Meet Our Faculty

Raissa Figueroa is a Puerto Rican/Colombian-American children’s book illustrator whose vibrant, layered artwork brings stories to life with warmth and wonder. After studying graphic design in her college years, she rediscovered her passion for drawing and began experimenting with watercolor and mixed media. Her work often celebrates family, imagination and resilience with a visual style that blends playful detail and emotional depth.

Joey Spiotto is a New York Times Bestselling Author & Illustrator. A graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Joey has written and illustrated many books including the hit graphic novel series’ “Max, a Little Axolotl” and “Grumpy Unicorn”, the wildly popular film & TV tie-in's “Alien Next Door”, "Klingon Next Door" & more!

Christy Ewers is the Owner of The CAT Agency, and represents illustrators and author-illustrators in children’s publishing. She has been rooted in the industry since her mother, Chris, started the agency in 1994. Christy works closely with the entire “family” of artists, spearheading the promotion and deals for CAT Agency illustrators, as well as working alongside the authors in the group to help craft their stories and hone their writing for young readers. Christy is also a children’s book author. Her debut picture book is being published in the Fall of 2026 by Flamingo Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Melissa Manlove is an Executive Editor at Sourcebooks, working across Jabberwocky (fiction picture books and early readers), Explore (nonfiction for children), and Young Readers (chapter books, graphics, and middle grade fiction). She's been a bookseller for as long as she's been an editor, and that’s given her a strong sense of how books can break the rules, challenge expectations, and still stand out in the bookstore and succeed in reaching readers.