When Gina Capaldi was ten years old she wrote a letter to Norman Rockwell telling him she loved his work and when she grew up wanted to be an illustrator, too! Mr. Rockwell wrote back to Gina and this very letter sits near her drafting table- forever encouraging and uplifting her.

Gina has both written and illustrated books and products for trade, historical non fiction, educational, and the toy industry. She often combines traditional painting techniques and mediums with collage and/or digital elements to add additional layer of visual story telling.

Her adherence to comprehensive research in historical non fiction has garnered Gina book’s major awards:

Red Bird Sings: Gold Medal- Carter G. Woodson Award, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS); Gold Medal, Moon Beam Award-Independent Publisher; Eureka! Honor Book, California Reading Association (CRA); Amelia Bloomer Book List-American Library Association (ALA); California Reading Association Booklist (CRA); SCBWI 2011 RAM Grant; California Readers 2013 California Collections: Elementary and Middle Grade lists.

A Boy Named Beckoning: Eureka! Silver Medal Award, California Reading Association) (CRA); Carter G. Woodson Honor Book, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS); Gold Medal. Independent Publisher Book Award; Skipping Stones Honor Award. This book was also included in the 2009 Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Book list by the National Council of Teachers; and, included in Bank Street College of Education’s text book (100th anniversary edition) as one of the ‘The Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2009’.

Some of Gina’s clients include: Lerner Publishing, Boyds Mills Press, Hey Day Press, Concordia Press, InnovativeKids, Harcourt Educational, Pearson Learning, Quarsan, and more.

Gina studied fine arts at Pepperdine University and Pitzer College; and, illustration at Art Center: College of Design. She is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s & Illustrators. Gina is the acting Vice President of programs for Delta Kappa Gamma International Society of Women Educators; and a board member for the Festival of Western Arts in San Dimas, CA.