Artists : Tom Sperling

Tom Sperling, raised in DeLand, Florida, earned his degree at St. Andrew’s College in
North Carolina and then moved to New York City working as an assistant curator at
The Museum of Modern Art.
With his real interest in illustration, Sperling began attending The Art Student’s
League where he studied under Steven Katz, a leading illustrator from the 1930’s ‐
1950’s. His first professional work were a series of lurid murder mystery covers for
Harper Collins. He also did freelance work for children’s magazines and was twice
awarded the Paul Revere Award for Graphic Excellence.
His first picture book was BIG BILL, a ‘bad dog” story for Scholastic. He has since
illustrated over 50 books, including THE WISH RING, awarded the Small Press Book
Award for Best Illustrated Juvenile/ Young Adult Book.
Since then Sperling has worked largely in England, from revised classics for both
Oxford and Cambridge University Presses to the 2009 BOY’S ANNUAL. He was the
creating illustrator for the LAND OF THE LETTER PEOPLE (Abrams and Co.,
Publishers), the best selling reading program for kindergarten and first grade in
America. Sperling also continues editorial work for a range of clients including The
New York Times and CBS Television. Basically he likes reading something and then
imagining how it might look.
Sperling currently lives back and forth between Somerset and Buck County,
Pennsylvania.