A little about Gary Mohrman…
Although Gary now lives in Lawrence, Kansas, he grew up in Quincy, Illinois, along the banks of the Mississippi River. As a boy, he loved to explore the woods near his home, climbing trees and stomping through the creek. At night, he’d lie in bed drawing sketches of his daytime adventures. Illustrating stories just came naturally.
After high school Gary attended Illinois Wesleyan University where he received a fine arts degree with an emphasis in printmaking and literary graphics. Following a year in graduate school at Northern Illinois University, Gary joined Good Apple Publishing Co. as a book and periodical illustrator. Good Apple published educational and professional growth materials for K-12 teachers and students.
Within three years, Gary chose to go solo, starting his own free lance enterprise. Now, more than 25 years later, he has collaborated with curriculum developers, authors, and publishers to illustrate more than 400 books, periodicals, and educational publications. His work covers language arts, math, science, social studies, and health. He has illustrated thousands of activities and stories that capture the attention and imagination of young readers while depicting appropriate age- and grade-level expectations and recognizing the importance of racial and gender equity.
Gary has also illustrated covers and interiors for dozens of trade books, including topics from Arlington National Cemetery to neighborhood activism; from National Seashores to children with Down syndrome. But no matter what topic he tackles, Gary still devotes the same enthusiasm and wonder to his work today as he did when he first started sketching his youthful adventures back in Quincy.
