Deanna Nikaido author page

Deanna Nikaido biography

Deanna Nikaido is a poet and children’s author. Her poetry collections are Voice Like Water and Vibrating With Silence. She was a founding member of the Book-in-a-Day literacy project and served as a Maryland State coordinator for Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation programme.

Nikaido coauthored Photo Ark with Kwame Alexander. A later related children’s title, National Geographic Kids Photo Ark (Limited Earth Day Edition), was written by Kwame Alexander, Mary Rand Hess and Deanna Nikaido, with photographs by Joel Sartore; it was published by National Geographic Kids on 24 March 2020 for children aged 3–5.

Nikaido coauthored How to Write a Poem with Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. The picture book uses poetry and artwork to encourage young readers to observe, imagine and put their own words on the page. HarperCollins published How to Write a Poem on 4 April 2023.