Zachariah

OHora

Children’s Author & Illustrator

NYT Bestseller

Travels from: Philadelphia, PA

“Zach’s books are absolutely amazing, and his passion for art and illustration was demonstrated through his presentations.” — Candace Taylor-Weber, The KAUST School

Zachariah OHora is the illustrator of the New York Times best seller Wolfie the Bunny. His debut as an author, Stop Snoring Bernard! won the 2011 Society of Illustrators Founders Award and was the 2012 State of PA Dept of Ed One book. His follow up, Not Fits Nilson! was named the Huffington Post Best Children’s Book of 2013, a Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2013, a New York Public Library Book for Reading and Sharing and was given the PALA Carolyn W. Field Award. His book My Cousin Momo! was named by the Boston Globe a Best Picture Book of 2015 and was a Junior Library Guild Selection. His book The Not So Quiet Library hit shelves July 2016, and Niblet and Ralph followed in June 2018. His latest book, Sonny Says No! was released in August 2023.

Zach is the Show Creator and Executive Producer of the ground-breaking PBS KIDS show, “Carl the Collector,” about a raccoon with autism and his adventures with his fuzzy hands. He lives and works in Narberth, PA with his wife, two sons and two cats.

Zachariah's Featured Titles

Kittybunkport

Viking Books for Young Readers |

May 6, 2025

Children’s

Lighthouses, lobster rolls, two silly scaredy-cats, and one uproarious seaside adventure!

Chowder and Crackers live in the quiet, coastal town of Kittybunkport, where they pass their time sitting in the sun, napping, scratching stuff, and of course, catching lobster. Until one day the town’s lighthouse—rumored to be haunted—suddenly goes dark. When Chowder and Crackers are sent to fix the problem, will the two scaredy-cats be able to save Kittybunkport?

With playfully purrfect text by Scott Rothman and riotous illustrations by New York Times bestselling illustrator Zachariah OHora, Kittybunkport is a story young readers will want to visit again and again.

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

Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas

Tundra Books |

September 24, 2024

Children’s

A captivating informational picture book about Paul Horn, a musician who communicated with orcas through the power of music. For fans of Shark Lady and Margaret and the Moon.

Unbelievable but true, this is the story of two whales, two Pauls and two boys.

The whales are Haida and Chimo, captive orcas who lived in an aquarium called Sealand of the Pacific in the 1970s.

The Pauls are Paul Horn, a professional flute musician, and Dr. Paul Spong, a scientist studying the orcas in order to learn more about these mystifying creatures.

And the boys are Marlen and Robin, Paul Horn’s sons, who are fascinated with the orcas despite their father’s fear of the giant whales.

What follows is the spellbinding story of how the Pauls, through the power of music, learn to communicate with the orcas — and set into motion an entire anti-captivity movement dedicated to protecting these intelligent and majestic animals.

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

Sonny Says No!

Bloomsbury Children’s Books |

August 1, 2023

Children’s

Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning friendship dynamics, this volume in the sweet and funny series about Sonny and his friends covers universal kid experiences–like learning to help others!

Sonny LOVES painting, so when he finds a paint set in the garden, he gets right to work! But then Boo and Meemo ask to use the paints, too. And now Honey and Boo ask for Sonny’s help blowing balloons. Sonny just wants to paint by himself, so he says, “No!” Why can’t they see that Sonny doesn’t have time to help? But once his friends leave, Sonny realizes he forgot that something important . . . It’s Meemo’s birthday! Honey and Boo have been trying to make Meemo a birthday present. Will Sonny help them make Meemo’s big day special?

Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launched a Worldwide Obsession

Knopf Books for Young Readers |

May 3, 2022

Children’s

An engaging picture book biography based on the incredible true story of a Jewish refugee who pioneered home video games and launched a worldwide obsession.

Do you ever wonder how video gaming was invented? What came before your PlayStation or Xbox? This is the story of Ralph Baer, a refugee from Nazi Germany, who used his skills–and a lot of ingenuity and persistence–to make life a little more fun.

Television was new when Ralph returned from serving in World War II, but he didn’t settle for watching TV. He knew it could be even more fun if you could play with it. He tinkered and tested, got help and rejected, but with perseverance and skill, he made his vision come true! This is the inspiring story of a fearless inventor who made TV video games a reality.

Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers, Memoir & Personal Journeys, Science & Technology

Fuzzy, Inside and Out: A Story About Small Acts of Kindness and Big Hair

Abrams Books for Young Readers |

November 16, 2021

Children’s

From the hilarious mind of bestselling creator Zachariah OHora comes this tale about small acts of kindness, big hair, and spreading warm, fuzzy feelings

Meet Fuzzy Haskins: with unruly fur and a heart of gold, he’s fuzzy inside and out!

Everywhere he goes, he spreads warm, fuzzy feelings throughout his community. There’s only one thing that can possibly dampen his spirit: the humidity! When rainy weather brings on extra fuzz and gets Fuzzy into a jam of his own, it takes the generosity of others to get him back on his feet.

With its endearing takes on friendship and small acts of kindness, this charmingly offbeat tale from the hilarious mind of Zachariah OHora will inspire readers to spread fuzziness wherever they go.

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

Dogs at Work: Good Dogs. Real Jobs.

Balzer + Bray |

June 22, 2021

Children’s

A fun and educational picture book about all the real jobs dogs can have, by popular author Margaret Cardillo (Just Being Audrey) and bestselling artist Zachariah OHora (Wolfie the Bunny). Perfect for fans of Children Make Terrible Pets, Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, and dog lovers of all ages.

Have you ever wondered what dogs do all day when their people leave for school or their jobs?

What if they went to work, too . . . ?

This clever picture book describes all the real jobs that dogs do. From a therapy dog to a mayor dog and even a lobster-diving dog, the possibilities will surprise you!

But, of course, there is one job that dogs love more than any other: being a best friend.

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

Bikes for Sale

Chronicle Books |

April 2, 2019

Children’s

“[This] gentle story celebrates the ways in which serendipity can lead to friendship and sharing.” – Booklist

Thought provoking book about the power of friendship: Maurice rides his bike to his shop every day. Lotta rides her bike to collect sticks every day. Both go about their separate routines, unaware of the friendship that awaits them just a few blocks away. But what happens when a branch and a lemon peel get in the way? Bikes for Sale is a delightful falling-in-like story from acclaimed picture book creators Carter Higgins and Zachariah O’Hora that celebrates the power of coincidence to lead us to the friends we’re meant to meet all along.

With easy-to-follow lyrical text and lively, bold illustrations.
Inspires conversation about how we make friends and the importance of friendship.
Carter Higgins is an elementary school librarian and the author of Everything You Need for a Treehouse and This Is Not a Valentine. Zachariah OHora is the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller Wolfie the Bunny, among many other beloved books for kids.

Fans of The Pout-Pout Fish, The Good Egg, and Dandy will love this sweet story about how changing course can lead to the friend you never knew you needed.

This sweet and boldly illustrated book about the power of friendship will be enjoyed again and again.

Great read aloud book for family or elementary story time
Books for kids ages 3-5
Picture books for preschool and kindergartners

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

Interactive Read Aloud

Lively, detailed, endearing, and bold, the images and text create an unforgettable reading experience for book digesters everywhere!

Author Presentation to Adult Educators

A tailored for each age group school presentation. 35-40 minutes for Pre K-K and 50 minutes for 1-5th graders.

Author Presentation to Adult Educators

A tailored for each age group school presentation. 35-40 minutes for Pre K-K and 50 minutes for 1-5th graders.

Keeping it Weird

In-depth discussion of personal references and influences with a focus on character inspiration, and an emphasis on embracing the slightly different, the odd, the cult, and straight-up weirdo elements that are the DNA of Fuzzytown.

Outsider (Or How I Realized I Owe My Career in Kid Lit to the Devil)

About OHora’s love and lifelong allegiance to public libraries.

“Zachariah was an amazing guest author for our district. His presentations were low-key, informative, and entertaining. One of our schools has a number of classes of students with Autism and disabilities, and he did a great job tailoring his presentation to meet their needs. Students and Staff were very impressed.” — West Windsor-Plainsboro School District, 2026

“Our school was thoroughly impressed with author/illustrator, Zachariah OHora. He was engaging, friendly, and a dynamic presenter. The students were interested in the books he read, the clips of his show, the question/answer sequence, and his demonstration of drawing a character from his book. We especially loved his support of the autistic community and his inclusive views and example.” — Collegium Charter School, 2025

“As a speaker, Zach was engaging, creative, funny, and personable. He spoke to a wide-range of students from Kindergarten through 5th grade and his presentations were enjoyed by all, teachers and staff included! His readings of his books very interesting, as he included some fun inside-knowledge tidbits on each story, especially the background and ideas for his book The Not-So-Quiet Library. I would definitely recommend him as a speaker to schools!” — East Ward Elementary School, 2023

“We were so fortunate to have children’s book author and illustrator Zachariah OHora visit us for a full week. Zach’s books are absolutely amazing, and his passion for art and illustration was demonstrated through his presentations as well as through the playful illustrations he created while visiting our community It has been a pleasure to meet and work with Zach. He is so easy going, and has been extremely flexible adjusting to the needs of our community without compromising the quality of his program. He was always professional and timely in communication and planning. We hope his visit to KAUST and Saudi Arabia has inspired him as much as he has inspired us!” — Kaust School

“Zachariah OHora is a kid magnet – even virtually! Although we had to turn our public in-person event into an online one, Zach’s enthusiasm and sense of fun came through beautifully. I have no doubt that he has inspired many young artists in our virtual audience to keep drawing and sharing their artwork.” — Tulsa Books to Treasure

“Perfect event and Zach was amazing! Our kids were very engaged and your staff did an great job at communicating. Thank you for everything!” — Marlboro Elementary School

Zach’s Portfolio

Zach’s FAQs

Honors, Awards & Recognition

2025 ALA Award Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award for Carl the Collector
NYT Bestseller
Junior Library Guild Selection
2011 Society of Illustrators Founders Award
2012 State of Pennsylvania Department of Education One Book
Huffington Post Best Children’s Book of 2013
Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2013
Boston Globe Best Picture Book of 2015
PALA Carolyn W. Field Award
2018 State of Pennsylvania Department of Education One Book
North Carolina Children’s Book Award Picture Book Award, 2019
Tulsa Library Books to Treasure Illustrator for 2020