Hello! I’m Anna.
I was born in Melbourne Australia.I’ve been drawing since I was very small and knew even then that I wanted to illustrate fairytales and write stories.My father was a drummer and tap dancer and my mother made wonderful things by hand. They always encouraged me to follow my heart.I live near the beach with my husband and daughter where I work from my home studio. It is filled with unusual objects, books and forest things. My illustrations are mostly crafted with watercolour and pencil and I also use ink, coloured pencil and collage.I paint, I draw, I sculpt, I write, I make engravings and ceramics, I create botanical illustrations, I dream and imagine. I love trees and music, to travel, to dance, to cook and to watch movies. I also enjoy fortune telling, astrology and stormy weather.I am inspired by every day life, the little things, my friends and family, people and places and the landscape around me. But my greatest inspiration is nature.
A Little More
Anna Pignataro is a best selling and award winning illustrator and author of children's books based in Australia. She has created more than eighty books for children. She has won the Crichton Award for Illustration and many of her books have received Notable Book Commendations and been shortlisted in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Awards, YABBA, The Book Industry Awards, Speech Pathology Awards, Family Therapy Awards, The Panda Book Awards, Queensland Premier's Literary Awards and WA Premier’s Book Awards. Her picture books are published worldwide and are translated into over fifteen languages. Anna’s Book The Heart Of A Whale was the winner in the International Book Awards.
Anna’s hand drawn illustrations are known for their evocative watercolours. Her work celebrates the warmth of family, the wonder and whimsy of folklore and fairytale and embraces the magic of nature and the imagination.
Anna is also an artist of other works including stationary, botanical illustration, landscape painting and drawing.
Through her picture books, Anna hopes to inspire children to be creative, to dream big and to imagine more.
Awards
2024 Panda Book Awards Shortlist: Florence & Fox written by Zanni Louise & illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Walker Books
2023 CBCA Early Childhood Notable Book: Rainbow Days written by Margaret Hamilton & illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Little Hare Books
2022 Speech Pathology Australia Shortlisted Book Of The Year: Florence & Fox written by Zanni Louise & illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Walker Books
2022 CBCA Early Childhood Notable Book: Florence & Fox written by Zanni Louise & illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Walker Books
2021 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Shortlist: A Thousand Kisses From Mummy by Anna Pignataro. Scholastic Press Scholastic Australia.
2020 Winner International Book Awards Children’s Picture Book Hardback : The Heart Of A Whale by Anna Pignataro. Philomel Books, Penguin Random House US.
2020 Amazon Best Book Pic January : The Heart Of A Whale by Anna Pignataro. Philomel Books, Penguin Random House US.
2019 The Kirkus Star : The Heart Of A Whale by Anna Pignataro. Philomel Books, Penguin Random House US.
2018 CBCA Awards Longlist Picture Book Notable: Clare’s Goodbye written by Libby Gleeson & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Little Hare Books.
2018 CBCA Awards Longlist Early Childhood Notable: Clare’s Goodbye written by Libby Gleeson & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Little Hare Books.
2017 Australian Family Therapist Award for Children’s Literature Shortlist: Agatha and the Dark by Anna Pignataro. The Five Mile Press.
2017 CBCA Awards Longlist Early Childhood Notable: Agatha and the Dark by Anna Pignataro. The Five Mile Press.
2017 New Work Grant Australia Council For The Arts: Agatha and Marie Antoinette
2016 The Australian Family Therapists Award For Children’s Literature Shortlist: Being Agatha by Anna Pignataro. The Five Mile Press.
2016 WA Premiers Book Awards Shortlist: Being Agatha by Anna Pignataro. The Five Mile Press.
2016 Australian Book Industry Awards Longlist: Being Agatha by Anna Pignataro. The Five Mile Press.
2016 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable: Too Busy Sleeping, written by Zanni Loiuse & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Little Hare Books.
2015 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Shortlist: Our Love Grows by Anna Pignataro. Scholastic Australia.
2014 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable: B is for Bedtime, written by Margaret Hamilton & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Little Hare.
2014 Endorsement by The Blake Prize: Elephants Have Wings, written by Susanne Gervay & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Ford Street.
2013 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Shortlist, SWW Biennial Book Award, CBCA Awards Picture Book of the Year Notable and Early Childhood Notable: Ships in the Field, written by Susanne Gervay & Illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Ford Street.
2009 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable: Sun, written by Natalie Jane Prior & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. ABC Books.
2009 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable: Star, written by Natalie Jane Prior & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. ABC Books.
2008 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable: Brave Little Penguin by Anna Pignataro. Scholastic Australia.
2007 CBCA Awards Picture Book of the Year Notable: Stephen’s Music, written by Sofie Laguna and illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Lothian Books.
2005 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable: Once Upon a Time in the Kitchen, written by Carol Odell & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Citrus Press.
2004 CBCA Awards Early Childhood Notable: The Great Big Animal Ask, written by Libby Hathorn & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Lothian Books.
2003 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards Shortlist, CBCA Awards Picture Book of the Year Notable: Little Red Bear, written by Penny Matthews & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Scholastic Australia.
2002 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Notable: Waiting for Mum, written by Helen Lunn & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Scholastic Australia.
2000 CBCA Picture book of the year Notable “Unknown” written by Colin Thompson & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Hodder Children’s Books.
2000 YABBA Children’s Choice Shortlist : The Staircase Cat, written by Colin Thompson & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Hodder Children’s Books.
1999 CBCA Awards Picture Book of the Year Shortlist: The Staircase Cat, written by Colin Thompson & illustrated by Anna Pignataro. Hodder Children’s Books.
1998 Crichton Award for Illustration: Winner Anna Pignataro
Clients
Nuovo Group
New Frontier Publishing
Penguin Random House (US)
Scholastic Australia
Scholastic (UK)
Scholastic Canada
Scholastic Asia
Scholastic (US)
Walker Books
Little Hare Books
Hardie Grant Egmont
Kane Miller
little bee books
MEIS & MAAS
Editorial El Ateneo
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Windy Hollow Books
Lothian Books
Allen & Unwin
Ford Street
ABC Books
