Margaret Anastas, Vice President & Publisher

Margaret Anastas photo

Overview

“The right book at the right time for the right child has the potential to create a reader for life.”

Helmed by Vice President and Publisher Margaret Anastas, the editor behind modern classics such as Fancy Nancy and Pete the Cat, Flamingo focuses on publishing commercial picture books from familiar names and debut creators. With a small but mighty team that includes editor Cheryl Eissing, assistant editor Claire Tattersfield, and assistant art director Sophie Erb, Flamingo is committed to building a list of books that are un-skippable. Among their impressive list is Busy Betty by Reese Witherspoon, I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared by Seth Meyers, Hope is a Rainbow by Hoda Kotb, Kelly Corrigan’s Hello World, Lucy Ruth Cummins and Pete Oswald’s Sleepy Sheepy, Chrissy Metz and Bradley Collins’s When I Talk to God, I Talk About You, Alissa Holder and Zulekha Holder-Young’s I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything, and Counting to Bananas by Carrie Tillotson and illustrated by Estrela Lourenço.

Meet the Team

Margaret Anastas, Vice President & Publisher

Margaret Anastas is the Vice President & Publisher of Flamingo Books. Before she joined Penguin Young Readers, Margaret worked at HarperCollins Children’s Books for 17 years where she acquired Fancy Nancy, Pete the Cat, The Bad Seed series, and Hoda Kotb’s bestselling picture books I’ve Loved You Since Forever and You Are My Happy.

At Flamingo, her new acquisitions include a new picture book series by Fancy Nancy creator Jane O’Connor called Good Job, George (illustrated by Andrew Joyner), and a picture book by bookfluencer Zibby Owens called Princess Charming (illustrated by Holly Hatam), as well as Reese Witherspoon and Xindi Yan’s Busy Betty. When Margaret isn’t editing books, she can be found on the beach at the Jersey Shore or on her Peloton searching for that perfect ride.

Cheryl Eissing, Editor

Cheryl Eissing, editor at Flamingo Books, joined Penguin Random House in 2017 as assistant editor at Philomel Books before attaining her current role in 2023. She holds a BA in English from Rutgers University. Cheryl mainly edits picture books, with some middle grade and young adult, and is specifically interested in stories that cause giggles, give comfort, and expose their readers to experiences and perspectives they haven’t seen before.

Cheryl is the editor of the New York Times bestsellers Cupig: the Valentine’s Day Pig (written by Claire Tattersfield; illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr.), The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo (written by Elaine Bickell; illustrated by Raymond McGrath), When I Talk to God, I Talk About You (written by Chrissy Metz & Bradley Collins; illustrated by Lisa Fields), the USA Today bestselling Pages & Co. series by Anna James. Cheryl is also the editor of Counting to Bananas and B is for Bananas (written by Carrie Tillotson; illustrated by Estrela Lourenço), A Family Looks Like Love (written by Kaitlyn Wells; illustrated by Sawyer Cloud) How to Get Your Octopus to School (written by Becky Scharnhorst; illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett), A Book for Bear (written by Ellen Ramsey; illustrated by MacKenzie Haley), Hopefully the Scarecrow (written by Michelle Houts; illustrated by Sara Palacios), I Am Not the Easter Bunny (by T. L. McBeth), Who You Will Be (written by Taylor Rouanzion; illustrated by Stacey Chomiak), and When You Love a Book (written by Kaz Windness; illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee) . She is also the editor of the YA novel Not Dead Enough (by Tyffany D. Neiheiser). Cheryl is always looking for commercial and silly yet profound picture books and stories that entertain, educate, and inspire young readers. When she is not editing books, Cheryl can be found befriending dogs on the streets of Jersey City, watching horror movies, or searching for the perfect lychee martini. Follow her on Twitter @cheryl_eissing.

Claire Tattersfield, Assistant Editor

Claire Tattersfield is an assistant editor at Viking Children’s Books and Flamingo Books. She began her career at Penguin Young Readers in 2019 after graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in political science and global studies and a minor in Spanish. She supports Flamingo and Viking with picture books and a dash of young adult and middle grade. When she is not running around helping the Vikings and Flamingoes with their wonderful titles she can be found enjoying satire, calling her friends to come pick her up because she accidentally walked ten miles too far, eating homemade baked goods (made by other people), or watering her plants (of which she has too many).

Her upcoming books include Proper Badger Would Never!, How to Talk Like a Chicken, Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please! And many other silly titles to come.

Follow her on social media @clairetatters.