About Brian

Brian is represented by Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary Agency.

Brian Kirby is a picture book author/illustrator creating humorous stories for children and the grown-ups who read with them.

A native New Yorker now living in the Cleveland area, Brian still isn’t entirely sure how he got there, but he’s glad to be raising two delightful children with his wife in a warm, loving home.

Brian holds a degree in English literature and communications from Fordham University. He was a 2024 and 2025 #pbparty Illustration Showcase Finalist, and was invited to serve as a judge for the contest in 2026. Outside of kidlit, he runs marketing campaigns, bringing years of agency and independent experience serving Fortune 500 clients, with a particular focus on employment and recruitment marketing. He also designs wildly popular shirts for Shelf Life Clothing that have contributed to the national conversation around negative stereotype native sports mascots (no, really!).

Brian has set himself toward connecting and strengthening the kidlit community, colluding with other kidlit creatives like Debbie Ohi and Charlene Chua. He’s taught art in elementary after-school programs. When he’s not writing or illustrating, he’s often participating in school activities or deciding which Godzilla movie to watch with his kids over the weekend.

His work features involved dads, quirky characters, and skeptical kids who face offbeat challenges with humor, honesty, and a little rebellion. Brian loves breaking the unspoken contract between adults and kids, pulling back the curtain on topics like the moralizing in picture books, the zippers on theme park characters, and the “tricks” parents use to get kids to bed, then turning those revelations into stories that are funny, heartfelt, and made to be reread.

An SCBWI member, Brian helps out in managing social media for the SCBWI: Ohio North chapter.