If you’re ever unsure, just remember: Tenaya rhymes with papaya! Her middle name is Lena and her last name is Gunter Brown.

Her interview on the Kidlit Artists Blog http://kidlitartists.blogspot.com/2019/10/interview-with-tenaya-lena-gunter-brown.html

Her email: tenayalena@gmail.com

@tenayalena on Instagram and Twitter

Tenaya Lena Gunter Brown

Her Hopes:

Tenaya’s big hope is to make picture books. Books that speak to the deep quiet feelings and emotions we all have and can sometimes feel alone in. Books that tell stories about wonder. Stories that show the kids usually on the outskirts of stories, the introverts, the sidekicks, the ones that sit at the edge of the group, listening, or who would rather chat with a caterpillar. Stories that say you don’t have to be a social butterfly, you’re still a butterfly.  Inclusive stories that show all kids experiencing these things. Stories with magic. Giant flowers and snails. Stories that are about the feeling you get when you first step into a cold creek, and from under the ripples of the water you notice the shimmer of a tiny fish, peeking out from under a rock. And stories about the fish and how it feels when from above the ripples of its watery home a giant foot plunges down before its eyes. 

She’s excited to tell her own stories, but would love to illustrate for an author who is telling everyday stories about what it is to be a child in this crazy world, the wonders, the hurts and the thrills. 

Her Roots:

Tenaya grew up in East Oakland with a cat, Sam the rat, four rabbits, one big sister, a dwarf hamster, a dog, a cockatiel, and two dancers for parents. She spent most of her time making art, dancing, playing in the mud and befriending caterpillars.

She never stopped loving picture books -- It just took her a bit to figure out she could make them! She’s drawn to picture books because of the way they make children feel seen, the way they take children places they never knew they wanted to go. 

Tenaya’s currently living in Oakland with her forever fella, whom she met while attending Sarah Lawrence College. She loves watching light and shadow spread across the page, letting colors bloom, and showing the tiny unnoticed things. When the blank page gets the best of her, you’ll find her making pottery, or in the woods catching up with her favorite clump of moss, and making friends with critters that often seem in a hurry to get somewhere else.

Her Brags:

Recipient of an Honorable Mention at the 2019 SCBWI LA Conference.

Recipient of the 2019 SCBWI Mentorship Award.

Graduated with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College

She makes a mean pie