Short Bio

Tatiana Gardel is a New York City-based artist whose work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and American Illustration. Books she illustrated include THE FIRST DAY OF PEACE (Candlewick Press, 2023), ABUELO, THE SEA, AND ME (Roaring Brook Press, 2024), and the forthcoming titles XAVIER’S VOICE (The Innovation Press, fall 2024), and PAINTING THE SKY WITH LOVE (Feiwel & Friends, fall 2024).
Born and raised in Brazil, her art is inspired by her culture, mythology, nature, and childhood memories. She is a co-founder of #LatinxPitch and teaches Animation to young artists at the Harlem School of the Arts. You can visit her at tatianagardel.com.

Social Media Links

Contact Info

gardel@tatianagardel.com

Headshot & Book Covers

PAINTING THE SKY WITH LOVE

Summary

A child flings open her arms to the sky, “painting it” with love. Hearts cascade and float and bounce down, while at the same time, people looking up at the sky open their hearts. This surreal, glorious expansiveness tapers down to a tiny moments of love and kindness.

Painting the Sky with Love is bursting with joy Radiant art from Tatiana Gardel fills the pages, and hearts will be lifted as each page is turned.

In a world that often feels heavily weighed down by hate, this celebratory embrace of love and tenderness can offer some welcome warmth.

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan

Format: Hardcover

Publication Date: November 5, 2024

Pages: 32 pages

Ages: 2-5

ISBN: 9781250828606

Autor: Mary E. Haque

Illustrator: Tatiana Gardel

Editor: Anna Roberto

Art Director: Melisa Vuong, Aram Kim

XAVIER’S VOICE

Summary

Xavier wishes his small voice was bigger and the anxious feeling he gets when trying to make friends was smaller. He makes many attempts to be louder, but he still isn't able to connect with any of his classmates. As Xavier withdraws into the world of his sketchbook, he wonders will he ever be able to make friends with such a small voice?

Publisher: The Innovation Press

Format: Hardcover

Publication Date: October 8, 2024

Pages: 40 pages

Ages: 6-8

ISBN: 9781959244035

Autor: Ashley Franklin

Illustrator: Tatiana Gardel

Editor/ Art Director: Asia Citro

ABUELO, THE SEA, AND ME

Summary

Abuelo, the Sea, and Me is a tender, heartwarming picture book that vividly explores intergenerational connections, family history, and the immigrant experience.

When this grandchild visits her abuelo, he takes her to the ocean. In summer, they kick off their shoes and let the cool waves tickle their toes. In winter, they stand on the cliff and let the sea spray prick their noses and cheeks. No matter the season, hot or cold, their favorite place to spend time together is the beach.

It’s here that Abuelo is able to open up about his youth in Havana, Cuba. As they walk along the sand, he recalls the tastes, sounds, and smells of his childhood. And with his words, Cuba comes alive for his grandchild.

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan

Format: Hardcover

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Pages: 40 pages

Ages: 4-8

ISBN 9781250848772

Autor: Ismée Williams

Illustrator: Tatiana Gardel

Editor: Nicolás Ore-Giron

Art Director: Sharismar Rodriguez

Praise

"This confidently told story, made up of brief moments between Abuelo and the grandchild, gets deeper as it goes on, with richly textured digital illustrations highlighting the changing light and weather as summer, fall, winter, and spring each take their turn... A deftly told immigrant’s story of bittersweet memories and a grandparent’s love." —Kirkus

"A gentle text that offers a nuanced and relatable perspective on the bittersweetness of remembering a faraway home and that celebrates the relationship between grandparent and grandchild." —Horn Book

"Over the course of four seasons, a child and their abuelo connect during visits in this loving intergenerational book that looks both forward and back... [accompanied by] sensory-rich descriptions... [and] delicate digital art [that] has the feel of watercolors on textured paper." —Publishers Weekly

THE FIRST DAY OF PEACE

Summary

In a new picture book presented by the Peace Studio and its cofounder Maya Soetoro-Ng, author Todd Shuster and illustrator Tatiana Gardel offer a moving modern parable highlighting the wondrous power of kindness and sharing.

Season after season, the mountain people give life to their crops with water from the river, while the valley people use water from a nearby lake to nourish their fields. Despite their similarities, neither allows the other to seek water on their land—instead, they exchange harsh words, and when drought descends, they come to blows. But when the hottest summer yet brings torrential downpours, the waters overflow and trap the valley people. A wise mountain girl sees their plight and says, “We need to help.”

Featuring an afterword by Maya Soetoro-Ng, The First Day of Peace is a fable for a time when many parents and children are deeply worried about our warming planet. At once timeless and timely, it sheds light on the importance of protecting the environment and of sharing rather than fighting over the earth’s precious natural resources. Todd Shuster’s lyrical writing is brought to vivid life by Tatiana Gardel’s rich and luminous illustrations in a story for everyone who hopes for love, justice, and peace across all mountains and valleys.

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Format: Hardcover

Publication Date: August 8,2023

Pages: 32 pages

Ages: 4-8

ISBN 9781536207590

Autor: Todd Shuster with Maya Soetoro-Ng

Illustrator: Tatiana Gardel

Editor: Karen Lotz

Art Director: Maryellen Hanley

Praise

“One brave act of kindness can be a catalyst for peace. . . . Shuster and Soetoro-Ng present the lesson of the golden rule in, fittingly, the form of a parable. Gardel alternates between warm and cool palettes, depicting a racially diverse cast of people, and inserts motifs like the sun and the moon to emphasize the importance of nature to these people’s lives.”
—Kirkus

”The natural tableaus suit the tale’s pacifistic mood, and the daughter of the mountain child’s benevolent gesture makes for a particularly striking scene, with swirling green foliage gently urging the reader’s eye to take a leap of faith from her hand over a verdant cliff.””
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

”A beautiful and inspiring parable of kindness, sharing, and the power every child has to make the world a better place. A must-read for children everywhere.”
—GRACE BYERS, actress, children’s advocate, and author of the #1 New York Times best-selling picture book I Am Enough

”Peace is an abstract idea often hard for young children to grasp, but through the story of the mountain and valley people, children can see what peace looks like as the characters reconcile and discover joy and meaning in connection. While conflict is a familiar part of kids’ lives and natural to their thinking, they need stories like this one to show them how to move beyond conflict to peaceful resolution. If we can help children connect this story to their own experiences, it will help them bring peace-building practices into their own lives.”
—Nancy Carlsson-Paige, author of Taking Back Childhood and child policy advocate at Defending the Early Years