I'm a Brazilian American children's book illustrator, cartoonist, and art educator. Utilizing expressive linework and bold colors, I capture joy and emotion in my work. I'm interested in capturing human connection through body language, facial expressions, and movement. Specifically, I'm influenced by the everyday interactions between people. I take my pocket sketchbook with me everywhere I go, and I often record the things that the people around me say and do. Things like how a father holds his son and daughter close to his chest in the doctor's office, or how a toddler excitedly babbles and flaps her arms, or how a boy riding on a carousel horse cheekily presses his finger to his lips. These specific quirks I record in my day-to-day life often make their way into my illustration work. The people around me inspire me to think about how I want to personify the characters I draw. I've found that these specific behaviors in my illustrations connect me to the character I'm drawing and, in turn, connect the character to the reader. So, drawing these specific character moments is my way of connecting with the reader on a deeper level, something I often struggle to do through words alone. Beyond real-life influences, I have many artistic influences, including contemporary illustrators of children's books and graphic novels such as Patrice Barton, Vashti Harrison, Violeta Encarnación, Deb JJ Lee, Jillian Tamaki, and Matthieu Bonhomme.

My work has garnered recognition from The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and the iJungle awards and has been shortlisted for Communication Arts. I graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020 with a BFA in Communication Arts and a Creative Writing minor. I graduated summa cum laude from Syracuse University in 2026 with an MFA in Illustration. I'm a member of the SCBWI, and I serve as an Adjunct Art Instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Books by Marianna Smith