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More About Kim Rogers (She/Her)
Languages: English, some Wichita
Kim Rogers is the author of Just Like Grandma, winner of the 2024 Charlotte Zolotow Award, 2024 Ezra Jack Keats Award Honor for Writer, illustrated by Julie Flett; A Letter for Bob, winner of the 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2024 Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title, illustrated by Jonathan Nelson; and I Am Osage: How Clarence Tinker became the First Native American Major General, illustrated by Bobby Von Martin, all with HarperCollins/Heartdrum. She is a contributor to Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids (Heartdrum 2021). The cover, illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt, was inspired by Jessie, the protagonist in Kim’s short story, “Flying Together.” Her poem, “What is a Powwow,” is also included. One of Kim’s poems is featured in The Mistakes That Made Us: Confessions from Twenty Poets (Carolrhoda, 2024). Kim is an enrolled member of Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and is a member of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. Much of her current writing highlights her Wichita heritage. She lives with her family on her tribe’s ancestral homelands in Oklahoma.
You can find Kim online at:
Multicultural Children’s Book Club celebrates Indigenous People’s Month
Kim’s strengths are…
Pitching
Query letters
Overall big picture
Structure
Analyzing mentor texts
Agent/author relationships
Editor/author relationships
Encouragement
What Kim is looking for…
Kim is looking for a mentee who is serious about a career in children’s publishing. She wants to mentor someone with a strong drive who puts their fears aside and is willing to take risks.
Her favorite manuscripts are the ones that pull her heartstrings or make her laugh out loud. Bonus points for doing both! She loves a good story that sticks with her long after she’s read it. She believes that the books we love as children help shape who we become.
She also believes that picture books are for everyone. Picture books are her favorite art form. They help her cope with life’s challenges because they bring joy. She wants to help her mentee make an emotional impact on the world.
A Note from Kim:
“Thank you for considering me as your mentor! I’m so glad you’re here. You’ve taken another step towards your goals, and I am SO PROUD OF YOU! Believe me, I understand all too well that writing is DIFFICULT. But I know from experience and observation that if you want this badly enough and work hard enough, you can fulfill your dreams of becoming a traditionally published children’s author.”
Kim’s Picture Books
Kim has also contributed to a number of anthologies. To see her full body of work, please visit her website.
I AM OSAGE, written by Kim Rogers and illustrated by Bobby Von Martin
JUST LIKE GRANDMA, written by Kim Rogers and illustrated by Julie Flett
A LETTER FOR BOB, written by Kim Rogers and illustrated by Jonathan Nelson
MOTHER EARTH’S SONG, written by Kim Rogers and illustrated by MaryBeth Timothy (Coming Summer 2026)
If Kim created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…
Kim’s wish list would be made of stories like this, but she is open to any beautiful and/or humorous writing that touches and surprises her...
A MORNING WITH GRANDPA, written by Sylvia Liu and illustrated by Christian Forshay
A WALK IN THE WOODS, written by Nikki Grimes and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
HELLO LIGHTHOUSE, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
HOME IN A LUNCHBOX, written and illustrated by Cherry Mo
I AM WE, written by Leslie Barnard Booth and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
JINGLE DANCER, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith and illustrated by Cornelias Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
SOPHIE'S SQUASH, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf
THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT, written and illustrated by Drew Daywalt
THE WITNESS TREES, written by Ryan G. Van Cleave and illustrated by Dom Dom
THE SNOWY DAY, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
WATERCRESS, written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak
The emotional depth of lyrics from 90s and 2000s alternative rock.
Strong and beautiful writing like Johnny Rzeznik from the Goo Goo Dolls. Kim thinks he is an underrated poet full of heart and humor. She says, “He is hilarious on stage.”
*Unless otherwise stated, the above serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.
Kim is a good fit for:
Fiction
Lyrical
Humor with heart
Intergenerational stories
Family stories
Diverse stories
Nature stories
Grief
Manuscripts that break the rules
Sparse, beautiful writing
Strong, intentional writing
Kim is not a good fit for:
Biographies
Rhyme
Wordy manuscripts
Who can apply to Kim?
Unagented or Agented Text-only Authors.