Official Author Artist Site
PATIENCE FILIPPO
Illustrator Extraordinaire
Jason Squadrito is a self-taught artist and illustrator with an appreciation for traditional art, classical painting, and visual storytelling.
His artistic influences range from the expressive brushwork and character studies of classical painters such as Diego Velázquez and Frans Hals to the imaginative characters and distinctive illustration style of Dr. Seuss. His work on My Teacher Is Not an Octopus draws particular inspiration from Dr. Seuss’s approach to character design and visual storytelling.
The book marks Jason’s debut as a published children’s book illustrator. Through his artwork, he enjoys bringing characters to life and helping young readers connect with the stories they experience.
Original Sketches
Below Left: First draft of a cover for the class project helped win third place against traditional published books.
Patience is encouraged by students, teachers, and district staff to publishing the story she wrote.
Middle: Picture of the octopus the children made with the book for the contest.
Middle: Updated sketch and colorized version in the August 2014.
Bottom Right: Character sketches on manilla paper is the first iteration of Joey and Miss Patience from July 2014.
