Professional Bios
The Short Story
Rebecca Gardyn Levington is an award-winning children’s book author, poet, and journalist with a particular penchant for penning both playful and poignant picture books and poems – primarily in rhyme. Find out more about Rebecca at www.RebeccaGardynLevington.com.
The (slightly) Longer Story
Rebecca Gardyn Levington is an award-winning children’s book author, poet, and journalist with a particular penchant for penning both playful and poignant picture books and poems – primarily in rhyme. She is the author of 18 books for children, including FINDING FORGIVENESS (a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable and PJ Library selection), WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW (a SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor winner and Northern Lights Book Award winner, which has been translated into 11 languages), AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? A Passover Hide-And-Seek Adventure (a PJ Library selection which was named one of the best holiday books of the year by both School Library Journal and the Association of Jewish Libraries), SOME DAYS I’M THE WIND (a 2026 Children’s Book Council Librarian Favorite and a 2026 Children’s Literature Assembly Notable), and BRAINSTORM! (a Pennsylvania Readers’ Choice Award winner). Rebecca’s poems and articles have appeared in numerous anthologies, newspapers, and magazines. She lives with her family in Summit, NJ, where she enjoys bouncing on a mini-trampoline, playing Mah Jongg, and eating chocolate-peanut butter ice cream (although not usually at the same time!). Find out more and sign up for Rebecca’s monthly newsletter at www.RebeccaGardynLevington.com.
The WHOLE Story
Rebecca Gardyn Levington is an award-winning children’s book author, poet, and journalist with a particular penchant for penning both playful and poignant picture books and poems — primarily in rhyme.
She is the author of 18 books for children, including FINDING FORGIVENESS (a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable and PJ Library selection), WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW (a SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor winner and Northern Lights Book Award winner, which has been translated into 11 languages), AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? A Passover Hide-And-Seek Adventure (a PJ Library selection which was named one of the best holiday books of the year by both School Library Journal and the Association of Jewish Libraries), SOME DAYS I’M THE WIND (a 2026 Children’s Book Council Librarian Favorite and a 2026 Children’s Literature Assembly Notable), and BRAINSTORM! (a Pennsylvania Readers’ Choice Award winner).
Additional titles include LITTLE DREIDEL LEARNS TO SPIN, WRITE HERE WRITE NOW, DINOSAUR SURPRISE!, and I WILL ALWAYS BE… Soon to be released are I WISH THAT YOU KNEW (Little Bee Books, Aug. 25, 2026), UNICORN SURPRISE! (Sept. 1, 2026), BRAVE LIKE ESTHER: A Purim Story (Kalaniot, Jan. 12, 2027), LOOKING FOR LIGHT: A Shabbat Story (FSG, Jan. 19, 2027), WHEN LESS IS MORE (Kalaniot, Aug. 17, 2027), APPLES ALL AROUND (FSG, fall 2028), and three unannounced titles (so far!)
Rebecca’s poems have been published in Cricket Magazine, Spider Magazine, Highlights High Five, The Caterpillar, The Toy Press, PaperBound Magazine, Little Thoughts Press, The Dirigible Balloon, Paper Lanterns, Honeycake: The Jewish Magazine for Creative Kids, as well as Countdown, Blast Off, Orbit, Touchdown, and Launchpad (publications of The School Magazine). Her poems have also appeared in the anthologies What is A Family?, What Is A Friend?, Hop To It: Poems To Get You Moving, Imperfect II: Poems About Perspective–An Anthology for Middle Schoolers, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats. Rebecca’s poem, “Lemons!” originally published in Countdown, won the 2021 Magazine Merit Award for poetry from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Rebecca has a master’s degree in magazine journalism from NYU and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies, with a specialization in business administration, from UCLA. In her life B.C. (“Before Children”), she was a freelance magazine and newspaper journalist, writing feature articles and cover stories for The New York Observer, Ladies Home Journal, Working Mother, Bride’s, New York Newsday and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, among many others. Prior to that, she was Senior Editor at American Demographics (a now defunct marketing magazine that was far more interesting than it sounds!) where she wrote and edited stories about what motivates people’s purchasing decisions and lifestyle choices.
Rebecca writes reviews and conducts author interviews monthly for the Picture Book Builders blog. She is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), The Poet’s Garage, The 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, Women Who Write, and KidLit Caravan.
She lives with her family in Summit, NJ, where she enjoys bouncing on a mini-trampoline, playing Mah Jongg, and eating chocolate-peanut butter ice cream (although not usually at the same time!). She is represented by Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary.
To read Rebecca’s poetry, learn more about her upcoming books, and sign up for her monthly newsletter, visit her website at www.RebeccaGardynLevington.com.
Social Media Handles
(FYI, I am most active on IG!)
Instagram: @RebeccaGardynLevington
Facebook: @WriterRebeccaGL
Twitter/X: @WriterRebeccaGL
BlueSky: @RebeccaGlevington.bsky.social
