Eileen Ryan Ewen Books / Illustration / Studio
Alastair perched above the sea as tentacles rise around him
Alastair
Two rabbits ice skating inside a bright Valentine heart
A dragon carries a cupcake while a royal procession follows
The Cailleach surrounded by winter animals
A woman riding a giant wolf through a winter night

Author / Illustrator / Studio Artist

EileenRyan Ewen

Picture books, character-rich narrative worlds, and small-batch art made in Cleveland Heights.

Alastair 1 / 3

A little art in your world

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Books & Publishing

Recently Published Books

Because Barbara book cover
2024 / Waxwing Books

Because Barbara

Written by Sarah Mackenzie. A picture-book biography of beloved author and illustrator Barbara Cooney.

Find at Bookshop.org
Bounce! A Scientific History of Rubber book cover
2024 / Charlesbridge

Bounce!

Written by Sarah Albee. Whimsical watercolor and ink carry the surprising science and history of rubber.

Find at Bookshop.org
Bless the Lord board book cover
2023 / Word on Fire Spark

Bless the Lord

An illustrated board book of the Canticle of the Three Children and a Catholic Media Association award winner.

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Full Catalog

Awards & Honors

Bounce! book cover
Published 2024

Bounce!

  • 2025 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
  • 2025 NSTA-CBC Best STEM Selected Title
  • 2024 Science Friday Best Science Books for Kids
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
  • Junior Library Guild Selection
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
Miss Colfax's Light book cover
Published 2016

Miss Colfax's Light

  • ILA Children's and Young Adults' Book Award, Primary Nonfiction
  • Amelia Bloomer List
  • Storytelling World Award
  • Michigan Notable Book
Bless the Lord book cover
Published 2023

Bless the Lord

  • 2nd Place, Children's Book: Non-Reader, 2024 Catholic Media Association Book Awards
  • 3rd Place, Children's Books: Picture Books, 2024 Association of Catholic Publishers
Because Barbara book cover
Published 2024

Because Barbara

  • Northern Lights Book Award, Picture Book - All Categories
  • IBPA Book Award, Silver Winner
Nature's Friend book cover
Published 2018

Nature's Friend

  • 2019 Green Earth Book Award Long List
Jonas Hanway's Umbrella book cover
Published 2020

Jonas Hanway's Umbrella

  • Junior Library Guild Selection

Selected Publications

Magazine Illustration

St. Lucia Morning

  • Spider Magazine
  • Trailblazers Magazine

Forthcoming Books

Fall 2027 CLE Kids Books, LLC

The Land We Love

Written by David Gollinger
Illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen

Spring 2028 Sleeping Bear Press

The Serendipity Book Brigade

Written by Alice B. McGinty
Illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen

In Development

Author-Illustrator Projects

Callie and Brigid: A Sisters' Tale

Inspired by Irish mythology and the changing seasons, Callie and Brigid reimagines the Cailleach and Brigid as rival sisters. Callie, misunderstood and jealous of Brigid's natural gifts, cannot see the value of her own. Brigid, frustrated by Callie, overlooks the gifts only her sister can offer. When their rivalry drives Callie away, Brigid and the people of Ireland discover that both sisters, and both seasons, are essential. The story celebrates the earth's rhythms, sibling rivalry, and reconciliation.

The Muffin Masterpiece

Adalbert is apprentice to Madame Bula, Royal Baker and Magic Maker. He often mixes up letters and misreads words, and one mistaken potion label turns an ordinary muffin into an enormous problem. Reading may be difficult for Adalbert, but creative thinking is his strength. Can he transform the mishap into a masterpiece the whole kingdom can celebrate? The Muffin Masterpiece is a humorous story about ingenuity, confidence, and finding your own way to solve a problem.

View Eileen at Tugeau 2

Portfolio

Illustration & Fine Art

Working in mediums such as watercolor, ink, and gouache, Eileen is a traditional artist proud of her unique technique and vision. Attention to detail, rich colors, and strong visual narrative are hallmarks of Eileen's work.

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Sketchbook

Characters, movement, and ideas before the final page.

Pages from Eileen's sketchbooks, from character studies and composition tests to travel journals and everyday observations.

Character Development

Expressions, silhouettes, costumes, and cast relationships worked out before a final scene.

Inspiration

Traditions, family rituals, light, performance, and other observed moments that invite a story.

Exploration

Pencil studies and visual experiments that test movement, atmosphere, and new ways into a scene.

Travel / Summer Sketchbook

Places, foods, people, architecture, and the idiosyncratic moments that make a journey worth remembering.

A sketchbook is always with Eileen when she travels. She loves capturing different places, foods, people, and architecture, as well as recording snippets of time with her own people as they grow up.

Places observed, characters invented, and visual problems explored between books.

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From Eileen’s studio

Studio shop

Signed prints, illustrated notecards, and pieces made by hand.

All artwork

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Original artwork by Eileen Ryan Ewen · Cleveland Heights, Ohio

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Eileen Ryan Ewen · Studio shop

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From Eileen's studio

A note when something worth seeing is ready.

New books, local events, seasonal releases, and new studio collections.

Eileen Ryan Ewen in her studio

About Eileen

Illustration with warmth, wit, and a little mystery.

For as long as she can remember, Eileen has had a passion for stories and art. It only made sense that she should follow her dreams and become a children's book illustrator.

Working in traditional mediums such as watercolor, pen and ink, and gouache, she creates detailed illustrations with strong narrative appeal. From fantastical worlds and whimsy to historical nonfiction, Eileen brings characters and stories to life.

In addition to illustration, Eileen enjoys writing her own picture-book manuscripts and creating fine art paintings inspired by her travels, family, and imagination. Working from her home studio in Cleveland Heights, which she shares with her husband, four children, and three cats, Eileen is lucky enough to live her dream every day.

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Contact

Books, visits, and studio inquiries.

For publishing and illustration inquiries, contact Nicole Tugeau. For school visits, local events, and studio questions, contact Eileen directly.

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