Katey Howes was an award-winning children’s author and poet. She was passionate about raising kids who love to read and helping them recognize their potential as makers, inventors, and creators. Her work spanned a wide range of topics and styles, including books with STEAM and socio-emotional learning (SEL) themes.
A former physical therapist, Katey was fascinated by physics and biology, and she enjoyed reading everything from classic children’s literature to modern neuroscience. Known for her strong opinions about commas, Katey’s interests also included raising three ravenous readers, crafting with various materials, and working to restore native plants to the woods and wetlands around her home.
Katey’s books include Grandmother Thorn (Chicago Review Press), Magnolia Mudd and the Super Jumptastic Launcher Deluxe (Union Square), Be A Maker (Carolrhoda), Rissy No Kissies (Carolrhoda), A Poem Grows Inside You (The Innovation Press), Woven of the World (Chronicle Kids) and The Reindeer Remainders (Sourcebooks). She also contributed poems to several anthologies. Her newest book, Where the Deer Slip Through, was released by Beach Lane Books on June 3, 2025. Katey’s forthcoming picture book, Take It Apart, will be published by Carolrhoda Books in August 2026 and continues her legacy of celebrating curiosity, creativity, and hands-on discovery.
Many of Katey’s books received starred reviews and awards. Be A Maker earned the ILA’s Social Justice Literacy Award and was named the #1 Makerspace Read Aloud of 2019. Rissy No Kissies was included on the RISE Feminist Book List and the Kirkus Best Books of 2021. Woven of the World received a special mention in the nonfiction category at the 2023 Bologna Book Festival Ragazzi Awards and won the 2024 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award.
Katey’s work was featured on many podcasts, as well as on Reading Rainbow Live and the Philly Play Jawn television program. A testament to her lasting impact, Katey’s Corner, created in partnership with HomeFront NJ, offers a welcoming space for children in families receiving assistance. Here, young readers can enjoy and take home books, keeping Katey’s legacy of literacy and creativity alive.
