Illustrator Spotlight: Moni Ritchie Hadley
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| © Moni Ritchie Hadley |
Nov. 2, 2026
It's the beginning of the month, so we have a new website banner and Illustrator Spotlight on Moni Ritchie Hadley. Learn about her book, Fold & Find: Home, A First Origami Book, illustrated by Genna Blackburn (Sourcebooks eXplore). Enter to win a copy (in 2028 when it comes out) via the widget below.
Tell us about yourself and how you came to write and illustrate for children.
I fell in love with picture books again when my daughter was born. Keeping the creative part of my brain active has always been important to me, and writing was something I could do while raising my daughter. Back then, I was also teaching full-time, so writing was very much part-time. When I retired, I poured my heart into getting published and accomplished that in 2021. Retirement also gave me the freedom to pursue new interests, such as illustration.
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| © Moni Ritchie Hadley |
Congrats on your banner design! Tell us about how you approached this design.
When I asked myself what kidlit meant to me, a few concepts came to mind: shared experiences, teamwork, and the beach! I recalled a recent memory of visiting an oceanfront walk with my family and riding a tandem bike. Animals as characters kept it playful. I created a dusk setting for comfort, silhouettes for high contrast, and a limited palette for control, but played a lot with color variations.
Congrats on your book, Fold & Find: Home, A My First Origami Book! Tell us about it and what inspired you.
I'm so excited about this book! Home is an interactive board book introducing children to the art of origami. In this story, the reader helps build a house for Inu the dog. It is part origami and part peek-a-boo with surprises after every fold. The idea came to me shortly after I wrote my book, Anzu and the Art of Friendship, another origami story illustrated by Nathalia Takeyama (Albert Whitman & Co.). At that time, I relearned and practiced all the origami shapes I knew as a child and more. With Home, I wanted to introduce the craft to young kids who are just acquiring dexterity and fine motor skills. is illustrating this book with super kawaii cuteness, but it marked an important step in my artistic journey because the dummy I created helped me get the deal!
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| © Moni Ritchie Hadley |
What is your preferred medium and style?
I work mainly digitally, but I love to include traditional textures and patterns. Experimenting is still very much my focus. Creating interactive elements for novelty books is so fun and definitely in my future.
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| © Moni Ritchie Hadley |
What projects are you working on now?
I have a couple of manuscripts in the submission process, and I am developing ideas for new novelty board books.
What is one thing most people don't know about you?
I was a breech baby, 2lb 13 oz, and almost arrived in a taxi cab. I guess I was in a hurry to get here.
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| © Moni Ritchie Hadley |
Where can people find you online?
At moniritchie.com or @bookthreader
Moni Ritchie Hadley is a Los Angeles-based children’s book author who draws inspiration from her dual Japanese and American upbringing. Her upcoming board book Fold & Find: Home, A My First Origami Book is scheduled for publication in 2028 by Sourcebooks eXplore. She is also the author of Miso Magic, The Star Festival, recognized as a 2022 Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year, and Anzu and the Art of Friendship. Moni is a former Bruin, home/hospital teacher, and a lifelong daydreamer and learner.
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