Oge Mora graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration. When not painting in her studio, Oge is in the kitchen cooking her late grandmother’s recipes. Her first picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent illustrator award, an Ezra Jack Keats illustrator award, a New York Times Notable Book and Editors’ Choice, and a Junior Library Guild selection. Her newest picture book is called Saturday. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Interview With Oge Mora

What stories inspired you as a young reader?

My favorite thing as a child was storytime. I think as a creator today, I am constantly thinking about the read aloud experience. Are there fun sounds to read out loud or repeat? Are there places for the listener to participate in the story? For me, a good picture book isn’t just a story, it's an experience.

What advice would you give to young writers?

That you are a writer. It isn’t something you have to be a certain age to be. If you are writing because it makes you happy, then you are a writer. The beautiful thing about being creative is that it isn’t something someone decides for you, you decide it for yourself!

What are you working on now?

I’m collaging my next book, I’m From written by Gary Gray Jr. and writing my next picture book!