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Creatures are weird.

In Illustoria #11, you'll find a parade of real, imaginary, and ugly animals, including zooplankton -- the tiniest creatures. You'll meet wildlife specialists and medieval-era pets. Trace your pencil along the 3-D Monstermaze and create textured creature rubbings with us. Meet Dog-Chef, who will help you whip up a snack station for your bird pals. Plus, find short stories and poetry by young writers (as part of Illustoria's partnership with the International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers) throughout this issue. Enjoy these beastly and beautiful creatures and then try drawing or writing about your own creatures!

Illustoria is the official publication of the International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers, publishing writing and art by young people alongside accomplished professionals.

Praise for Illustoria magazine:

".(a) beautifully produced print magazine that invites young readers to revisit arresting pages again and again.Illustoria is a visual feast, with a focus on storytelling through art and literature. In addition to crafts and art projects, Illustoria presents stories through comics, and profiles illustrators, artists, and makers.(with) messages of compassion and inclusivity.bursting with creative ideas and inspiration."
-"Our Favorite Gifts for 6- to 10-year-olds," Wirecutter.com, New York Times

"This is the kind of magazine you keep on your bookshelves with your favorite books."

- Cece Bell, author of El Deafo

"It's a rewarding offering that I hope sticks around for many years down the line."

- Julie Danielson, Kirkus Reviews, blogger of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

"(A) visually exciting magazine with a DIY attitude . . . offer(s) plentiful opportunities for engagement, while the quality artwork and inventive layouts are sure to inspire imaginative responses."

-School Library Journal

"Cover to cover, its content and aesthetics are smart, modern and engaging. Illustoria is a magazine I would've loved to have growing up."

- Michelle Sterling, Avery & Augustine

Contents:

Issue 11 includes....

Interviews with:

Paolo Puck

Shawn Harris

Meow Wolf

Juan Martinez

Lily Born of Imaginiroo

and youth activist Matilde Bondo Dydensborg

Plus: Ask a Wildlife Specialist

Fiction:

Bird Snack Stop by Tom Bingham

Dog Show Comic by Ricardo Hernandez

Galactic Alienology by Carson Ellis & Hank Meloy

Nonfiction:

Zooplankton by Jamyelese Ryer, art by Lan Truong

An Ode to Ugly Animals by Amanda Willemse

Lexigraphique by Michael Buchino

Medieval Era by Vaughn Parish

Mooncatcher Comic by Grant Snider

True! Animal! Stories! by Penelope Q Breckenridge, art by Ricardo Hernandez

Draw & Write:

Miscellaneous Revelry by Jason Sturgill

Coloring Pages by Eleri Harris

Sketchbook as Travelogues with Peter Kuper

Draw This: Creature by Megan Dailey

Young Writers

Bus Poems by students at Little Green Pig

The Stand-Up Tree, Literally! by Saharla Farah

Austin's Jungle Birthday by Sydney Osagie Imariabe

Small Talk with Sophie Donohue-Liston, art by Gabriel Liston

Make:

DIY Visual Journaling, art by Charlotte Ager

DIY Creature Rubbings by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Play:

3D Monster Maze by Jesse Jacobs

Collectible Cards: Story Builders by Amy Sumerton