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Emily Rosenthal

@ek_rosenthal

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Writer/Illustrator/Monster Lover
Funky Little Butch Lesbian
All opinions my own.
Rep: Alexandra Weiss at Azantian

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Happy early book birthday to LEROY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY!

I'll be traveling tomorrow, so I just wanted to say I'm so proud of this book.

It is hard for me to even describe what this book means to me. As an AAC user, as a storyteller, as a person. This story had been a long time coming and was written as it was becoming clear that I needed AAC more and more to communicate.

We live in a world where AAC is so widely misunderstood, access to preferred communication methods is denied, nonspeakers' intelligence is doubted or dismissed, and disabled people are treated like burdens. I hope that LEROY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY can bring both joy and information to readers.

Thank you, Phuong, for adding a whole new dimension to this story with your luscious artwork. Thank you, Alex and the whole team at Bloomsbury, your care with this story means so much. Thank you, Alex, my agent, who was among the first champions of this story.

#debutauthor #aac #disabilityrepresentation Photo of Emily, a white masculine woman with glasses, holding her copy of her book Leroy Has Something to Say. The cover of Leroy Has Something to Say depicts a friendly ghost and a white girl with red pigtails in a greenhouse. Behind Emily is a bookcase filled to the brim. taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @ek_rosenthal

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3 months ago

It's Disability Pride Month and I thought I'd share a little bit about my experience as an autistic part-time AAC user.

Verbal speech isn't something I always have access to. Or, if I do, sometimes it is so fatiguing or painful to use that my AAC device is a better option that allows me to more fully express myself.

This is just my experience. AAC users (part and full time) are a diverse group, and AAC is not just one thing. I happen to use an app on my phone and type independently, but many AAC users (including part-time users) have communication and regulation partners.

I hope this helps people understand AAC use a little bit more.

#aac #autism #disabledartist Green background with white speech bubble that reads "AAC & Me: What It's Like To Be A Part-Time AAC User." An illustration of a hand pressing a button on a communication devise is shown. taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @ek_rosenthal

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3 months ago

👋 Welcome to YO! Book Fest, Emily!
🗓 October 24, 2026
📍 Black Rock Middle School (1860 Montgomery Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085)
⏰ 10 am - 4 pm
🎟 https://yobookfest.com

Emily Rosenthal (she/her) is a writer and illustrator based in Baltimore, Maryland. She loves ghosts, monsters, and all kinds of creatures, and frequently tells stories about them. When not coming up with stories, Emily plays soccer, watches scary movies, and snuggles with her cat. She’s thankful for everyone who has believed she has something important to say. Leroy Has Something to Say is her first picture book. by @ek_rosenthal

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My family was in Massachusetts during my debut and went to the Eric Carle Museum!
What a surprise to find that Leroy Has Something to Say was in their bookstore!

My family has always been so supportive of me and my endeavors! Mom, Dad, and Abi, I love you so much! ❤️ A photo of Emily's family holding a copy of Leroy Has Something to Say in the Eric Carle Museum. From left to right: Emily's dad, a white man with glasses a moustache and beard and gray hair; Emily's mom, a white woman with short light brown hair; Emily's sister, a white woman with short brown hair that is longer on one side and glasses. They are all smiling. taken in The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art by @ek_rosenthal

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3 months ago

Sometimes we all just want to feel seen 👻🌻👧 For fans of Millie Fleur's Poison Garden and Gustavo the Shy Ghost comes a charming story about a ghost who communicates through the language of flowers, a girl who communicates with a device, and the friendship that blossoms between them.

A perfect read for Disability Pride Month, LEROY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY by @ek_rosenthal, illustrated by @thai.phuong.artwork was also chosen by booksellers as one of their favorite books of the season on the July/August Kids' Indie Next List! 👻🌻👧 Available wherever books are sold.

#leroyhassomethingtosay #disabilitypride #childrensbooks #summerween #disabilityrepresentation by @ek_rosenthal

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3 months ago

I could not have asked for a better debut week! It coincided with my time as a faculty member at @boydsmills Summer Camp, and meant I got to spend this special moment with some of my most favorite people.

Little did I know that those favorite people had planned a book celebration for me! I was brought down to the Horse Barn under the guise of a "faculty meeting" only to find kidlit friends old and new waiting for me!

They even got me a cake with @thai.phuong.artwork's beautiful cover on it! Unbeknownst to me, this cake had been in @magpiewrites trunk our entire ride up to Boyds Mills!

I got to read the book to everyone there. It was strange to realize that though I had known some people there for many years, this was actually their first time hearing any of my writing! At the same time, there were some people there who I had never met before; thank you for joining in on a celebration without knowing anything about me or my book!

I was truly verklempt (overcome with emotion) and still am. My friends are some of the kindest, most generous people on the planet. Thank you! Thank you for the big moments, the small moments, the quiet moments, and the loud moments.

Thank you for believing in my voice, no matter how I've expressed it. A hardcover copy of Leroy Has Something to Say sits on a blue and white gingham tablecloth with little ceramic ghosts around it and a postcard of the progress pride flag with flowers growing off of it and the words "You are loved." taken in Boyds Mills by @ek_rosenthal

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3 months ago

This was pretty cool to see on @bookshop_org
Nestled in between Sophie Blackall, Phoebe Wahl, and Jon Klassen.
And I hear there's free shipping right now on bookshop.org, so why not pre-order Leroy Has Something to Say?

Link in my bio to order!

@thai.phuong.artwork @editoralexborbolla A bookshop.org booklist preview titled "Best New Kids Books: July 2026." Three books are shown, from left to right: Story Rug by Sophie Blackall and Phoebe Wahl, Leroy Has Something to Say by Emily Rosenthal and Thai My Phuong, and The House With Nobody In It by Jon Klassen. taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @ek_rosenthal

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4 months ago

Beyond excited and grateful to share that LEROY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY has been chosen as a Kids' Indie Next Pick!

Thank you so much to the indie booksellers who have been championing the book! It means the world to me to see that you connected with Leroy and Tara.

Here's just a little of what booksellers have been saying:
🏵"A wonderful story about befriending someone new and loving them exactly how they are.”
💐"...a creative example of what accepting differences and greeting those differences with enthusiasm looks like."
🌺"This is a cozy story of friendship and empathy with gorgeous soft illustrations."
🌿"Enchanting art pulls you into this adorable story about Leroy and the little girl who finally is able to communicate with him! I adored this story and its representation of Augmentative and Alternative Communication was done perfectly! A great read aloud about friendship and family!"

I can't wait to see the book in stores July 7. There's a link in my bio to pre-order (and you can make sure you're supporting your favorite indie bookstore).

#kidlit #aac #disabilityrep The cover of the picture book Leroy Has Something to Say on a green background with leaves. Above the cover in a yellow font it says "A Kids' Indie Next Pick!" The cover shows a ghost in a greenhouse who is holding a pot of yellow roses. In the window behind him a white girl with red hair in pigtails looks in. In her hand is a tablet used for communication. by @ek_rosenthal

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4 months ago

We got a lovely review from Kirkus!

I can't wait for readers to meet Leroy and Tara!

Leroy Has Something to Say is available for pre-order and will be published July 7!

#kidlit #aac #disabilityrepresentation A quote from a Kirkus review of Leroy Has Something to Say on a yellow and green background. The quote reads "Rosenthal's first picture book twines Leroy's and Tara's respective communication challenges without being heavy-handed... Thai's subdued, digitally finished graphite-pencil art, which is suitably awash in garden greens and earth tones, matches this feelings-focused story's tenderness... A tale of kindness and bridged connections." Under the quote is a drawing of Leroy the ghost in his sunhat look up at a butterfly from a window surrounded in ivy. taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @ek_rosenthal

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5 months ago

Meant to post this during lesbian visibility week, but here's a piece from a series I did called "Kermit Thinking About Lesbians."

I did a ton of drawings completely digitally as a relaxation exercise (thanks Molly for letting me borrow your ipad!).

Hope to compile them into a zine soon.

#kermitthefrog #lesbianvisibilityweek #queerartist A digital drawing of Kermit the Frog in a green leather jacket. He sits with his elbows on a table. The table has a glass of milk on it and Kermit has a milk mustache. Kermit has a thought bubble that says "lesbians." taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @ek_rosenthal

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6 months ago

It turns out what I needed to get out of my funk was to re-watch We Are Lady Parts.
A quick doodle to warm up today.
#weareladyparts A cartoony drawing of the members of the fictional band Lady Parts. From left to right: Ayesha, Bisma, Momtaz, Amina, and Saira. taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @ek_rosenthal

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