Mike Curato
Mike Curato | |
|---|---|
| Education | Syracuse University (BFA) |
| Writing career | |
| Notable awards | Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2021) Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Comics (2026) |
Mike Curato is a Filipino-American writer and illustrator of children's books. His graphic novel, Flamer, received a Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature in 2021, and his graphic novel Gaysians won the 2026 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Comics.
Personal life
Curato was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn.
He received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Syracuse University before moving to Seattle to pursue a career as a graphic designer.
He is Filipino-American and was raised Catholic.
Selected works
Little Elliot series (2014–2018)
The Little Elliot series follows an elephant named Elliot and consists of five books: Little Elliot, Big City (2015); Little Elliot, Big Family (2015); Little Elliot, Big Fun (2016); Little Elliot, Fall Friends (2017); and Merry Christmas, Little Elliot (2018).
| Year | Book | Accolade | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Little Elliot, Big City | Society of Illustrators' Founder's Award | Winner | |
| Amazon's Best Books of 2014: Ages 3-5 | Selection | |||
| HuffPost's Best Picture Books: Most Charming | Winner | |||
| PBS Best Picture Books | Honorable Mention | |||
| 2015 | Ezra Jack Keats Award: New Illustrator | Honor | ||
| Communication Arts Award of Excellence: Illustration | Winner | |||
| New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association: Picture Book of the Year | Winner | |||
| Little Elliot, Big Family | Amazon's Best Books of 2015: Ages 3-5 | Selection | ||
| 2016 | Children's Book Council Children's Choice Illustrator | Finalist | ||
| NCTE Charlotte Huck Award | Recommended | |||
| IndieBound Indies Next List | Selection | |||
| 2017 | Little Elliot, Fall Friends | HuffPost's Best Picture Books: Best Friendship/Kindness | Honorable Mention |
Flamer (2020)
Flamer is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel, published September 1, 2020 by Henry Holt and Company. The book has received various accolades, including the Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature in 2021.
Gaysians (2025)
Gaysians is an adult graphic novel, published 2025 by Algonquin Books. The book has received various accolades, including the 2026 Stonewall Book Award - Barbara Gittings Literature Award, the 2026 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology, and being selected for Kirkus Reviews' Best Fiction Books of the Year. It also won the 2026 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Comics.
Publications
Little Elliot series
- Little Elliot, Big City, published August 26, 2014 by Henry Holt and Company
- Little Elliot, Big Family, published October 6, 2015 by Henry Holt and Company
- Little Elliot, Big Fun, published August 30, 2016 by Henry Holt and Company
- Little Elliot, Fall Friends, published August 29, 2017 by Henry Holt and Company
- Merry Christmas, Little Elliot, published September 11, 2018 by Henry Holt and Company
Standalone books
- Flamer, published September 1, 2020 by Henry Holt and Company
- Where is Bina Bear?, expected to be published January 11, 2022 by Henry Holt and Company
- Gaysians, published 2025 by Algonquin Books
Illustrator
- Worm Loves Worm, written by J. J. Austrian and published January 5, 2016 by Balzer + Bray
- All the Way to Havana, written by Margarita Engle and published August 29, 2017 by Henry Holt and Company
- What If..., written by Samantha Berger and published April 10, 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Sunny Day: A Celebration of Sesame Street, written by Joe Raposo; illustrated alongside Christian Robinson, Selina Alko, Brigette Barrager, Roger Bradford, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Ziyue Chen, Joey Chu, Pat Cummings, Leo Espinosa, Tom Lichtenheld, Rafael López, Emily Winfield Martin, Joe Mathieu, Kenard Pak, Greg Pizzoli, Sean Qualls, and Dan Santat; and published October 22, 2019 by Random House Books for Young Readers
- The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts, written by Trudy Ludwig, published August 25, 2020 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
- The Sharey Godmother, written by Samantha Berger and published April 13, 2021 by Imprint
- What Are You? written by Christian Trimmer and expected to be published October 18, 2022 by Roaring Brook Press
References
- 1 2 "Mike Curato". Goodreads. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ↑ McDermott, Jim (June 24, 2023). "Filipino-American illustrator Mike Curato on his book 'Flamer' and growing up as a gay Catholic". Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
Raised in the 1980s and '90s in a Catholic home just outside of New York City, Mike Curato is a gay Filipino-American illustrator.
- ↑ "Mike Curato (Founder's Award)". Society of Illustrators. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- 1 2 "Little Elliot Big City". Mike Curato. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ Le, Minh (December 2, 2014). "The Most Stunning Picture Books Of 2014". HuffPost. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ "2015 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award". The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ "Little Elliot, Big City". Communication Arts. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ "NAIBA Book of the Year Awards". New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- 1 2 "Little Elliot Big Family". Mike Curato. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ "2016 Winners and Finalists". Children's Book Council. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ "NCTE CHARLOTTE HUCK AWARD® OUTSTANDING FICTION FOR CHILDREN PAST WINNERS" (PDF). National Council for Teachers of English. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ Le, Minh (December 8, 2017). "Best Picture Books of 2017". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ↑ Warnock, Kathleen (June 8, 2021). "Writers Honored During Virtual Lambda Literary Awards Ceremony – Gay City News". Gay City News. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ↑ GAYSIANS | Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ "Rainbow Round Table Announces the 2026 Stonewall Book Award Winners in Non-Fiction and Literature | ALA". www.ala.org. Archived from the original on April 24, 2026. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Nominees | GLAAD". glaad.org. September 22, 2025. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Best of 2025". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ Schaub, Michael (June 15, 2026). "Winners of the 2026 Lambda Awards Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
