Allyn Johnston, a native Californian, founded Beach Lane Books with Andrea Welch on April Fool's Day, 2008. Among the authors and illustrators with whom she works are Mem Fox, Lois Ehlert, Marla Frazee, Jeanette Winter, Jonah Winter, Mark Teague, Linda Davick, Cynthia Rylant, Arthur Howard, Debra Frasier, Jan Thomas, Lauren Stringer, Mary Lyn Ray, Amy Schwartz, and K. L. Going. She is especially interested in young picture books with the perfect balance of rhythm, repetition, and page-turns to make for a fantastic read-aloud experience. And humor is always welcome!
Andrea Welch has been publishing books for young readers for twenty years, first at Harcourt Children’s Books and now here at Beach Lane Books, which she co-founded with Allyn Johnston in 2008. Andrea has the pleasure of working with Liz Garton Scanlon, Meg Fleming, April Pulley Sayre, Kabir and Surishtha Sehgal, Sergio Ruzzier, Diana Sudyka, Robin Page, Steve Jenkins, Jennifer Ward, Felicita Sala, Lisa Congdon, and Chris Barton—just to name a few! She publishes across all picture book genres, but she is most drawn to books that reveal the marvels of the natural world, books that take on social-emotional topics with a light and fresh touch, and books that illuminate culture and lesser-known people who accomplished big things. Her mission is to publish picture books that inspire wonder and curiosity, and her hope is that opening one of her books is like turning over a rock in the forest and discovering something unexpected and intriguing and that sparks imagination. Andrea loves hiking, camping, and combing the local beaches with her family, and she also enjoys stealing away to spend time with her horse, Kokonut.
Danielle Collins joined Beach Lane Books in November 2020. Prior to starting at Simon & Schuster, she interned in the editorial departments at Sourcebooks and Yale University Press. She also serves as the assistant for the Paula Wiseman Books imprint at S&S. Danielle is drawn to both the factual and fantastical, or even a little bit of both, and she is passionate about stories that inspire curiosity and empathy in young readers. She’s looking for lyrical picture books that explore themes of discovering identity and navigating feelings, as well as nonfiction about lesser-known people, periods, and fascinating STEM topics. Above all, Danielle loves books with beautiful writing, memorable characters, and a whole lot of heart. Danielle grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, went to college in Los Angeles, and now lives in Brooklyn, where she can often be found at bookstores and bakeries.
