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Lesley Breen

@lesleybreenillustration

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author/illustrator, surface designer specializing in artwork for children, animal drawings, and nature-based art.
Rep’d Christy Ewers @the_cat_agency

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Back-to-back bookish kind of day. Storytime…then off to celebrate a VERY special book launch!

What a treat to celebrate OWL CAPONE with @christyewers_author! My agent, my dear friend, my sister. You’ve been in my corner stepping up to bat for me for soooooo many years, so getting to cheer YOU on alongside some of the CAT fam feels extra special.

One of my most favorite nuances of this agency is we LOVE showing up for each other.

So proud of you @christyewers_cat_agency and @robsayart for creating the cutest story and bringing this little owl into the world.

Cheers to OWL CAPONE! May he commit many tiny crimes like stealing many hearts!

Special thanks to my fam for driving to three states with me today 😅 troopers!! ❤️❤️

@the_cat_agency #kidlitartist #kidlitillustrator #kidlitlife

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📘!!Two Beautiful Nonfiction Books!!📘

📘Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature

Author: @rachel_m_williams
Illustrator: @Freyaharts
Publisher: @MagicCatPublishing

What a beautiful book. Honestly, it feels like meditation in a book.

The book invites us to pause and observe the little wonders happening in nature—the things we often walk past without noticing.

But does a book like this actually help a child slow down and observe these little things?

The hope is yes.

As a mom, one thing I realized while reading this book with Ishika is that children already do many of these things naturally—without consciously knowing they are practicing mindfulness. They stop. They observe. They wonder. They notice.

This book simply helps them acknowledge those moments and perhaps see them from a different perspective.

Ishika isn't as obsessed with this book as Mom is 😄, but I absolutely love it and highly recommend it. especially for late elementary-aged children who can truly pause, reflect, and appreciate the details.

Sometimes, we all need a reminder to slow down.

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📘 Mighty Models: The Legendary Life Story of the Lever

Author: @christinevanzandt9
Illustrator: @lesleybreenillustration
Publisher: @unionsqandco

This is not just about understanding the concept of a lever.

Instead, it takes kids on a fascinating journey through history, showing how this simple machine has evolved and been used across different civilizations and time periods.

Along the way, it naturally sparks so many 'what?' and 'why?' questions. It opens up conversations beyond STEM thats about history & how people lived and worked, how societies and kingdoms functioned and even how people were treated differently.

I especially loved how one simple concept can become a doorway into so many bigger conversations. It shows children that history, science, innovation and human lives are all connected.

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Playing on typewriters. New respect for novelists who couldn’t cut and paste, and all the magic we can do with a click. Fun day with my family at the awesome hidden gem, the @printmuseum, celebrating #nationaltypewriterday at their QWERTY Festival. Geeked out about the Gutenberg Press which is featured in my LEVER book by @unionsqandco, @hachettechildrens, illustrated by @lesleybreenillustration #gutenberg #printingpress #typewriter #inventions

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Bellisimo! I’m excited to reveal the beautiful cover of the upcoming Italian-language version of LEVER, out in October 2026 by @escienza, via @unionsqandco @hachettechildrens @magiccatpublishing. Illustrated by @lesleybreenillustration. As they say, it takes a village! #italianbooks #italiankids #mightymodels #stemforkids #newbook

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Looking for free lesson plans? Patricia Newman’s weekly Litlinks posts are a treasure trove of free curriculum-based information. For info based on my Mighty Models book one, LEVER, go to https://www.patriciamnewman.com/litlinks-an-easy-way-to-explore-levers-using-stem-kidlit/. The fun art is by @lesleybreenillustration. Published by @unionsqandco @magiccatpublishing #mightymodels #simplemachines #lever #freeteacherresources #teachers #educators #librarians #stemforkids @patricianewmanbooks

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Happy to see and sign my books at the awesome @vromansbookstore. #lever #mightymodels #simplemachines #picturebook by @unionsqandco @magiccatpublishing Art by @lesleybreenillustration.

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This fascinating and accessible book traces the history of the lever, a world-changing invention, and includes a build-it-yourself catapult. Published by Union Square Kids. Link in bio. #picturebookrecommendation #stemforkids #childrensbooks

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Happy holidays! Take a look at these awesome 2025 books repped by @lizaroyceassoc. My LEVER book is in great company.

I’m thankful for the fun art by @lesleybreenillustration. I’m also thankful to the readers, booksellers, and bloggers, as well as the hardworking agents, illustrators, and publishers.

@the_cat_agency #newkidsbooks #kidsbooks #holidaygift @muon.thi.van @raakstarwrites @sophiagholz @robinnewmanbooks @thedailybookmark @sheridillard @cordeliajensen1 @eva_the_writer @marissamossauthor @catballoumealey @eileenmeyerbooks and #naomimilliner

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How about catching up with these guys? What a treat.

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⚙️🏗️✨ Today’s the day! ✨🏗️⚙️ Happy Book Birthday to MIGHTY MODELS: THE LEGENDARY LIFE STORY OF THE LEVER, illustrated by our very own Lesley Breen, written by Christine Van Zandt!

Kids will discover the importance of the lever and its crucial role in history from ancient civilizations to the modern day; perfect for fans of The Highlights Book of How and The New Way Things Work.

Think a lever is just a plank of wood? Think again! Levers have been used to hunt mammoths, raise the Great Wall, and even defend the Crown Jewels. 

This Mighty Models title highlights ten important key moments in which the lever leveled up in history—from being a spear-thrower to a robotic arm. Plus, readers build their own working catapult using the included build-it-yourself model to see the power of the lever in action!

Christine Van Zandt’s nonfiction STEM book, ideal for readers 5 to 8 and up, captures the marvels of early machinery in an engaging, interactive, and innovative format for budding engineers, historians, and scientists.

Available now from @unionsqandco @hachettechildrens ✨🎉

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Learning about the Industrial Revolution?

Discover how #simplemachines such as the lever were needed to accomplish engineering feats such as the transcontinental railroad.

The lively period art by @lesleybreenillustration adds interesting layers to the text.

Book one of the new #mightymodels series published tomorrow by @unionsqandco, @hachettechildrens.

#industrialrevolution #newbooks #levers #stemforkids #picturebook #transcontinentalrailroad #theodorejudah #teachers #educators #librarians #homeschool #holidaygift #teachersgift #elementaryschool @magiccatpublishing @lizaroyceassoc @christyewers_cat_agency @the_cat_agency @21forthebooks @steamteambooks @kidlit_kangaroos @pbmix26

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THREE DAYS UNTIL PUBLICATION
People traveled from faraway lands to the banks of the Nile. Scales were essential in the bustling markets.

The engaging art by @lesleybreenillustration brings history to life in a kid-friendly manner.

Learn more about levers from the Ice Age to the Space Age in book one of the #mightymodels series by @unionsqandco, @hachettechildrens.

#newbooks #simplemachines #picturebook #balancescale #ancientegypt #ancienthistory #teachers #educators #librarians #homeschool #holidaygift #teachersgift #elementaryschool @magiccatpublishing @lizaroyceassoc @christyewers_cat_agency @the_cat_agency @21forthebooks @steamteambooks @kidlit_kangaroos @pbmix26

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