Rachel Michelle Wilson is an award-winning children’s book author-illustrator with a sweet tooth and a dash of sass. Her picture books include To Catch a Ghost (an ALSC Notable Children’s Book), How to Pee Your Pants: the Right Way (a Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year), and How to Escape a Playdate which will be released this October.
When Rachel is not making books, you can find her puzzling over a logic problem, hosting a living room dance party, or paddle boarding near her home in Washington state with her husband and dog.
Long bio:
Rachel Michelle Wilson is an award-winning children’s book author-illustrator with a sweet tooth and a dash of sass. She loves crafting funny stories with emotional layers, playing with the relationship between words and art, and drawing mischievous characters with big hearts. Books are her favorite way to connect with people.
She was named one of Publisher’s Weekly Fall 2024 Children’s Flying Starts, and her debut picture book How to Pee Your Pants: the Right Way (Macmillan) was selected as a Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2024 and an ALSC Notable Children’s Book of 2025. It received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal.
Kirkus described her second picture book To Catch a Ghost (Scholastic) as “Hauntingly good—quirky, amusing, and deeply felt.” It was selected as an ALSC Notable Children’s Book of 2026 and an Amazon Best Book of the Month; it received a starred review from School Library Journal.
Her third picture book How to Escape a Playdate will be released this October.
When Rachel is not making books, you can find her puzzling over a logic problem, hosting a living room dance party, or paddle boarding near her home in Washington state with her husband and dog.
She is represented by Lindsay Auld at Writers House.
Books
How to Pee Your Pants: the Right Way (Oct 15, 2024, Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan)
To Catch a Ghost(July 1, 2025, Orchard Books, Scholastic)
How to Escape a Playdate (Oct 13, 2026, Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan)
Picture book to be announced (Fall 2027, Orchard Books, Scholastic)
Short stories
“The Monster of Bear Lake,” The Haunted States of America Anthology (July 9, 2024, Henry Holt)
Interviews and articles
You May Contribute a Verse Podcast
Authorly Honest with Simon Philip
Fall 2024 Children’s Flying Starts: Rachel Michelle Wilson
Featured article on Knowledge Quest with the American Association of School Librarians
What Gives Rachel Michelle Wilson Hope (article, podcast)
New Books Network Interview (Youtube, Facebook, Podcast)
100 Scope Notes Feature: HOW TO PEE YOUR PANTS
Kidlit411: Illustrator Spotlight
Other press
Moonbow: My Favorite Picture Books of 2024
Chrissie Writes, Vol. 24: The big favorites post of 2024
Surveying the Fall Season: Children's Booksellers Share Trends and Their Must-Have Titles
The Yarn Episode 227: Colby & Travis - 2024 Children's Literature Year in Review
Children's Booksellers Reveal Their 2024 Holiday Book Lists
Literaticast Episode 68: The Great Big Holiday Gift Guide, 2024 Edition
Book Delight with Chrissie Wright Ep 69 - Bonus: December Read Alouds, Ranked