Art and Illustration with Ruth Hammond

In the fifth episode of In the MIDst: A Kid’s Lit Podcast, Jennifer Slagus and Josh Palange discuss art, collaborative storytelling, graphic novels, and comics with storybook illustrator Ruth Hammond. Slagus and Palange highlight the importance of art and illustrations in stories, particularly those that promote diversity. Hammond shares her experience as a children’s book illustrator, detailing the process of working with publishers and comparing the U.S. and UK publishing markets. She also explains how social media has shaped her career. Hammond emphasizes how art reflects real-world diversity, citing examples like the 2021 book Just Roll with It by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie. The episode concludes with Hammond promoting her work, including How to be Confident in Kindergarten by DJ Steinberg and her own comic book, CATVENTURES.