Trivia Time: Name, if you can, the LDS artist who has had books published (this year!) by Knopf, Viking, HarperCollins, G.P. Putnam, and Rocky Pond. You might not know his name—that was one clue, the title of this article is another—but a bibliophile certainly recognizes those sterling publishers. Still stumped? Would it help if we gave you his books’ titles? It might if you have young kids who love picture books. They are, respectively, Not Enough Lollipops, Vampire Vacation, Paletero Man, Stop and Smell the Cookies, and Millions of Maxes. The artist is Micah Player, and this illustrator of humorous, colorful books is on a serious roll.

At the end of October, Player’s art will stand for itself, as he participates in an invitational group show, The Original Art 2022: The Exhibit, at the Society of Illustrators in New York City. Since 1980, this annual exhibition at the Society’s Upper East Side townhouse museum is a showcase of the original art produced for the year’s best children’s books. A jury of peers—illustrators, art directors, and editors—selects which works to be honored in the exhibition, and Micah Player’s work is among this year’s esteemed, illustrious group.

An Alaska native, Player, arrived at illustration through the world of design in the apparel industry. His signature style is bright, global, whimsical, and socially engaged. In collaboration with authors, he is the 2022 recipient of: the Bank Street Book List for the story about a Los Angeles ice cream vendor, Palatero Man; Amazon Editor’s Pick for Millions of Maxes; Publisher’s Weekly New and Noteworthy List for Palatero Man; and the Minnesota Star of the North Award for Kids’ Read Aloud—Friday Night Wrestlefest, a title that was one of Parent Magazine’s Best Children’s Books of 2020. He is a self-described "author, illustrator, letterer, designer, ink-slinger.” The newly-published Spanish-translation title of Paletero is ¡Que Paletero tan Cool!, like Player’s of-the-moment imagery, cool indeed.—Glen Nelson (Society of Illustrators exhibition runs October 26, 2022 through January 7, 2023.)