About Cheryl
Cheryl Lawton Malone is a celebrated children’s author and poet, best known for her nature-based picture books, including the lyrical Dario and The Whale and the travel series, If You GO. Dario was selected for the 2021 Library of Congress’ Great Reads From Great Places program, a Shelf Awareness Best Children’s Book of 2016, a Cooperative Children’s Book Center Winner for 2017, a Book Best Debut Picture Books of 2016, and a 2018 Mass Book Awards Must Read. After obtaining her MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University, she became a sought-after manuscript consultant at Grub Street, Boston, a popular presenter at schools and libraries, and co-author of the acclaimed “how to” guides, Writing Kidlit 101 and Writing Kidlit 102.
Cheryl is inspired by forests, deserts, and the sea. Having moved often in her childhood, she’s worn as many career hats as Bartholomew Cubbins (okay, not that many), including biotech attorney, professional dog-trainer, writing professor, ski instructor (for kids), swim and kayak instructor (for dogs), manuscript consultant, and writer through it all.
She believes in the magic of stories and is a nerdy fan of structure. A long-time resident of Newton, MA, you might find Cheryl and her husband Michael hanging with elephants in Chiang Mai or kids in Hanoi at any given time.
Here’s my passport picture when I was 2 years old. My family moved to the Netherlands, the first of many adventures.
This is about 1970, I’m ten years old and I thought my vest was cool.
Here I am all grown up, still loving stripes and the best pups ever, our Irish Wheaten terriers, Lorcan and Muri.
