Salina Yoon
Salina Yoon (born 1972) is an American author, illustrator, and designer of over 160 children's books including board books, novelty formats, and character-driven picture books. She is best known for her Penguin and Duck, Duck, Porcupine! Series and received a 2018 Geisel Honor Book award for My Kite is Stuck!
Salina Yoon
- Name
- Salina Yoon
- Birth Name
- Yoon
- Born
- 1972
- Birthplace
- Busan, South Korea
- Occupation
- Author
- Education
- California State University, Northridge ArtCenter College of Design
- Spouse
- Chris Polentz
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- book illustration · book design · children's book · children's literature
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Salina Yoon (born 1972) is an American author, illustrator, and designer of over 160 children's books including board books, novelty formats, and character-driven picture books. She is best known for her Penguin and Duck, Duck, Porcupine! Series and received a 2018 Geisel Honor Book award for My Kite is Stuck!
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Salina Yoon. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q32860464 · wikipedia · Salina Yoon
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Salina Yoon • Birth Name — Yoon • Born — 1972 • Birthplace — Busan, South Korea • Occupation — Author • Illustrator • Education — California State University, Northridge ArtCenter College of Design • Spouse — Chris Polentz • Children — 2 • Website — https: www.salinayoon.com
Early life and education
Early life and education
Yoon was born in Busan, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of four. She attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and studied graphic design at California State University, Northridge. She later earned a degree in illustration from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Career
Career
Yoon began her publishing career with novelty books and board books, where she combined her design background with early childhood literacy principles. She is credited with creating over 160 published titles, many of which feature tactile or interactive elements. She gained widespread recognition for her Penguin series, beginning with Penguin and Pinecone (2012), followed by other titles such as Penguin on Vacation and Penguin and Penelope. Her Duck, Duck, Porcupine! series earned the 2018 Geisel Honor. In 2019, she collaborated with organizing consultant Marie Kondo on the picture book Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship. Her books have sold more than 4.5 million copies worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages.
Personal life
Personal life
Yoon lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, graphic designer Chris Polentz, and their two sons. She has spoken at schools and libraries as part of her outreach work.
Series
Series
• Penguin series • Penguin and Pinecone (2012) • Penguin on Vacation (2013) • Penguin in Love (2014) • Penguin and Penelope (2022) • Duck, Duck, Porcupine! series • Duck, Duck, Porcupine! (2016) • My Kite is Stuck! And Other Stories (2017) • That's My Book! And Other Stories (2018)
Other works
Other works
• Found (2014) • Stormy Night (2015) • Be a Friend (2016) • Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship (2019, with Marie Kondo)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1972
Salina Yoon born at Busan.
Themes and creative process
Yoon’s stories often explore emotional themes such as connection, identity, and belonging. Her book Found was inspired by her own childhood experiences and reflects themes of loss and attachment. She describes her drafting process as puzzle-like and highly visual, using storyboards and multiple iterations to refine text and illustration.
Awards and honors
• 2018 Geisel Honor Book – My Kite is Stuck! And Other Stories • New York State Charlotte Award – Penguin and Pinecone • Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award – Duck, Duck, Porcupine! • Blue Ribbon Picture Book honor – Found
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Illustration
5,224 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- SakirooIllustrator
- Sakura AsagiIllustrator
- Sakura KinoshitaIllustrator
- Salah El MurIllustrator
- Sally GardnerIllustrator
- Sally RippinIllustrator
- Salo GrenningIllustrator
- Salomon de BrayIllustrator
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Salina Yoon?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.