Rebecca Bender
Illustrator

Rebecca Bender

Graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design with the medal for illustration, Rebecca Bender made a big splash with her first picture book, Giraffe and Bird. It won the OLA Blue Spruce Award in 2012, the following year it sequel, Don’t Laugh at Giraffe, was an OLA Blue Spruce honour book. Peach Girl, a picture book written by Raymond Nakamura, is a Cooperative Children’s Book Center best-of-the-year Choice and a Toronto Public Library “First and Best” list selection. An art director and designer as well as an author/illustrator, Rebecca lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and two children.

Rebecca’s Website

Books By Rebecca Bender

A World of Kindness cover

A World of Kindness

The editors of Pajama Press unite with nine of their celebrated children’s illustrators to create a picture book about the many ways a small child can make the world a kinder place.

By Suzanne Del Rizzo & Brian Deines & Kim La Fave & Tara Anderson & Manon Gauthier & Rebecca Bender & François Thisdale & Wallace Edwards & Dean Griffiths

A World of Mindfulness cover

A World of Mindfulness

From the creators of A World of Kindness, a meditative sensory picture book with arresting art from fourteen illustrators featuring several award-winning artists like Scot Ritchie, Suzanne Del Rizzo, and many more. Now in paperback!

By Erin Alladin & Suzanne Del Rizzo & Rebecca Bender & Gabrielle Grimard & Tara Anderson & François Thisdale & Scot Ritchie & Miki Sato & Tamara Campeau & Emma Pedersen & Carmen Mok & Aino Anto & Sue Macartney & Amélie Dubois & Andrea Blinick

Ballewiena cover

Ballewiena

The award-winning creator of the Giraffe and Bird books introduces Dotty the dancing dachshund to celebrate the gifts of those who struggle to "sit" and "stay"

By Rebecca Bender

Don't Laugh at Giraffe cover

Don't Laugh at Giraffe

Dignified Giraffe is crushed when the other animals laugh at his awkward efforts to get a drink at the water hole, but Bird steps in to save the day and prove to his long-legged companion that it’s okay to look goofy once in a while.

By Rebecca Bender & Rebecca Bender

Don't Laugh at Giraffe cover

Don't Laugh at Giraffe

Giraffe and Bird star in a funny tale of friendship and empathy in this cozy new edition of a classic picture book from award-winning author-illustrator Rebecca Bender.

By Rebecca Bender

Duck Days cover

Duck Days

The third title in the collection that began with USBBY Outstanding International Book Slug Days. Lauren, a third-grade student who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, takes on the challenges of sharing her best friend and persevering when a classmate mocks her bicycle’s training wheels.

By Sara Leach & Rebecca Bender

Giraffe and Bird cover

Giraffe and Bird

The side-splittingly funny un-friendship story with a new title in a new format for younger readers.

By Rebecca Bender & Rebecca Bender

Giraffe and Bird Together Again cover

Giraffe and Bird Together Again

When it comes to adventure, Bird would say Sign me up! Giraffe would say No, thank you. But one day Bird disappears and Giraffe is forced on an adventure of his own--to find and rescue his friend!

By Rebecca Bender & Rebecca Bender

Giraffe Meets Bird cover

Giraffe Meets Bird

A young giraffe is excited when the egg in his tree hatches, but soon he and the baby bird are bickering constantly. When a scary lion forces them to work together, they find a surprising solution. With rich vocabulary illuminated by clever synonyms, a comic adventure for the very young.

By Rebecca Bender & Rebecca Bender

How Do You Feel? cover

How Do You Feel?

Touch-and-feel textures bring to life a thoughtful story for babies and toddlers with a sweet surprise ending.

By Rebecca Bender & Rebecca Bender

Not Friends cover

Not Friends

Giraffe and Bird are not friends. After all, they fight all the time. But when they go their separate ways and a scary storm strikes, they both realize they might be better off together—even if they are still not friends. Not at all.

By Rebecca Bender & Rebecca Bender

Peach Girl cover

Peach Girl

In this reimagining of a Japanese folk tale, Momoko is born from a peach to make the world a better place. Despite rumours of a terrible ogre that lives nearby and eats children, Momoko bravely sets out with a pocketful of dumplings and the timid Monkey, Dog, and Pheasant to find out the truth for h...

By Raymond Nakamura & Rebecca Bender

Slug Days cover

Slug Days

Lauren, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (an umbrella term that has included Asperger Syndrome since 2013), navigates the ups and downs of school and home life. School friendships have always been a challenge, but Lauren finds she is exactly the friend a brand new classmate needs.

By Sara Leach & Rebecca Bender

Back to top