Author,
illustrator,
& creator

of wonderfully peculiar worlds

Step Inside

My work begins with one little idea…*

and then…

I follow it.

Hand-painted illustration of a long leash and an ant attached to the other end

Featured Books

Two Many Birds’

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Featured Books

How to Walk an Ant’

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Featured Books

Vibhi and The Voice’

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Featured Books

Outside In’

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How to Walk an Ant by Cindy Derby, a playful picture book about learning to walk an ant.

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Outside In by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby, a picture book about a child’s connection to nature.

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Two Many Birds by Cindy Derby, a humorous picture book about a tree crowded with far too many birds.

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Vibhi and the Voice by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Cindy Derby, a picture book about finding beauty in darkness.
Cindy Derby seated in a vintage armchair, smiling and surrounded by whimsical hand-drawn characters. tilt-scroll

Hello folks,

I make picture books, paintings, and all sorts of other things. My background is in theater and puppetry, and I’ve always thought of books as little stages where characters can come alive.

Read My Story

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Explore the Worlds

Picture books, paintings, experiments, and other things I’ve made along the way.

come have a look around

Spread from Blurp’s Book of Manners by Cindy Derby, a humorous picture book about manners and an unruly creature.

Picture
Books

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Cindy Derby paints artwork at a desk with a watercolor palette and drawing materials.

Process

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Cindy Derby stands behind a large handmade fish puppet character.

Puppetry

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  • "Derby's art makes you feel that everything is going to be okay. Even when it's weird. ESPECIALLY when it's weird."

    — Betsy Bird, School Library Journal

  • “[Derby’s] illustrations feel alive...mysterious and wonderfully out of control.'"

    — The New York Times

  • "There is something about Cindy Derby's brain and the way she tells her stories that make me happy she's making picture books."

    — Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

  • "After your visit, my students wanted to let you know you reminded them of a dancing brontosaurus. Perhaps it's the whimsy that permeates so much of you and your work."

    — Elementary School Teacher

Bring a little something home’