Elise Primavera: Author & Illustrator

Author / illustrator Elise Primavera has been writing and illustrating books for children for over thirty-five years. Her work has garnered significant critical acclaim, including the Christopher Award, the Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature, and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award.

Her illustrations for RAISING DRAGONS by Jerdine Nolen (Harcourt, 1998) was named a Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book for Children and won the Show Me Readers Award, a distinction voted on by elementary students.

In 2004 Elise was honored with the commission to illustrate the Christmas Brochure for the White House.

A Magnet for Major Film Studios

Elise’s storytelling has long been recognized for its deep cinematic potential. Her work has consistently attracted top-tier Hollywood talent, beginning with the optioning of her book AUNTIE CLAUS by Nickelodeon and Academy Award-winning producer Wendy Finerman.

Her first middle-grade novel, THE SECRET ORDER OF THE GUMM STREET GIRLS was optioned by Sony Pictures Animation, while her national bestseller AUNTIE CLAUS—which has sold over 500,000 copies—was the theme for Auntie Claus Saks Windows Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship NYC store’s holiday windows in 1999 and the subject of numerous prestigious development deals. Most recently was in a high-profile development deal with Netflix as a live-action musical with the legendary Kenny Ortega ( Hocus Pokus, High School Musical) attached to direct.

The launch of Magik Pōkit Productions

Following the success of beloved titles such as LIBBY OF HIGH HOPES and MS. RAPSCOTT’S GIRLS—a California Young Reader Medal nominee, Indie’s Next Pick, and Amazon Best Book of the Month—Elise is now entering an expansive new chapter with the launch of her production company Magik Pōkit.

The name Magik Pōkit came into being as a child’s mispronunciation of the phrase “magic potion”. It represents the universal childlike impulse to find just the right combination of ingredients to create a magic potion—much like the way Elise combines words and pictures to create her stories. Once swallowed, these stories—like a rare potion—perform any number of wonders, opening the reader to worlds they only dreamed of.

Magik Pōket Productions now serves as the private engine for Elise’s latest properties and immersive concepts.

Currently on the Desk

Elise is working on three distinct projects that push the boundaries of traditional storytelling:

HEAVENLY  
A Divinely Inspired Gift Book
A timeless keepsake for the new baby and a magical global brand in the making. 
 
A JOURNEY TO PENTHOUSE 25C
An Upcoming Picture Book
 
Based on the immersive theatrical experience Elise has created from her holiday bestseller, AUNTIE CLAUS.
 
The story follows a family of four Christmas shopping in the bustling chaos of New York City during the holidays when they come upon a curious twinkly building. They are immediately welcomed by the doorman as if he’s been expecting them. Soon they are standing inside the hushed lobby of the beautiful old Bing Cherry Hotel—where the children suddenly find themselves transported on a magical journey to the North Pole and into the extraordinary mysteries of Penthouse 25C.
  
AUNTIE CLAUS: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
A Year-Round Themed Entertainment Destination
 
Designed to stand alongside classics like The Polar Express and The Grinch, The Key to Christmas—A Journey to Penthouse 25C is a theatrical masterpiece, a fully realized, story-driven attraction and the first truly new, blockbuster holiday destination in generations.