LeUyen Pham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids LeUyen Pham
Pham at the 2024 National Book Festival
Born	(1973-09-06) September 6, 1973 (age 51) Saigon, South Vietnam
Occupation	Author and illustrator
Alma mater	Art Center College of Design
Genre	Children's books
Notable awards	Caldecott Honor (2020)
Spouse	Alexandre Puvilland (2005–present)

LeUyen Pham, born on September 6, 1973, is a talented author and illustrator of children's books. She has created pictures and stories for over 120 books. In 2020, she received a special award called the Caldecott Honor. This was for her amazing drawings in the book Bear Came Along.

About LeUyen Pham

Early Life and Education

LeUyen Pham was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, on September 7, 1973. She went to the University of California, Los Angeles for a few years. Later, she earned her degree in 1996 from the Art Center College of Design.

Starting Her Career

After college, Pham worked at Dreamworks Animation from 1996 to 1999. She was a layout artist there, helping to plan how animated movies would look. She then decided to focus on illustrating children's books full-time.

First Books and Awards

Pham's first book as an illustrator was Sugarcane House, and Other Stories about Mr. Fat. It was published in 1997. In 2000, she illustrated Can You Do This, Old Badger?. This book won an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award. Another book she illustrated, Twenty-One Elephants, also won this award in 2004.

Becoming an Author

In 2005, LeUyen Pham wrote her first children's book, Big Sister, Little Sister. The story is told by a younger girl. She compares herself to her older sister. The book shows how their sisterly love grows. It has beautiful ink brush drawings with digital colors. Many people loved the book. A reviewer said it showed "the ups and downs of sisterly love" perfectly.

Popular Book Series

Pham is well-known for illustrating the Princess in Black series. Shannon Hale and Dean Hale write these books. The first one came out in 2014. Critics have praised Pham's drawings. They say her illustrations are full of energy and fun. They look like modern cartoons.

Pham also worked with Shannon Hale on graphic novels. These include Real Friends and Best Friends. In 2020, she won the Caldecott Honor for her illustrations in Bear Came Along.

Helping Kids During Tough Times

In April 2020, Pham and the Hales released a free ebook. It was called The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus. This book helped explain COVID-19 to children. It gave tips on how to stay safe in a way kids could understand. In 2021, another book they worked on, Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn, was published.

Personal Life

LeUyen Pham is married to artist Alexandre Puvilland. They got married on October 29, 2005.

Selected Works

Standalone Books

• Can You Do This, Old Badger? (2000) – illustrator
• Whose Shoes? (2001) – illustrator
• Piggies in a Polka (2003) – illustrator
• Twenty-One Elephants (2004) – illustrator
• Sing-Along Song (2004) – illustrator
• Big Sister, Little Sister (2005) – author & illustrator
• Hanukkah, Shmanukkah! (2005) – illustrator
• Grace for President (2008) – illustrator
• God's Dream (2008) – illustrator
• Templar (2013) – co-illustrator
• The Boy Who Loved Math (2013) – illustrator
• Bo at Ballard Creek (2013) – illustrator
• The Bear Who Wasn't There (2016) – author & illustrator
• Isabella For Real (2016) – author
• Bear Came Along (2019) – illustrator, winner of the Caldecott Honor Award
• Grace Goes to Washington (2019) – illustrator
• Love is Powerful (2020) – illustrator
• Outside Inside (2021) – Author & Illustrator
• Lunar New Year Love Story (2024) - illustrator

Freckleface Strawberry Series

Illustrated by Pham and written by Julianne Moore

• Freckleface Strawberry (2007)
• Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully (2009)
• Freckleface Strawberry: Best Friends Forever (2011)
• Freckleface Strawberry: Loose Tooth! (2016)

Princess in Black Series

Illustrated by Pham and written by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

• The Princess in Black (2014)
• The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party (2015)
• The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde (2016)
• The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation (2016)
• The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate (2016)
• The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare (2018)
• The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle (2019)
• The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem (2020)
• The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess (2022)
• The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink (2023)

Real Friends Series

Co-created by Pham and Shannon Hale

• Real Friends (2017)
• Best Friends (2019)
• Friends Forever (2021)

Vampirina Ballerina Series

Illustrated by Pham and written by Anne Marie Pace

• Vampirina Ballerina (2012)
• Vampirina Ballerina Hosts a Sleepover (2013)
• Vampirina at the Beach (2017)
• Vampirina in the Snow (2018)

Alvin Ho Series

Illustrated by Pham and written by Lenore Look

• Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things (2009)
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters (2010)
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-made Catastrophes (2011)
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances (2012)
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night (2014)
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions (2015)

Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn Series

Illustrated by Pham and written by Shannon Hale

• Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn (2021)
• Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn (2022)
• Party Hearty Kitty-Corn (2023)