Meet Veronica Stanley-Hooper of Santa Clarita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Stanley-Hooper.

Hi Veronica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have my BS in elementary education so naturally, I began my career as an elementary school teacher. I have always had a passion for art so I integrated art, creative writing, and poetry in as many lessons as possible for my students. It wasn’t long before I took my skills as a teacher and a creative to the next level and began working as a product developer for a well known educational curriculum and toy company. From there, I moved onto homeschooling my own children and teaching classes in the private sector. When my children moved onto a public high school, I decided to reinvent myself once again; this time I combined my skills in a different way to write, illustrate, and animate children’s books.

Since 2020 I have created and printed three independently published books under my imprint Hands On Learning Press– PLAY!, SCARY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, and LITTLE MOUSE’S FIRST BOOK OF COLORS. I have also acquired a contract with Histria Books for a book entitled THE MEANIES which I both wrote and illustrated. THE MEANIES will be released and distributed by Simon and Schuster in the fall of 2026.

Being a children’s book author can be difficult as the environment is highly competitive. In 2020 with the launch of my first book PLAY!, I immediately decided to join SCBWI, an international organization for children’s books authors and illustrators. Soon after, I became a lit-mingle leader in Santa Clarita Valley in an effort to surround myself with like-minded creatives. I created SCVCBAI (Santa Clarita Valley Children’s Books Authors and Illustrators) in 2023. SCVCBAI is a group of eight authors and illustrators that support each other in the craft of creating great children’s books. Additionally, we help each other with marketing– one of the most challenging facets of being an author. I have also had the honor of being a part of the SCV Book Festival team for 2025 to further involve myself in the world of literature.

The SCV Book Festival is an annual event hosted by the English Department of College of the Canyons. This event hosts authors from all genres and is an immersive day for book lovers of all ages. Being a part of the organizational committee, I got a first hand look at everything that needs to happen to prepare for this fantastic event. I was thrilled when the leader, Ruth Rasool, invited me to collaborate on social media marketing for the event. I am looking forward to being a part of the team for the 2026 festival.

Supporting literacy is my targeted focus. On average, approximately 70% of fourth graders are not reading at grade level. As a former teacher, I know how vitally important reading is for students at fourth grade (and beyond) for learning and understanding facts in all subject areas. My mission, in being an author and illustrator, is to create books that inspire kids and foster learning. I want teachers to find my books helpful in their classrooms and parents to use my books to foster literacy and learning at home.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The most difficult challenges in being an author, illustrator, and creative leader are surrounded by not having a direct path to success. There is no play-book or class to take that offers information on how to be a successful author. The rejection from agents and publishers is unrelenting. I have had to develop a rhino hide to protect my fragile creative spirit. With support from my author friends, I can share my “battle” stories of querying a manuscript that I just love that has been rejected, and know that they, too, have similar stories. Misery loves company.

All of that being said, the glorious feeling of having one of my favorite stories, THE MEANIES, being accepted by Histria Books, (which has recently partnered with Simon and Schuster for distribution) is so rewarding. I am sure that there are more ups and downs on my path ahead, but I know that if my aim for creating great content for kids stays true, anything that I create that is published will be successful in one way or another.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
One of the most interesting things that I have learned about myself as an author/illustrator/animator, is that am using a lifetime of knowledge to be successful. As a young teacher in my 20’s I aspired to be an author, I wrote some manuscripts, that I now realize were not polished. The illustrations were amateur and designed with no knowledge of how a book is actually created. Now, thanks to the internet, I was able to learn how to craft a book in a way that my audience enjoys.

Learning digital art to accompany my skills as a fine artist was my first hurdle. Learning many programs and honing in on which ones work best for me was my first step in being a children’s book illustrator. Next, I needed to learn about book production, formatting, and printing. There are a lot of details that need to be accurate to produce a book that is market worthy. Finally, after the book is printed and in-hand, it needs to be seen by the world– that’s where marketing comes in.

While I feel completely comfortable boasting about my skills as an author/illustrator/animator, I will admit marketing feels a bit like throwing darts while wearing a blindfold. I have spent countless hours reading and consulting experts on the best ways to get my books in the hands of children through sales in bookstores and on the internet. This is why I felt the need to learn animation, in addition to my other skills, to create book trailers for not only my books, but for other authors as well. By creating video ads (book trailers) a book comes to life and reaches more people, especially on social media; therefore, I have learned that animation can help me and others tackle the ever-changing marketing challenge.

With a combination of skills, grit, and luck, I have been able to build a successful creative business as an author/illustrator/animator over the past five years. I am looking forward to the next five years and meeting new goals.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
In two words, success means “creating smiles.” I want to support children, parents, and teachers with my work. Creating connections and pathways to understanding is the most rewarding part of my work. When I visit schools to read my books, I thrive on the smiles and questions from the students and teachers. Helping others is my way of living a better life. If the messages in my books about the importance of play and social-emotional intelligence reach children across the world and create a better place for kids to thrive, I have done my job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.veronica-stanley-hooper.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vsh_author_artist
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vshAuthorArtist
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vshauthorartist/
• Twitter: https://x.com/VSH_Auth_Artist
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Handsonlearning-VSH
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@vsh_author_artist