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Biography
Abi Cushman is the author-illustrator of funny books for kids, including Soaked!, Animals Go Vroom!, and Wombats Are Pretty Weird. She enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction. She is also the illustrator of The Quiet Series, written by Charlotte Offsay.
Before becoming an author-illustrator, Abi worked as a web designer for over 15 years, creating websites for libraries, towns, and local businesses. She runs two popular websites of her own: My House Rabbit, a pet rabbit care resource, and Animal Fact Guide, which was named a Great Website for Kids by the American Library Association.
In her spare time, Abi enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. (Yes, at the same time.) She lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her husband and two kids.
Penguins Don’t Wear Pants
SUMMARY
Have you ever seen a penguin wearing pants? No? Not ever? Would you like to? Acclaimed author Abi Cushman’s signature silliness is on brilliant display in this laugh-out-loud funny, wonderfully interactive, and unpredictable picture book that is custom-made for school, library, and family storytimes. For penguin fans and readers who love Where’s Waldo? and Dragons Love Tacos.
Under absolutely no circumstances should penguins ever wear pants. Never ever. Because if they do, Something Really Bad Happens! So, there are definitely no penguins in pants in this picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator Abi Cushman. Not even one.
Full of child appeal, Penguins Don’t Wear Pants showcases engaging, hilarious illustrations featuring plenty of penguins decked out in anything but pants. The interactive, rhythmic text begs to be read aloud and is sure to have readers giggling and participating whether shared at home or in the classroom. The endpapers feature a recipe for the dreaded (and delicious) raisin cookies. Penguins Don’t Wear Pants is an excellent choice for those who love Dragons Love Tacos, Z is for Moose, and The Monster at the End of This Book.
Pub Date: October 13, 2026
Pages: 40 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books | An imprint of HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0063455979
Author/Illustrator: Abi Cushman
Editor: Virginia Duncan
Art Director: Paul Zakris
PRAISE
“A chewy, crowd-pleasing treat.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Ending with cookies all around, it’s the penguin version of a shaggy-dog story, told with silliness and verve.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Fans of third wall–breaking interactive picture books and the humor of Ryan T. Higgins, Mac Barnett, and Drew Daywalt will eagerly embrace this delightfully goofy tale. A laugh-filled read-aloud title packed with visual jokes that children will request again and again. Highly recommended.”
— School Library Journal
“Young readers will have fun with the Where’s Waldoesque pages full of quirky and engaging details. An excellent choice for sharing at a group storytime, particularly for giggly crowds of kids who love picture books with over-the-top energy.”
— Booklist
Flamingos Are Pretty Funky
SUMMARY
Flamingos Are Pretty Funky introduces young readers to flamingos and their fantastic and (truly) fabulous traits. A companion to Wombats Are Pretty Weird, this funny, reader-friendly narrative nonfiction picture book about the natural world features sidebars, comic panels, and extensive backmatter.
Flamingos are tall, wading birds known for their bright pink color. Their nests look like tiny volcanoes, and they live in areas that are considered extreme—from nearly boiling bodies of water filled with corrosive chemicals to cold, mountainous regions where ice freezes around their feet. And if you ask their snake friend Joey, those aren’t the only things that are fabulous about flamingos!
Abi Cushman’s Flamingos Are Pretty Funky contains informative, expressive, and funny illustrations of flamingos in their natural habitats. This enlightening picture book offers an entertaining blend of narration, sidebars, speech balloons, and dialogue, and is a refreshing departure from traditional nonfiction. Flamingos Are Pretty Funky serves up a child-friendly guide to the fun and fancy world of flamingos and the mystery, beauty, and science of the natural world.
Backmatter includes additional information about flamingos and their habitats.
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Pages: 40 pages
Series: A [Not So] Serious Guide
Publisher: Greenwillow Books | An imprint of HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0063234444
Author/Illustrator: Abi Cushman
Editor: Virginia Duncan
Art Director: Paul Zakris
PRAISE
“Engaging and enlightening fun.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Cushman’s introduction to these tall pink wading birds delivers abundant information with a smile.”
— Booklist
“A useful introduction that will entertain readers as it shares fascinating facts about these colorful birds, and a helpful addition to units on birds or animal adaptations.”
— School Library Journal
AWARDS & HONORS
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- Missouri Dogwood Nonfiction Reading List
- Wyoming Buckaroo Book Award Nominee
- South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominee
Wombats Are Pretty Weird
SUMMARY
Wombats might be pretty weird, but they’re pretty awesome, too! Wombats Are Pretty Weird is funny, kid-friendly, and informative, and features sidebars, comic panels, extensive backmatter, and a map. Acclaimed author-illustrator Abi Cushman’s nonfiction debut contains everything anyone could ever possibly want to know about wombats!
Wombats are elusive, burrowing marsupials. Their teeth never stop growing, they have backward-facing pouches, and they’re the only animal to have cube-shaped poop. And if you ask their snake friend, Joey, those aren’t the only things that are weird about wombats!
Abi Cushman’s Wombats Are Pretty Weird contains informative, expressive, and funny illustrations, and offers an entertaining blend of narration, sidebars, speech balloons, and dialogue between Joey the snake and the wombats he meets in the wild. A refreshing departure from traditional informational books, Wombats Are Pretty Weird is a child-friendly guide to understanding the weird and wonderful world of wombats.
Features extensive backmatter, including a glossary.
Pub Date: May 23, 2023
Pages: 40 pages
Series: A [Not So] Serious Guide
Publisher: Greenwillow Books | An imprint of HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0063234437
Author/Illustrator: Abi Cushman
Editor: Virginia Duncan
Art Director: Paul Zakris
PRAISE
“An engaging mix of facts and fancy.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“[An] informative field guide that professes not to take itself too seriously . . . Adorable, cartoonish illustrations of all three kinds of wombat, a snake sidekick named Joey (just like a baby wombat), and speech-bubble dialogue lend a layer of humor and reinforce the concepts introduced by the text.”
— Booklist
“Cushman combines clear, cartoonlike digital illustrations with a lucid and humorous narrative to introduce young readers to wombats . . . [An] entertaining and informative volume.”
— The Horn Book
AWARDS & HONORS
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winner
- Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books
- CT Charter Oak Children’s Book Award Nominee
- Maryland Blue Crab Award Honor Book
- Utah’s Beehive Book Award Nominee
- Mr. Schu’s 2023 Books I Love Selection
- Imagination Soup’s Best Picture Books of 2023
The Quiet Ocean
SUMMARY
When a playful pufferfish’s actions cause a snowball effect disrupting the peace of the other sea creatures, it’s up to the ocean and a baby whale to restore quiet once more in this “amusing and appealing” (School Library Journal, starred review) picture book companion to The Quiet Forest.
Deep beneath the waves, a pufferfish putters alone. A playful puffer in a quiet, nothing-much-happening ocean. Until…one small pop! sets off a chain of outrageous events, causing the whole ocean to have a very frazzled day indeed! Can the sea creatures find a way to bring quiet back to their underwater home?
Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Pages: 40 pages
Series: The Quiet Series
Publisher: Beach Lane Books | An imprint of Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 978-1665975179
Author: Charlotte Offsay
Illustrator: Abi Cushman
Editor: Catherine Laudone
Art Director: Krista Vossen
PRAISE
★ “This book is highly recommended for its clear, interesting writing, appealing format, and engaging illustrations.”
— School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“The frantic action and lively illustrations move the plot forward; and, even after everyone de-stresses, Cushman’s kooky marine characters sustain the story’s humor.”
— The Horn Book
AWARDS & HONORS
- Amazon Editors’ Pick: Best Books Ages 3-5
- California Golden Poppy Book Award Finalist
The Quiet Forest
SUMMARY
When a small action creates a snowball effect that disrupts the peace of the animals, the forest and a bear cub restore order once more in this delightfully funny picture book.
A mischievous mouse wanders alone in a quiet, nothing-to-do forest. Until one small mishap snowballs into a chain of outrageous events, causing the whole forest full of animals to have a very loud day indeed. Can they find a way to bring calm and quiet back to their home?
Pub Date: March 12, 2024
Pages: 40 pages
Series: The Quiet Series
Publisher: Paula Wiseman Books | An imprint of Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 978-1665926423
Author: Charlotte Offsay
Illustrator: Abi Cushman
Editor: Catherine Laudone
Art Director: Krista Vossen
PRAISE
“The use of onomatopoeia, alliteration, and repetition makes for a lovely read-aloud experience, and the many humorous details in the art… make rereading a treat. At once fresh and familiar, silly and soothing.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“For audiences that love quiet, and those that loathe it, the joyful resolution following this jolt of antic boisterousness should strike a resounding chord.”
— Publishers Weekly
AWARDS & HONORS
- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Summer Reading List
- Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award Nominee
Animals Go Vroom!
SUMMARY
With a nod to Richard Scarry, this inventive picture book surprises readers with every turn of the page!
Hiss! Screech! Roar! It’s a noisy day in Bumperville! But are the sounds what you think they are? That Honk! must surely be a goose. But turn the page and it’s the taxi that a goose is driving! Using cleverly placed die-cuts, this inventive book hints at what is making the sound, but with each turn of the page, it’s an eye-opening surprise and part of an unfolding story that is part guessing game and part giggle-inducing caper. Abi Cushman is the master of surprise and silliness in this absolutely delightful picture book.
Pub Date: August 24, 2021
Pages: 36 pages
Publisher: Viking Children’s Books | An imprint of Penguin Random House
ISBN: 978-1984836656
Author/Illustrator: Abi Cushman
Editor: Tracy Gates
Art Director: Jim Hoover
PRAISE
“Cushman’s appealing, digitally colored pencil drawings offer plenty of action, details, and dressed-animal characters for kids to enjoy. Fun for reading aloud.”
– Booklist
AWARDS & HONORS
- Cybils Awards Finalist
- Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Finalist
- Iowa Bridge to Reading Picture Book Nominee
- Bright Horizons™ Growing Readers Book of Excellence
- Mr. Schu’s 2021 Books I Love Selection
Soaked!
SUMMARY
A Hula-Hooping moose, a badger with a bumblebee umbrella, a bunny in a cashmere sweater, and a very wet bear star in this unpredictable and laugh-out-loud picture book in which having fun gets the best of a grumpy bear.
It looks like a wet and dreary day for Bear and his trio of friends. How could he possibly have fun when he is soaked? But Badger, Bunny, and Moose don’t seem to mind. In fact, Moose can still hula hoop! And it looks like so much fun. Might Bear like to try?
Here is a story that shows that fun is not dependent on sunshine and blue skies. In fact, it might be more fun to be soaked!
Pub Date: July 14, 2020
Pages: 40 pages
Publisher: Viking Children’s Books | An imprint of Penguin Random House
ISBN: 978-1984836625
Author/Illustrator: Abi Cushman
Editor: Tracy Gates
Art Director: Jim Hoover
PRAISE
“Sometimes we just need pure fun, and this book is it. The illustrations are wonderful, the characters have a depth that only a fine author and illustrator can produce, and I am looking for some hula hoops for a totally fun event!”
– Kids’ Indie Next List (Top 10 Selection)
“[M]ordantly funny… Visually elegant and character-driven to the hilt, this book makes the familiar make-lemonade story feel as fresh as the outdoors after a summer shower.”
– Publishers Weekly
“This humorous debut, full of expressive and winsome characters that are reminiscent of those found in Emily Gravett’s work, is a great story about finding joy in the moment, whatever it might be, and learning to let go of your expectations. A sure hit for any kind of weather, and every kind of story hour.”
– School Library Journal
“A charming and good-humored reminder that a little rain can’t truly spoil the merriment.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“Animated facial expressions and dynamic body language add an extra layer of humor to this entertaining read-aloud.”
– The Horn Book
“Comedy gold often lies in the tension between the subdued and the slapstick. Soaked!, Abi Cushman’s terribly amusing picture book debut, hits that sweet spot: her low-energy bear narrator’s grousing is jubilantly offset by illustrations spiked with broad humor.”
– Shelf Awareness
“I L.O.V.E it! It is a blast to read aloud and is perfect for storytime. I’m looking forward to sharing it during my 2020 Books I Love presentation.”
– Mr. Schu, Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic
AWARDS & HONORS
- A Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten Pick
- Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Finalist
- Colorado Children’s Book Award Nominee
- Utah Beehive Book Award Nominee
- March Book Madness Contender
- Mr. Schu’s 2020 Books I Love Selection
Q&A
What planted the seed for Soaked!?
In August of 2017, I was eight months pregnant with my son and went out for a walk one afternoon with my husband and daughter. We were about a mile away from home when we felt the first few drops. The drops quickly escalated into a torrential rainstorm. I told my husband to run home with our daughter, and I’d just waddle back. And what I realized on my soggy walk home was that once I was completely soaked, the rain was actually quite pleasant. I thought it would be interesting in a picture book to play with the idea of someone’s attitude evolving despite the circumstances staying the same.
How do you create your illustrations?
I have a hybrid traditional/digital approach when I create illustrations. First, I draw my characters with a mechanical pencil on computer paper. I scan those drawings in and darken the lines digitally. Then I use a Wacom Cintiq drawing tablet to color everything in and draw in the background.