Born in Montclair, NJ, Yaccarino was influenced by a combination of advertising, comic books, vintage animation, toys, and old films, spending his childhood immersed in drawing, writing, and making movies.
Yaccarino attended Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA, as well as Parson School of Design in NYC, where he earned a BFA in illustration in 1987.
"I'm inspired by other children’s book authors and illustrators," Yaccarino was quoted in saying, "as well as people from other fields like the director Henry Selick and singer-songwriter Brian Wilson."
Very soon after graduation, he began a commercial illustration career, starting with the New York Times Book Review, quickly moving on to national newspapers and magazines, as well as advertising campaigns.
Children's literature
Yaccarino wrote and illustrated his first picture book Big Brother Mike in 1993 and has created dozens of books for children since, most notably Every Friday, The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau, Unlovable and the autobiographical, All the Way To America: The Story of A Big Italian Family and A Little Shovel. He has also illustrated stories written by some of the most prestigious names in children's literature, including Margaret Wise Brown, Jack Prelutsky, and Kevin Henkes. Yaccarino's work in children's literature has garnered many glowing reviews and a worldwide following.[2] He has been invited to the White House[2] to share his books and participate in the annual Easter festivities. He has also presented his work at Pixar studio and has keynoted several children's literature conferences.
