Christina Rodriguez-Unalt or “C. Rod. Unalt” has been working professionally in the field since 2007 after graduating from University of Hartford, where she also received her MFA in Illustration in 2020. Her career began as a scenic painter at a creature shop, where she painted murals and large-scale sculptures for mini golf courses, storefronts, windows, and parade floats. She has illustrated four picture books including "A Bailar!/ Let's Dance!", "I Want to be a Bald Eagle", "The Big Bong Boo", "The President Did What?", and is currently working on her 5th title which is due out in 2024.  Her work has appeared in children’s magazines and educational textbooks, and has been exhibited in the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and has been invited to exhibit her work two years in a row to the Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award show where her series, "Worth the Wait" is part of their permanent collection. She is also an active member of The Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators and the Children's Book Illustrators Group of New York. 

            Christina currently supervises the BFA of Illustration program at Montclair State University, where she instructs, motivates, and advises students on pursuing careers in illustration. She currently lives with her husband, children, their pup, and two bad kitties in New Jersey, all of whom are a constant inspiration for her own stories and illustrations.

Partial client list: Pinata Books, Capstone Publishing, Heinemann, Spider Magazine, Brandylane Publishers and Seed Learning, Inc.

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