Kirsten McGonigal
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kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Kirsten McGonigal
@kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
610 followers 220 following 270 posts
Children’s book illustrator, kid lit author, nature lover, reader, music maker, dreamer, SCBWI, #pbparty 2024 finalist, She/her

Rep’d by Becca Langton at Darley Anderson Illustration

kirstenmcgonigal.com
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kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Merry December! It’s the last #kidlitartpostcard of the year, so I thought I’d send the year out in style with this posh little caroling quartet. I’m on the lookout for new projects in both PB and MG. Portfolio kirstenmcgonigal.com
rep’d by: @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
Cozy Children’s Book style illustration showing 2 mice, a hedgehog, and a mole Christmas caroling at night in a winter, snow covered forest. They are caroling at the home of 3 chipmunks. The chipmunks live in a big tree with a door and glowing windows in the trunk. A mother chipmunk stands in the doorway with light spilling out through the open door. 2 little chipmunks, a boy and a girl, peep out through an upstairs window. The little boy chipmunk is waving excitedly to the carolers below, and the little girl chipmunk is clasping her paws in delight. The ground and bushes are covered with snow. Once of the mouse carolers is standing a bit in front of the others, mouth wide open in song with his hand gesturing dramatically.
December 4, 2025 at 5:24 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
To be continued…

#folktaleweek
#kidlit
Children’s book illustration showing a little boy in the lower left corner of the page, kneeling down amid some foliage and playing a flute. Whimsical swirls of music rise from his flute and float across the top of the page to the upper right, where a furry purple monster is sitting, playing with a stuffed toy fox. The monster looks amazed and interested in the music.
November 21, 2025 at 9:30 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
#folktaleweek day 4
#kidlit
Children’s book illustration showing a closeup of a little boy wearing hooded pajamas with bunny ears on the hood stepping out a door into a rainy night. He is holding an umbrella over his head with one hand, and clutching a flute in the other hand. He looks fierce and determined.
November 21, 2025 at 2:28 AM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Here’s my #folktaleweek day 3 illustration and story!

#kidlit
Children’s book illustration showing a little boy wearing pajamas with bunny ears siting on his bed propped up on pillows. The boy is reading a book titled “the magic flute.” He looks surprised and interested. On his bedside table is a flute.
November 19, 2025 at 5:48 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
#folktaleweek day 2.
#kidlit
Children’s book illustration showing a young boy wearing pajamas with bunny ears, standing on his bed. He is shouting “stop!” after a furry, purple monster, who is running away with his stuffed fox toy.
November 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
It’s #folktaleweek ! Anyone else participating?
Children’s book illustration showing a little boy wearing pajamas with a hood and bunny ears standing in his bed at night. He is grabbing the arm of a stuffed fox you. A big purple furry monster is popping up from under his bed and grabbing the fox’s other arm. Both boy and monster look angry.
November 17, 2025 at 6:32 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Happy November #kidlitartpostcard . Who else has been carving pumpkins? 🙋🏻‍♀️🎃 If you’re on the lookout for an illustrator to bring a little magic to a story, please reach out! I’m open to both PB and MG. Portfolio: kirstenmcgonigal.com
rep’d by: @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
Children’s book illustration showing 2 girls carving a Jack O Lamtern together on a stump in the woods. One girl is dressed like Little Red Riding Hood and holding a candle in her hand. The other girl is dressed like a wolf, and is reaching across to the other girl with a match to light tue pumpkin. In the background are trees ans bushes. The illustration is done is shades of purple and orange.
November 6, 2025 at 3:22 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
This is my Inktober project this year. I’m working on making my art looser and more expressive, so I’ve been sketching characters with different emotions on my iPad to figure out the pose, and then doing an ink version of them, drawing straight onto the paper with a Sharpie, no pencil lines allowed!
Children’s book style ketches of various characters showing different emotions. Ink sketches of “disappointed, tired, furious, and annoyed.”
October 16, 2025 at 4:21 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Hey, who decided to let the animals out at the county fair? 🤪🐷🐐🐥 If you’re an art director or editor looking for an illustrator to bring a little magic to a story, please reach out! Portfolio: kirstenmcgonigal.com
rep’d by: @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social

#kidlitartpostcard
Children’s book illustration of a scene at a county fair. In them magic can background are rides and buildings, silhouetted against an evening sky. In the foreground is a stack of straw bales. A boy sits on top of the bales, sharing his cotton candy with a prize winning goat. A little girl is lying on her back on top of the bales, playing with a teddy bear. Dad is sitting slouched against the base of the bales, dozing. His foot has knocked over a bucket of popcorn, and a prizewinning pig is munching on it. Two big trees frame the scene, and the whole painting is done in shades of blue, purple, and pink, emphasizing the evening light.
September 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
👋🏼 Hello art directors and editors. Happy #KidLitArtPostcard day! This is a spot illustration from my most recent dummy. If you’re an editor and would like a peek at it, ask my agent! 😉
🌟I’m rep’d by @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
🎨Portfolio: kirstenmcgonigal.com.
#kidlit
Children’s book spot illustration showing a boy and a red dragon marching from left to right. The dragon is behind the boy and is carrying a tall teetering stack of dishes. The boy is in front of the dragon and is carrying a bottle of soap and a scrub brush. A trail of soap bubbles float up and over both of them.
August 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
👋🏼 Hello art directors and editors. Happy #KidLitArtPostcard day! Did you know I like to draw chickens? And quilts too? 😁 Check out my portfolio at kirstenmcgonigal.com to see what else I like drawing, and writing about too! I’m rep’d by @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
#kidlit
Whimsical children’s book illustration showing a parade of chickens marching down a city street. The chicken in front carries a long flag made of red white and blue while squares, arranged in various configurations of Stars and Stripes. She is pulling a wagon with three chicks in it. Behind the chicks marches a hen wearing boots and carrying a drum, which she is beating as she marches. Behind her comes a duck, looking grouchy and pulling a cannon, on top of which stands a rooster, who looks very pompous as he blows into a golden horn.
July 3, 2025 at 1:08 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Hello art directors and editors. Happy almost summer! 🌞🌻🍉 And happy #KidLitArtPostcard day! I’m just popping on here to let you know I’m available for new projects right now. Check out my portfolio at kirstenmcgonigalart.com Rep’d by @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
#kidlit
Whimsical children’s book illustration showing a mother and daughter planting seeds together. They are surrounded in the background and foreground by giant, whimsical flowers. A couple of fairies and a gnome watch as the little girl drops seeds into a hole, and her mom waters them with a watering can. Both are dressed in old fashioned clothes, skirt, blouse, and apron for mom, and a pinafore and dress for the girl. Both look peaceful and happy.
June 5, 2025 at 1:04 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
It’s #KidLitArtPostcard day again! Hello art directors and editors. If you have any projects involving quirky characters and situations I’d love to work with you on them! Check out my portfolio at kirstenmcgonigalart.com Rep’d by @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
#kidlit
Black and white children’s book illustration showing a quirky family, dressed in old fashioned Victorian clothes. A short dad wearing square glasses is reading a book, a little girl with long black hair is picking up a fluffy floppy black car, and a tall thin mom has an apron on with plants sticking out of the pockets, and she is inspecting a mushroom held in her hand. A mop dog looks on, tongue hanging out, tail wagging, drooling on the rug.
May 1, 2025 at 2:16 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Well I don’t have any recent sprawling arctic landscape illustrations, but I do have some of farmland! And a recent cold snowy scene. I’m sure I could combine the two! Vast landscapes are one of my favorite things to illustrate. I would love to work on a project like this!
April 3, 2025 at 8:13 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
It’s #KidLitArtPostcard day again! Hello art directors and editors. If you have any projects involving quirky characters and situations I’d love to work with you on them! Check out my portfolio at kirstenmcgonigalart.com Rep’d by @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
#kidlit
April 3, 2025 at 1:53 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Hello and happy #KidLitArtPostcard day! I’m a #kidlit #illistrator and #author, and I’d love to work with you on just about any kid lit related project! BB, PB, editorials, MG, and YA, I enjoy it all.

Rep’d by @beccalangton.bsky.social of @da-childrens.bsky.social
Children’s book cover design for a western version of Cinderella. The scene takes place in a park. Cinderella’s fairy godmother is on the left, hovering above the ground with her wand out. She looks like a cute little black grandma in a plaid skirt with a puffy bun in her white hair. Cinderella is a little black girl with two braids, dancing with delight as her fairy godmother magically changed her clothes into jeans, a fancy blue western vest, cowgirl hat, and riding gloves, with sparkling cowgirl boots on her feet. She holds a lasso in her hands, twirling it above her head. Beside her, a buckskin horse looks on with delight.
March 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Hello #kidlitartpostcard day! And happy February. I love illustrating detailed scenes with quirky characters. I’m open for picture books and illustrated MG novels. Check out my portfolio at kirstenmcgonigalart.com . Rep’d by @beccalangton.bsky.social of Darley Anderson Illustration.

#kidlit
Black and white children’s book illustration showing a nerdy boy framed by a bright classroom doorway, offering a rose to a popular girl in a school hallway. The girl’s friends are behind her, snickering, rolling their eyes, or looking annoyed.
February 6, 2025 at 2:51 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Happy first #kidlitpostcardday of 2025! I’m looking forward to some exciting new projects this year. If you want to work with me, reach out to my agent, Becca Langton of @da-childrens.bsky.social . Contact is on my portfolio site kirstenmcgonigalart.com

#kidlitart #kidlit #kidlitillustrator
Children’s book illustration of a little red haired boy standing in front of a big snow castle fort that he built with his hands on his shovel. A red headed teenager, who looks like his brother, and his friend, another teenager with dark skin, look in in amazement from the left of the boy and castle. Both teenagers look amazed and surprised. In the background are snow covered trees, bushes, and a hill.
January 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Had to try my hand at a Lockwood & Co cover. It’s just the usual nights work for these three…running from danger into danger!

#kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #mgillustration #middlegradebooks #lockwoodandco #illustration
Cover art for Lockwood and Co: The Screaming Staircase. Showing Lockwood, Lucy, and George running down a spiral staircase, rapiers held ready. Ghostly hands reach for them from below and ghostly figures glide above them. The characters look scared and determined.
October 30, 2024 at 1:56 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
It’s a party at #35 Portland Row! Complete with doughnuts, sausage rolls, and sodas!Another case solved, another visitor dealt with. 😎 ⚔️👻

The original image is charcoal and graphite, but I added some color digitally.

#kidlitart #bookillustration #mgillustration #mgbooks #middlegradebooks
Illustration based on the Lockwood and Co series by Jonathan Stroud, showing the three main characters, Lockwood, Lucy, and George having a party. They are gathered around the kitchen table loaded with bread, pie, cake, cookies, doughnuts, sausage rolls, jelly, and sodas.
October 30, 2024 at 2:57 AM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Happy #KidLitArtPostcard Day! I’m an illustrator and author-illustrator currently open to MG, picture book and board book projects. Reach out to me or my lovely agent, Becca if you’re interesting I working together! Contact info is on my website: kirstenmcgonigalart.com

#kidlitart #illustration
Kid Lit Art Postcard showing illustrated black and white photographs appropriate for a middle grade chapter book. Photographs show three friends eating sweet treats around a table in a kitchen and joining in a toast with their bottles of coke and ginger ale.
October 3, 2024 at 4:47 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
I love illustrating dramatic scenes! Anyone remember this scene? I was chewing my fingernails the whole time I was so worried they were all goners!

Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase page 325

#kidlitart #kidlit #mgbooks #bookillustration
Fan art Illustration from Lockwood and Co: The Screaming Staircase. Lucy Carlyle stands on the edge of a well, looking down into the depths, while Lockwood behind her grabs her to pull her to safety. Hooded ghostly forms hover in the background, and ghost fog drifts on the ground at their feet.
September 12, 2024 at 7:03 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
“George and Lockwood both turned to me, their backs to the armoire and the mess of scattered clothes. As they began to speak, pale radiance flared across the wall. A figure rose from the floor behind them…”

Lockwood and Co: The Screaming Staircase Page 152

#kidlitart #mgbooks #bookillustration
Book illustration from Lockwood and Co: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud. Pictures are Lockwood and George standing in front of an armoire with scattered clothes at their feet. A ghost girl is riding up behind them.
September 9, 2024 at 2:52 AM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Lucy and George having an argument…a common occurrence, especially in the first book! This scene is from page 122 of The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood and Co by Jonathan Stroud.)

#kidlitart #characterart #bookcharacter #illustration
September 6, 2024 at 9:37 PM
kirstenmcgonigal.bsky.social
Hello editors and art directors! I’m open to new #kidlit projects this fall! I’m looking for picture book, board book, or MG illustration projects. Feel free to reach out to me or my lovely agent. Contact info in my bio, and on my website.

#kidlitpostcard #kidlitartpostcard #kidlitpostcardday
September 5, 2024 at 6:25 PM