Allyn Johnston, a native Californian, founded Beach Lane Books with Andrea Welch on April Fool's Day, 2008. Among the authors and illustrators with whom she works and has worked with are Mem Fox, Marla Frazee, Cynthia Rylant, Arthur Howard, Mark Teague, Lauren Stringer, Mary Lyn Ray, Jeanette Winter, Jonah Winter, Linda Davick, Debra Frasier, Jan Thomas, K. L. Going, Adam Rex, Laurie Keller, Amy Schwartz, and Lois Ehlert. She is especially interested in young picture books with the perfect balance of rhythm, repetition, and page-turns to make for a fantastic read-aloud experience. And humor is always welcome!
Andrea Welch has been publishing books for young readers for more than twenty years, first at Harcourt Children’s Books and now here at Beach Lane Books, which she co-founded with Allyn Johnston in 2008. Andrea has the pleasure of working with Liz Garton Scanlon, Meg Fleming, Maria Gianferrari, Alexander Vidal, Amy Hevron, Diana Sudyka, Robin Page, Keith Baker, Melissa Stewart, Jennifer Ward, and Douglas Florian—just to name a few! She publishes across all picture book genres, but she is most drawn to books that reveal the marvels of the natural world, books that take on social-emotional topics with a light and fresh touch, and books that illuminate culture and lesser-known people who accomplished big things. Andrea loves hiking, camping, and combing the local beaches in San Diego, where she and her family live.
Catherine has been publishing children’s books at Simon & Schuster for over twelve years. She started at the Books for Young Readers imprint in 2013 and then joined Paula Wiseman Books from 2021-2024. She is now thrilled to work at Beach Lane Books. As senior editor, she has the pleasure of working with talented creators, including New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Apryl Stott, Indie bestselling author-illustrator Maggie Edkins Willis, Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness, Ariel Bernstein, Annie Silvestro, Don Tate, Jennifer Gennari, Wes King, Charlotte Offsay, Lauren Emmons, Jessica Stremer, bestselling illustrator Ramona Kaulitzki, and many others. Catherine primarily acquires picture books and middle grade, focusing on finding stories featuring underrepresented voices. She is especially passionate about stories featuring neurodivergent and disabled characters. Catherine has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a published children’s book author. When not editing or writing, she enjoys baking, crocheting, and playing with her cat, Biscotti.
Danielle Collins joined Beach Lane Books in the fall of 2020. Danielle works on fiction and nonfiction picture books, and has the pleasure of working with creators including Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, Keenan Jones, Kabir and Surishtha Sehgal, Hope Lim, Shahrzad Maydani, Rekha S. Rajan, and Ken Daley, among other talented authors and illustrators. She is passionate about stories that inspire curiosity, empathy, and joy in young readers. She’s looking for books that tackle big feelings with a light & lyrical touch, and is especially interested in those that explore themes of identity, self-discovery, and self-expression, as well as nonfiction about lesser-known people, periods, and fascinating STEM topics. Above all, Danielle loves books with captivating writing, memorable characters, and a whole lot of heart. Danielle grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, went to college in Los Angeles, and now lives in Brooklyn, where she can often be found at bookstores and bakeries.
Sarah Yamashita joined Beach Lane Books in November 2024. She graduated with a BA in English and Classical Studies from Smith College in May 2022. That fall, Sarah accepted a role as an editorial assistant on the research books team at Oxford University Press; a year later, she was promoted to project editor on the research encyclopedias team. Sarah’s passion for children’s books stems from working as a reading, writing, and comprehension tutor in high school and college. She is drawn to funny, heartfelt books with a handcrafted feel that tap into young readers’ sense of discovery. Sarah was raised in New Jersey, loves cooking and reality TV, and is the proud owner of two rescue cats, Flapjack and Chai.
