Derek Desierto

Derek Desierto is a Canadian-Filipino designer and illustrator of children's books.

Early life

Desierto comes from a self-described "immigrant family" and characterized his upbringing as traditional.[1] He attended private schools as a child.[2]

Career

At age 21, Desierto started an eyewear line called Derek Cardigan.[3]

While scrolling on Instagram, author Eva Chen came across Desierto's illustrations and reached out to him to ask if he had ever illustrated a children's book.[3][4] Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes was released in November 2018, marking his first illustrator credit.[5][6] The duo's second book, A Is For Awesome, was released in February 2019.[3][7] Later that year, Desierto illustrated Chen's Juno Valentine and the Fantastic Fashion Adventure.[8]

In 2021, Desierto authored his first book, Oddbird, which he also illustrated.[9][10] Three years later, he published the follow-up book Oddbird's Chosen Family.[11]

Desierto's animation work has been recognized by the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the National Cartoonist Society, and 9 Story Media Group.[12]^[non-primary source needed]

Publications

Authored

• Desierto, Derek (2021). Oddbird. Feiwel & Friends. ISBN 978-1-250-88281-3.
• Desierto, Derek (2024). Oddbird's Chosen Family. New York: Feiwel and Friends. ISBN 978-1-250-86468-0. OCLC 1434648592.

Illustrated

• Chen, Eva (2019). Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes. New York: Feiwel & Friends. ISBN 978-1-250-29726-6.
• Chen, Eva (2019). A Is for Awesome! 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World. New York: Feiwel and Friends. ISBN 978-1-250-21599-4. OCLC 1048941554.
• Chen, Eva (2019). Juno Valentine and the Fantastic Fashion Adventure. New York: Feiwel and Friends. ISBN 978-1-250-29730-3.
• Solheim, James (2021). Grandma's Are Greater than Great. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 978-0-06-267123-3. [13]
• Tanumihardja, Patricia (2023). Jimmy's Shoes: The Story of Jimmy Choo, Shoemaker to a Princess. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-64700-347-0.[14]

References

1. "Let's Talk Illustrators #184: Derek Desierto". Retrieved 2024-11-05.
2. "Derek Cardigan for Clearly Contacts | News". dailyhive.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
3. Chyan, Amy (July 4, 2019). "How this Canadian illustrator became Eva Chen's collaborator and has Oprah video calling him". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
4. Taylor, Elise (2018-04-23). "Eva Chen Is Writing a Children's Book". Vogue. Archived from the original on 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
5. "In debut children's book, Instagram's Eva Chen mixes magical shoes and iconic women". NBC News. 2018-11-02. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
6. Camlot, Heather (2018-11-12). "When first-time illustrator Derek Desierto met fashion icon Eva Chen". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
7. "A Is for Awesome! 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Eva Chen". Publishers Weekly. 2019-01-10. Archived from the original on 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
8. Macon, Alexandra (2019-08-14). "Eva Chen Has a New Children's Book—And a Collection With Beloved Kids' Brand Janie and Jack". Vogue. Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
9. "Oddbird". Kirkus Reviews. 2023-03-13. Archived from the original on 2023-06-11. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
10. "Oddbird". Booklist. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
11. "Oddbird's Chosen Family". Kirkus Reviews. 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
12. "Derek Desierto | Authors". Macmillan Publishers. Archived from the original on 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
13. "Grandma's are Greater than Great". Kirkus Reviews. 2020-11-26. Archived from the original on 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
14. "Jimmy's Shoes". Kirkus Reviews. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2025-01-25.