Joy Dey

Joy Morgan Dey and her artist partner, Nikki Johnson, work together in a highly collaborative style. Sometimes writing precedes the illustration and sometomes the art inspires new directions in the story. Joy and Nikki are both members of Lake Superior Watercolor Society and both love language and feel strongly about a usable message for kids presented in a unique visual style.

Joy, formerly art director for Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers, does the graphic design for her books. That seems to work well, since she and Nikki seem to need to turn completed pages in order to tell where a project is going.

Joy grew up in Austin, Minnesota, and received a B.A. degree from Carleton College and a B.S. degree from Bemidji State University. She has lived with her family in Duluth, Minnesota since 1979.

Joy has illustrated several regional books. Samples can be seen on her website, and Agate has his own website, too.

Joy and Nikki are hard at work on several new book projects.




			Agate: What good is a moose? illustrated by Nikki Johnson Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc., 2008 ISBN 978-0-942235-73-9 Agate is a moose who suffers from low self-esteem. He sees himself as a plain, brown rock compared to his friends. He would love to be as strong as Emerald the Lion, as tall as Diamond the Giraffe, or as Clever as Opal the Raccoon. His friends, the gems, help him to see that he is an agate, a secret jewel. Each animal in Agate is named after a birthstone and painted to match in bold, colorful images that connect with kids and adults. There are several messages in Agate that appeal to people of all ages. One is to know your own inner worth. Another is to see that in everyone else you meet. And another is to avoid too much comparison, “to be glad they’re them and you are you.” Awards and Recognition Midwest Booksellers Association (MBA) Choice Award, Best Children’s Book 2008; Independent Publishers (IPPY) Book Award, Gold Award, Children’s Picture Book—All Ages; Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) Book Award, Best Children’s Book; Northeastern Minnesota Book Award (NEMBA), Best Children’s Book; Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, Silver Medal, Best Illustrator; Bronze Medal, Best Children’s Picture Book; Ben Franklin Book Award, Finalist, Cover Design; Association of Books for Children (ABC), Finalist, Best Read-Aloud Book; Midwest Favorite Selection, Midwest Booksellers Association 2007 and 2008; Heartland Booksellers Top 15 List; ABA Booksense, #1 Children’s Book Pick, Winter 2007-2008



			Nightlight written with Jeannine Anderson illustrated by Nikki Johnson Windward Publishing, 2004 ISBN 978-0-893170-56-1 In Nightlight, two little bears, Aurora Mae and Borealis Burl, awake in the night to discover that something amazing is happening in the sky above them. The grand and glorious northern lights stage their fantastic show as a sprinkling of friendly fireflies adds sparkle to light up the night in a way the two young bears have never seen before. A sense of wonder, delight, and reassurance that settles over Aurora Mae and Borealis Burl during this night of magic. A brief explanation of the science of the northern lights and fireflies follows the story and a free poster is included in the book. Awards and Recognition Finalist for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year award in 2005