Kaz Windness

Want to improve your #kidlit illustration skills quickly? Storyboard for Kidlit at @cuddlefishacademy is praised as "one of the most helpful things I have encountered to date in my illo career!" This class comes with personalized coaching. Sign up today! #childrensbookillustration #illustrator Graphic says "Book Design Gold Mine" Storyboard for Kidlit. The Cuddlefish Academy logo is an orange pufferfish wearing a graduation cap. "March 22, 2025: "Kaz, this is truly one of the most helpful things I have encountered to date in my illo career! I cannot thank you enough, watch for my dummy for sure!!" --Jennie S., Storyboard for Kidlit CuddlefishAcademy . com Jumpstart your Illustration Success Story with Storyboard for Kidlit today!

"I absolutely love it!" High praise for BITSY BAT, TEAM STAR from a fellow autistic creative. THANK YOU! “I just wanted to email about your new book “Bitsy Bat, Team Star.” I absolutely love it!...I’m on the autism spectrum too, and I have work accommodation to communicate in writing/text. So it made me especially happy to see you showing all communication methods as valid. I love the character designs too, and the sensory room, amazing job! ...you elegantly handled the tablet icon communication and sign language.” Thank you, Parker! #autismacceptance #childrensbook #nonspeakingautism

@heidifiedler at Nubula Notebook created this great graphic with recommendations for neurodiversity-affirming books. I couldn't agree more with her selections, and I'm so grateful for "Bitsy Bat, School Star" to be featured. Here's what she said: "With a story about a bat who doesn’t do things the way other kids do them, this is a more traditional (narrative) picture book than most on the list. When Bitsy feels like everything she does is wrong, she melts down. Her family encourages her to be herself, and by the end of the book she’s back in the classroom and feeling like a star. The back matter encourages discussion and includes facts about autism." #bitsybatschoolstar #autismacceptance #kidsbooks

Thank you SO much to everyone who read and shared "Bitsy Bat, Team Star!" Bringing Bitsy's message of understanding and acceptance for differences like autism has been the honor of my life, and I'm excited for the Spanish edition of "Bitsy Bat, School Star" (Bitsy Murcielago, estrella escolar) out in May and a new Bitsy Bat on the way, BITSY BAT, SNOW STAR. #bitsybat #autismacceptance #kidlit @ssedlib @catherinelaudone @simonkids

Highest praise ever! "Second graders CLAPPED after I read it to them!" --@joethebookpusher Check out the newest book in the BITSY BAT series, "Bitsy Bat, Team Star" for flapping, clapping fun with an affirming message for differences like autism. (THANK YOU, Joe!) @simonkids @ssedlib #bitsybat #autismacceptance #kidlit

Bitsy Bat is back!🦇🌟 We sat down with Kaz Windness, author of Bitsy Bat, Team Star, to discuss the second installment of her Bitsy Bat series, and the importance of representation in her storytelling. 📖 Kaz’s newest release takes us back to Crittercrawl Elementary, where Bitsy meets a new non-speaking student named Enzo. 📓 ✏️ Enzo’s character is just one character in diverse cast that provides ample representation of things like neurodivergence and disability. 🥳 In the full article, Kaz speaks to us in depth about accessibility tools, myths about autism, and her stance against generative AI. Head to the link in our bio to read all about it! 🔗 [🎨 Graphics by Lorain Lopez (@rain.lpz) | 📋 Outreach & 🖋️Article by Cara Broel (@thebabybookworm)] Featured here: - Kaz Windness (@kazwindness) . . . . . #accessibility #disability #representation #childrensbookauthor #bitsybat #kazwindness

Congratulations to @imaginationlibrary for 30 Years of gifting books to children! We are proud to have "When You Love a Book" included as a 2025 Blue Ribbon Selection and can't wait for kids to make friends with all these wonderful books. Check for availability in your area! #imaginationlibrary #whenyouloveabook #kidsbooks @heatherbrockmanlee @penguinkids

Thank you SO much to @rainforestgardn for this AMAZING 5-Star review! Please share Bitsy with someone who needs a warm comforting hug for the autistic soul. “'Bitsy Bat, Team Star' is NOT just another book about jealousy and teamwork, and thank goodness for that. With each beautifully illustrated page, Kaz Windness reassures kids that Bitsy gets what they’re going through. Flying is Bitsy’s special interest, but as any autistic can tell you, a special interest is so much more than a hobby; it can feel like your whole identity. While an allistic (non-autistic) reader might see this as a story about jealousy and teamwork, autistic readers might take away something entirely different. Bitsy Bat: Team Star is about feeling so defined by your special interest that sharing it with another feels like nothing short of an identity crisis. When autistic children learn to associate their interest and talents with their self-worth, it’s only natural to take ownership to the exclusion of everything else, including friends. Speaking of friends, let’s talk about Enzo. Many nonspeaking characters are presented as either someone we should pity or as a virtuoso with superhuman talents. But here, we get to admire Enzo as an owl who is just as nuanced and relatable as Bitsy herself. Enzo speaks for himself through a tablet, sign language, and just as crucially, his emotions. As a late diagnosed autistic adult, I wish that I had Bitsy and Enzo as a kid to help me deal with my own insecurities and internalized ableism. Bitsy Bat: Team Star is an absolute delight to read; it’s like a warm, comforting hug for the autistic soul. 5 Stars!" #autistic #kidsbooks #bitsybat @ssedlib @simonkids

This has to be the highest compliment you can receive as an illustrator. SQUID is a tattoo even before they are a published book! Gorgeous art on a gorgeous human. SQUID IN PANTS out May 13th. Love you, @coralclaytoncox! My favorite fishy in the sea! #squidinpants #picturebook #tattoo #kidlit

SQUID IN PANTS went through more concepts than any story I've worked on in the last fifteen years. Initially, he was named SQUIRT, but every time I entered that search to find my Google slides, something very surprising would come up. (DO NOT TRY THIS.) I also wrote multiple stories for him -- from a potty training book, to a float construction crew story, to the (OUT MAY 13th!) SQUID IN PANTS about a little squid who wants to try human clothes. "When a fashion-seeking squid spies some abandoned clothing on a boat, he feels his time has come at last! He takes the clothes to try on, but when their owner returns, a deal must be struck!" Reserve your copy today! #kidlit #childrensbooks #earlyreader

What are some other budget-friendly ways you support your favorite authors and illustrators? Comment! My bookshelves are well beyond capacity and I will likely be crushed by my TBR stack, so I've been requesting new releases from my public library. Libraries benefit authors and illustrators and support communities in way more ways than just books. I would love it if you requested SQUID IN PANTS out May 13th or any of my other books. It makes a world of difference! Add your recommended titles, too! @simonkids @ssedlib #squidinpants #librarylove #kidlit

Educators are using "Bitsy Bat, Team Star" to bridge communication differences and share what makes every child special. BRILLIANT! "My 3rd grade class met with our buddies in our mod to severe special education classes this morning and read Bitsy Bat Team Star. Then each group did an activity based on the book with their buddy. It was awesome! Thank you for writing such amazing books!" --Mrs. A The owl with the cupcake-liner eyes and the AAC communication device is NEXT LEVEL AWESOME!!!! I'm blown away by this! #specialeducationteacher #autismkids #kidsbooks @simonkids @ssedlib @catherinelaudone