Picture Books

I am a storyteller and author for picture books, and hopefully eventually also for middle-grade graphic novels and non-fiction. I write stories about shy, quiet kids with the biggest loudest and curious hearts. I write to celebrate kids who are like I was as a child, just trying to find their place in the world. I do specifically center North American born Asian kids as main characters in my stories but hopefully with universal themes and emotions that any child of any culture can relate to. I sincerely hope today’s and tomorrow’s kids can also see themselves represented in the stories I write.

You can follow my picture book adventures on Instagram:

@camelliakoostoryteller

Book News

A Little Bit More About Me

I am a queer, Canadian born Chinese based in Toronto, Canada. By day, I continue my artistic practice of collaborative narrative visual storytelling as a nationally recognized award-winning set & costume designer for theatre, opera, dance, theatre for young audiences, and film/tv working across Canada and the United States. I also have experience with costume concept illustration and set design space and environmental concept rendering.

I am a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University with BA in Theatre-Technical Production with a focus on set and costume design, and Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design (London, UK) with a MA in Scenography.

Writing instructors and mentors include Natasha Dean, Valerie Bolling, Alexandra Villasante, Hannah Barnaby, Jordan Scott, and editor Claire Caldwell. Camellia’s writing has been supported by scholarships and workshops with The Highlights Foundation, and The Writing Barn.

This past November, I attended the Early Career Writers of YA and Children’s Books 2025 Residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity with mentors Jen Ferguson, Tanya Boteju and Jordan Scott.

And this year and next, I am very excited to be part of the inaugural Storytellers Fellowship at Boyds Mills with mentor author & illustrator, Anne Appert. (If you are kidlit creator and don’t yet know about Boyds Mills, please check them out as they have been instrumental in my kidlit writing journey from the very beginning. https://boydsmills.org/