Wallace

West

Award Winning Illustrator

Children’s Author

Travels from: Baltimore, MD

“The story offers many moments of laughter and reflection, all greatly enhanced by West’s utterly charming grayscale illustrations of irresistible pooches. Eminently readable and appealing; will tug at dog-loving readers’ heartstrings.” — Kirkus Reviews

Wallace is an award-winning children’s book author / illustrator and a world explorer. His first picture book, Mighty Red Riding Hood won a Lambda Literary Award. He also illustrated the NY Times bestselling middle-grade Dogtown series by legendary authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko.

Kirkus has called his illustrations “utterly charming” and “expressive” with a vibrancy “that relates as much of the story as the text itself.” Every assignment is a challenge to orchestrate color and character as beautifully as the sweet and dark worlds of Quentin Blake and Tim Burton (and Wallace is always ready to share his process with young readers and creators through school visits).

Wallace was born in Houston, Texas, came of age in Paris, France, and spends most of his time on the U.S. East Coast. By day he writes and scribbles, by night he dreams of adopting a pet snake.

I Am a Good Dog: A Dogtown Book

Feiwel & Friends |

September 22, 2026

Children’s

Dogtown is a shelter for all dogs — real and robot. Metal Head, a robot dog who is a longtime resident of Dogtown, yearns for a forever home. When a girl named Esme begins visiting Dogtown, Metal Head goes on a mission to get her to adopt him.

But Esme doesn’t like robot dogs. She has her heart set on taking home a gangly wolfhound mix named Ghost with one blue eye and one yellow eye. Sadly Ghost’s former owner mistreated him, so he’s terrified of everyone. Can Esme, Metal Head, Mouse, and Molly, a dog who fosters stray kittens, figure it out?

And what about Metal Head? When will he get his forever home?

The characters in the New York Times-bestselling Dogtown books have already found homes in readers’ hearts. Award-winning authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko bring humor and empathy to the story of this special shelter; with charming illustrations by Wallace West, the Dogtown books are perfect for readers at all levels.

Animals & Wildlife, Friendship & Community, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Mouse and His Dog: A Dogtown Book

Feiwel & Friends |

September 17, 2024

Children’s

An Instant NEW YORK TIMES and Indie Bestseller!

The not-to-be-missed companion to Dogtown, full of friendship and adventure!

Mouse lives in Dogtown, a shelter for real dogs and robot dogs, where the kibble is plentiful, and the rafters hide a secret community of mice. His unlikely best friend is Buster, a big-hearted real dog who attracts trouble like a burr to fur.

Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Buster, Stewie–a huge, lovable dog whose ex-owner said he was mean, and Smokey–a robot dog hardwired with a smoke alarm he can’t control.

But Mouse is just a mouse, and the world is big and complicated. How’s a little guy supposed to find homes for the dogs he loves?

Animals & Wildlife, Friendship & Community, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Dogtown (A Dogtown Book, 1)

Feiwel & Friends |

September 19, 2023

Children’s

The New York Times bestseller, Indie bestseller, and Amazon Best Children’s Book from beloved authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko and with illustrations by Wallace West, Dogtown is at once an uplifting story and a page-turning adventure, sure to find a forever home in readers’ hearts.

Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them.

Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since her owners unwittingly left her with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town.

Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home.

And Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves.

When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way.

Animals & Wildlife, Friendship & Community, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers, Speculative & Science Fiction

Cinda Meets Ella (Fairly Queer Tales, 2)

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |

May 16, 2023

Children’s

In this western-style twist on Cinderella and follow up to Mighty Red Riding Hood, Cinda finds a partner in nonbinary Ella at a high-stakes rodeo-style contest!

Cinda sure loves a good adventure…but her life’s been nothing but miserable since awful Aunt Hildy and her boys tromped in and took over. So when a mysterious Rider calls a roping-and-riding contest at the Rancho Del Reina, she sure as heck’s gotta enter. That cash prize’ll buy back her freedom! Can she giddyap and grab the gold—and Ella Del Reina’s attention—before sundown?

Told in Wallace West’s distinctive, chuckle-inducing read-aloud style bursting with southwestern flair, here is a story that shows readers a different but equally satisfying kind of happily ever after.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Family Narratives, Friendship & Community, Gender & Sexuality, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers, LGBTQI+ Concerns & Perspectives

Mighty Red Riding Hood: A Fairly Queer Tale

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |

May 10, 2022

Children’s

A Lambda Literary Award winner

In this clever twist on a traditional tale, a boy who loves his frilly, swishy riding hood turns the tables on a big, bad, bullying wolf!

Better not mess with Little Red when he’s got on his favorite frilly red riding hood! It makes him feel happier than a pig in mud, more special than a birthday cake, and mighty as a firecracker. Nothing’s gonna stop him from being himself…Not even a big ol’ bully of a WOLF! With admirable spunk and a heaping helping of southern humor and hospitality, Little Red finds a way to crack the shell of the closed-minded wolf’s perception of frills and bows.

This refreshingly spirited version of the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood explores the challenge of staying on your path when confronted by strangers who don’t want to understand you.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Gender & Sexuality, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers, LGBTQI+ Concerns & Perspectives

Drawing Dogtown (Classroom or Assembly Visit)

A look at my process for how I created the characters for the New York Times bestselling DOGTOWN series by legendary authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko. (45-60 minutes – live drawing, QA, and book signing included).

Target audience: Elementary and Middle School

How I Became and Illustrator (Classroom or Assembly Visit)

The story of how I went from Houston, Texas, elementary school kiddo to New York Times bestselling illustrator. I’ll give a glimpse of my studio, tell what an illustrator does, show the process from sketch to final art, and talk about other possible paths an illustrator can take.(45-60 minutes – live drawing, QA, and book signing included).

Target audience: 3-5th GRADE, Middle & High School, Aspiring Artists of Any Age

The Secret to Getting Published is…You

There’s no one magic formula for breaking into children’s publishing. Sometimes it’s luck, sometimes strategy, but it’s always because of hard work you’ve done. In this talk, I’ll give insight into my path to becoming a New York Times bestselling illustrator and award-winning author by sharing the number of ways I’ve gotten a book deal, along with what you can expect when you’ve signed a contract.

Target audience: Aspiring and Published Authors and Illustrators at Symposiums, Conferences, etc.

Storytelling to Find a Solution

Pairing my professional history in marketing/advertising with my experience as a New York Times bestselling illustrator / award-winning author, I’ll help your creative team crack open their imagination further to help answer creative briefs more successfully. From character arcs, to story simplification and relatable wordsmithing, I’ll share storytelling tools I’ve used in creating campaigns for Williams Sonoma Inc, Ralph Lauren, and Wayfair.

Target audience: Agency and Internal Creative Agency Teams

“Dogtown offers many moments of laughter and reflection, all greatly enhanced by West’s utterly charming grayscale illustrations of irresistible pooches.” — Kirkus

“Angular b&w line drawings by West highlight the humorously sketched canine cast, while brief chapters that explore species divides promise to captivate anyone who enjoys rooting for a couple of down-on-their-luck dogs getting a second chance” — Publishers Weekly

“The tension and humor are beautifully balanced in this sympathetic story, and the delightfully distinct voices and memorable characters are enormous fun. Brief chapters set a brisk pace, and charming black-and-white illustrations are incredibly appealing. A sweet spotlight on shelter animals that is as heartwarming as it is entertaining.” — Booklist

“A charming, colorful reminder to unabashedly embrace yourself and all your fabulous fancies.” — Christie Grimm, Chief Creative Officer of Guest of a Guest

“West obviously has had great fun telling his fractured fairy tale in a rustic backwoods dialect and matches it with cartoon-style pictures that capture the antic tone of the text perfectly. His genderflipped classic painlessly defies gender norms to empowering effect.” — Booklist

“Red’s impeccable style and unshakeable confidence are a charming reminder—to kids and adults alike—that we all have the right to express ourselves unapologetically.” — Roxanne Fequiere, writer, fashion and lifestyle journalist

“The book I wish I had as a kid, and one I’ll give to many—in hopes of leading them to self-acceptance and self-love.” — Siddhartha V. Shah, Director of Education and Civic Engagement and Curator of South Asian Art of the Peabody Essex Museum

“With all the amiability of Todd Parr, the loose cartoon drawing style of the fractured fairy tales from Saturday morning’s Bullwinkle & Rocky, and the wide-open welcome of Jonathan Van Ness, this story turns Red Riding Hood inside out and reveals a Southern-fried story of keeping things friendly no matter our differences….The language will have children laughing, the lesson is sensible not syrupy, and the ending a pure surprise. A classic in the making, for all fairy-tale shelves, and sure to be a read-aloud favorite.” — School Library Journal

Wallace’s Storyboards Link

Wallace’s Graphic Design Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

New York Times Bestselling Illustrator
Lambda Literary Award Winner
Black-Eyed Susan Award Winner
Illinois Bluestem Award Nominee
Featured on the Texas Bluebonnet List

Media clips

Kirkus | Dogtown

Kirkus | Mouse and His Dog

Read to Them | Design, Style, and Artistic Identity with Author-Illustrator Wallace West!

Forbes | Talking To Children About Pride

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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I Am a Good Dog: A Dogtown Book

Mouse and His Dog: A Dogtown Book

Dogtown (A Dogtown Book, 1)

Cinda Meets Ella (Fairly Queer Tales, 2)

Mighty Red Riding Hood: A Fairly Queer Tale

Drawing Dogtown (Classroom or Assembly Visit)

How I Became and Illustrator (Classroom or Assembly Visit)

The Secret to Getting Published is…You

Storytelling to Find a Solution

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Media clips

Media Kit

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