We are thrilled to be celebrating something positive in 2020 in welcoming Chad W. Beckerman to the CAT Agency family! Chad joins us after being the Creative Director at ABRAMS Kids and Comic Arts, where he spent 13 years overseeing the design of 250 books a year - from picture books, to novels, to graphic novels, and art and entertainment books. Chad is behind the aesthetic for over forty New York Times bestselling and award-winning books including the blockbuster Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, the Caldecott honor and Corretta Scott King Award winning Trombone Story, illustrated by Brian Collier, and the Newbury Medal honor books El Deafo, and Heart of the Samurai. He executed the design architecture for countless series including Origami Yoda by Tom Angelberger, The Questioneers (Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, Ada Twist) by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts, Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, Frank Einstein by Jon Scieszka and Brian Biggs, The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John, and Jared Chapman’s Vegetables in Underwear. We are excited to be expanding the agency, and look forward to the achievements of the talented artists that Chad will curate and cultivate under his guidance. His dedicated approach to supporting illustrators and creators speaks directly to the culture of the agency, and we feel very fortunate to be a part of his next chapter as an agent! Chad will be building his own stable of illustrators and author/illustrators whom he will exclusively represent, and is kicking off with the six uniquely talented artists below. In addition to representing children’s illustrators, Chad offers packaging of picture books, graphic novels and middle-grade series books through his design studio CWB Art & Design www.chadwbeckerman.com. To see more of their wonderful work, click on the names of his illustrators below and please join us in welcoming Chad to The CAT Agency!

Art Direction, Graphic Novels, Cover & Book Design, Illustration & Photography : Clients include: Wimpy Kid, Inc., Harpercollins/Greenwillow, SmartInk Books LLC, Levine Querido, Lions Forge Comics, FTRF Foundation, Algonquin Books and ABRAMS.

Oversaw the creative direction and execution of picture books, board books, middle grade novels, Young adult novels, graphic novels and art and entertainment books and calendars under the Abrams Appleseed, Abrams Books for Young Readers, Amulet Books, and Abrams ComicArts imprints.• Managed and mentored a team of full-time and freelancer designers with the creation of covers, interiors and calendars for over 250 titles a year, with a focus on creative and professional development• Managed and designed for the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Brand including, books, marketing materials, gift & stationary and calendars• Business growth - Helped expanded business into areas of licensing, 0-5, graphic novels and picture books• Build and acquire new projects. Ex: Vegetables in Underwear, Drawing is Magic and Hale’s Hazaradous Tales Series• Art direct illustrators and freelancers, negotiate contracts, design lead titles. • Created a ABRAMS Kids and ComicArts design aesthetic and brand over-all brand look. Lead design staff to embrace and own a design philosophy• Lead company’s first wave rebrand. • Helped established social media for ABRAMS, ABRAMS Kids and Wimpy Kid brandsestablish design budgets, develop cover concepts, and determine production specsNew York Times BestsellersDesign and art directed over 40 New York Times bestselling booksCaldecott, Newbery and Corretta Scott King Honor and AwardsDesign and art directed Caldecott Honor and Corretta Scott King Award winning Trombone Shorty and Newbery Medal honor books El Deafo and Heart of the SamuariSociety of Illustrator Medal WinnerOne gold medal and three silver medals for art direction from the Society of IllustratorsIllustration judge Society Of Illustrators Annual 61 and 53 Communication Arts Illustration Annual 54 and 59American Illustration 323x3 Illlustration AnnualSCBWI New York Show Illustration JudgeThe New York Book ShowSociety Of Illustrators Original Art Show

Books Illustrated2004 • Dissapperaing Act by Sid Fleischman2007 • Frannie in Pieces By Delia Ephron