Children's Literature Press Kit

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Short Bio: 129 words

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Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. Anita grew up chasing butterflies and fishing crawdads from a nearby creek during scorching Sacramento summers. Her stories and illustrations often reflect those memorable childhood years. Anita is an inaugural recipient of the SCBWI OMA (Out from the Margins) Award for her manuscript of debut picture book, OLD TO JOY , which releases on September 5, 2023. A veteran K-12 teacher, Anita especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano, and banjo. Anita draws inspiration from her faith, nature, music, history, and everyday life. You can connect with Anita on Twitter (@AnitaLClark), Instagram (@AnitasFavPics) or visit her website at AnitaCrawfordClark.com.

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Full Bio: 412 words

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Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. She is an inaugural recipient of the SCBWI OMA (Out from the Margins) Award for her manuscript of her debut picture book, OLD TO JOY, which releases on September 5, 2023. A veteran K-12 teacher, she especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano, and banjo. The cook in her enjoys treasured family recipes such as Gumbo, sweet potato pie, and too many others to list.

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Anita states that artistic expression and storytelling always seemed like DNA traits that went hand in hand. Everyone in the family were natural storytellers.  But according to her aunt, Dr. Margaret Washington of Cornell University, Anita’s artistic talent came from being born with an individually creative soul and with an infectious happiness about ostensibly mundane experiences. Perhaps those combined qualities led Anita into developing her thoughtful reflections and artistic depictions celebrating ordinary Black life and culture.  Anita’s art focuses on the heart and soul of Black culture, community, and daily life. 

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Like some early nineteenth century creators, Anita feels that the symbolic value or meaning of a work of art emanates from the re-creation of emotional experiences in the observer through color, line, and composition. The important aspect of her art is its universality. While at first glance, her compositions seem germane to Black culture, it is representative of human qualities of any culture – love, fear, heartbreak, loss, grief, joy, hope, faith, etc.

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Likewise, when it comes to storytelling for children, Anita’s writing is more than just a collection of ideas that she hopes to transform into story books. For Anita, her writing stems from a deep desire to empower her readers and give them a sense of their own potential and power. A sense of belonging and worth. A sense of courage, the ability to overcome obstacles, and live a joyful life. Anita welcomes the opportunity to create something special for everyone who engages with her stories and illustrations. 

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Anita began her college career at Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles, CA, before transferring to UC Davis and earning her BA in Sociology. Anita also holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a MA in Media Psychology. She lives with her family in Sacramento, CA. You can connect with Anita on Twitter (@AnitaLClark), Instagram (@AnitasFavPics) or visit her website at AnitaCrawfordClark.com.