about me/contact

Born and raised on Long Island into a very resourceful and talented family, I was constantly surrounded by creativity. It seemed to be the very fabric of our lives and remains so to this day. A happy childhood, surrounded by family, my sister and I were lucky to have loving parents, with grandparents and cousins all living near us…..a time when extended family would congregate next door to us, at my grandparents every Sunday. In a way, it’s made me someone who will always be a kid at heart, and it’s important to me to bring this sentiment into the lives of other children through my art.

Among my earliest recollections of being totally enamored with children’s picture books was at a very early age, when I would get lost in the illustrations of Eloise Wilkin. Her art depicted scenes of cozy New England life that just drew me into the pages. I grew to be an avid reader, getting lost in the adventures of the Bobbsey Twins and my all time favorite children’s book, “Charlotte’s Web”, which I would take out of the school library over and over again as a child. To this day, whenever in a library or bookstore, I always gravitate to the children’s section! With a degree in Elementary Education from SUNY Stony Brook, followed by a degree from Pratt Institute in Illustration, I am now an author and illustrator of children’s books.

Parents of four grown children, my husband and I live in Setauket, NY with our yellow lab, Scout, who is addicted to frisbee (Can you guess which one of my favorite literary characters she is named after?). A dog lover, I volunteer at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, and also accompany Scout to the local library, where children read to her.

When I’m not creating something, you can often find me playing frisbee with Scout, romping around with my granddaughters, or riding my bicycle around town with my hubby, where much of our local scenery makes it’s way into my illustrations!

You can contact me at cmcarolan@optonline.net

Scout (laying in front of me) is a mother of seven. This summer, we had a reunion with all her pups……so much fun! Here she is, with a few of her babies by her side, after a nice swim. (Notice the frisbee next to her……..have frisbee, will travel……..she’s addicted!)