy Black History Month! Please consider adding more Black art to your skyline and to support working Black artists in a time where our histories and our voices are under attack. #BHM #blacksky #blackart #drawingwhileblack

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

What did you want to be when you grew up?? Younger me thought by now I would be an archaeologist/ Spy Kid.

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Kidlit For Los Angeles @kidlitforla.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Ask Me Anything: A 50-minute AMA with Kendra Levin. Kendra Levin is the Vice President and Editorial Director of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, where she supervises a team of ten editors and edits award-winning and bestselling authors. #kidlit

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Reimena Yee 🦇 @reimenayee.com · 31/10/2023

The Creator's Guide to Comics Devices is OPEN!!!!! comicsdevices.com An online library and meronomy of visual-narrative devices that are used in the medium of comics and other sequential art. 🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨

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Jameela Wahlgren 🏳️‍🌈 🎨 @jameelawahlgren.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

Limited portfolio review slots have reset for the month of January! If you'd like feedback on your art and portfolio site from an art director you can sign up here! patreon.com/AskanArtDire...

patreon.com

Illustrator turned art director here to answer your questions!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

I forgot to take better pictures before I gifted it, but here's the Shih Tzu portrait I sewed up for a very dear friend! Finding a tactile way to include her "meat beard" was the best part 😂❤️

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Here's an in-progress little guy! After years of wrestling with right-handed tutorials, I finally learned how to do a French Knot left-handed! A triumph! Next I'll give him some presents to hold, and maybe boots/a hat. What do you think? 🎁🎅🎄❄️

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Gale Galligan @galegalligan.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Coming from the book publishing side, I've found it helpful to check in with publishers about their house style preferences! I personally adore Second Ellipsis (manga babies unite), but in my experience, Graphix tends against. Comics!!!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Have yourself a wormy little Wormmas. Let your worms be liiiight. 🪱🎄🎅🎁⭐❄️⛄ I've always loved needlework/plush crafting/hand sewing, but felt has been SUCH a revelation as a medium. I don't know why I didn't try it sooner! Expect more felt experiments in the future!!

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Becca Syracuse @bookdesignbee.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

I've been toying with the idea of doing an Art Director AMA in the new year since I think a lot of folks who've found me here know me as an aad. Is that something people are interested in/is that beneficial? I certainly don't have ALL the answers, but after a decade in publishing I know SOME things!

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Brian LaRossa @brianlarossa.com · 20/11/2024

Hey #kidlit illustrators, I'm a children’s publishing #art director. To celebrate Bluesky’s recent 20M user milestone I’d like to gift a FREE one hour Zoom portfolio-review/coaching-session. 1. Reply w/ your art. 2. Random winner. 3. No DMs please. I will look closely at every reply! 💙❤️

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