Dasha Tolstikova’s new book is  THE BAD CHAIR - you can it order here!  Previously, she wrote and illustrated  A YEAR WITHOUT MOM (now out in paperback!)  It was a Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book of the Year,  a USBBY Outstanding International Books s…

Hello! My name is Dasha Tolstikova. I live in Brooklyn, NY.
Mostly, I write and illustrate books.

Publishers Weekly has said this about BONEY, the most recent book I have out, “Sly, naïf-style colored pencil, watercolor, and digital illustrations by Tolstikova (The Bad Chair) contribute to an atmosphere of alternating lightheartedness and unease, while Fagan (Water, Water) focuses on Annabelle’s attentiveness to her own emotions and physicality (“She went to the mirror and looked at her own sad face”) in a poetic volume that raises keen questions about ephemerality, connection, and regard across the natural world.” (Thanks, PW, love you too!)

Previously they were very nice about THE BAD CHAIR which they called “a mordant portrait of an uncertain soul.” You can order it here! My debut, A YEAR WITHOUT MOM (now out in paperback), was a Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Book of the Year, a USBBY Outstanding International Books selection, and received four starred reviews. 

Here are my OTHER BOOKS! With more on the way tk tk

Besides illustrating books I enjoy (in no particular order) walks in the woods, boarding school novels, the sea, and blueberries. I like winter (SNOWSHOEING!) and dislike summer (TOO! HOT!) I also like drawing NOT for books - so if you happen to be an art director - keep me in mind for things like PACKAGE DESIGN, TEXTILE DESIGN (I am dying to do a line of silk scarves!), EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION, LOGO DESIGN etc Some people I have worked with in the past include: Random House, Harper Collins, Enchanted Lion Books, Groundwood Books, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, HBO, Middlebury Alumni Magazine, and Moscow News.

Lastly, if you are a teacher/ librarian/ educator/ a business looking for a creative activity for your company - I am available for school visits, presentations, workshops for both children and adults! Just drop me a line for availability/ rates.

To get in touch: dtolstikova@gmail.com