MaryBeth Timothy – Illustrator & Storyteller
In 2020, I was asked to create a single illustration for Cherokee author Traci Sorell. That small project turned into a life-changing adventure!
Although I’d been an artist for over 25 years, I had never illustrated a book. After sharing my dream of illustrating children’s stories, Traci passed my name along — and within a month, HarperCollins Children’s Books reached out. My first official book project was underway, and the whirlwind of illustration began.
photo credit: Jerry Willis
Since then, I have:
- Fully illustrated 3 children’s story books
- Created 3 single-feature illustrations for additional books
- Illustrated a large adult book with 62 illustrations
Today, I continue to illustrate for both trade and educational markets. I recently completed my third fully illustrated children’s story book, my latest project with HarperCollins Heartdrum Imprint. I’m also currently writing and illustrating my first children’s book of my own. Book illustration has become one of my greatest passions, and I’m excited to see where this creative journey leads next.
Selected Works
Children’s Book Illustrations – Trade Publishing
- Mother Earth's Song by Kim Rogers (Heartdrum, HarperCollins, forthcoming)
- How Rabbit Tricked the Buzzards by Arvis Boughman (7th Generation, 2025)
- Indian Shoes (new interior illustrations) by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Heartdrum, HarperCollins, 2021)
- The Way of the Anigiduwagi by Traci Sorell, in The Talk: Conversations About Race, Love & Truth (Crown BYR, 2020)
Children’s Book Illustrations – Educational Market
- Sally’s Fire (Gibbs Smith Education, 2021)
- We Remember (Gibbs Smith Education, 2021)
Illustrations for Adult Books
- Cherokee Earth Dwellers by Christopher B. Teuton & Hastings Shade (University of Washington Press, 2023)
- Mary in Into the Wilderness: A Journey of Faith by Tracy M. Lewis, PhD (2020)
- Blues Tone: A Portrait of Karen Dalton in Hey Lady: Edition #9 by Regina Schilling (2019)
How Rabbit Tricked the Buzzards
Additional Illustration Work
