Illustrator, Author,
& Designer
Phoebe Wahl is a Pacific Northwest based writer & artist, whose work ranges from zines and editorial to surface design and children’s books; including the best-selling Little Witch Hazel and Phoebe’s Diary. To stay on top of the latest news and updates about Phoebe’s life and work, sign up for her newsletter, The Wahlflower.
Coming July 14th, 2026…
Story Rug
Written by Sophie Blackall, illustrated by Phoebe Wahl
“Solo play turns into communal collaboration in this appealing picture book expertly crafted by Caldecott Medalist [Sophie] Blackall, here in the author’s seat, and Wahl (Little Witch Hazel). It all starts with the “braiding CRAZE” that strikes Class 203: “They are braiding hair, and braiding the tails of all the toy ponies, and Sadie is braiding her shoelaces together.” When shoelace-less, short-haired Noah lacks materials to join in, teacher Ms. Morena improvises by tearing a whiteboard rag into strips, and the child eagerly sets to work, even braiding in the bath, until the recycled cloth runs out. Enter Dad with an old shirt and the suggestion to “STITCH! STITCH! STITCH!” the fabrics’ ends together. Back at school, students donate additional textiles and eagerly help to attach the braids during storytime, making for a length that soon snakes down the hallway. Intricate, fully realized digital renderings incorporate open, broken-stroke shading for a down-to-earth portrait of a class energized by their task. After Noah suggests that the peers coil their handiwork into a growing circle (“the size of a Hula-Hoop. The size of a kiddie pool, the size of the library’s round table”), the resultant rug embodies not just the peer-group partnership but the individual textiles’ backgrounds, too. It’s a warmhearted portrayal of individual strands twined.” — Publisher’s Weekly, Starred Review ★
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Holly Stevens
Meet Phoebe
Phoebe Wahl is an award-winning children’s book author, illustrator, and surface designer whose work focuses on themes of comfort, fantasy, and intimacy with nature and one another. She grew up unschooled in Washington state and credits her free-range childhood in the Northwest for much of her inspiration and values.
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