Elena Hernandez
ILLUSTRATOR
Hi, I'm Elena, the illustrator behind 'NIC-Zoo'! I'm based in Richmond, Virginia and attended Elon University, where I studied Communication Design with minors in Digital Art and Photography. This is where I first connected with Paige’s sister, Lindsay, who also helped bring this book to life. Since I was a child, I have been captivated by art in all its forms. I am always drawing or crafting, and my hands are frequently holding a pencil, stylus, or a book. My work has included illustration and design for digital, print, and other mediums, but my heart lies in the wild, colorful world of children's book illustrations. I drew the inspiration for my artistic name @pintsizedartist from being so tiny at birth.
It’s story time! Here is my NICU story…
I spent three months in New England Medical Center’s NICU in Boston. Being born 26 weeks premature and weighing just one and a half pounds, I was so small that my mother’s wedding ring could slide up my tiny arm.
In the beginning, my lungs were so frail that the ventilator helping me breathe blew six holes through them, but eventually, they held out and I made it through. My NICU nurse, Paula, called me a fighter. Until I was a year old I had to wear doll clothes because even the smallest sizes of infant clothing were too large. My grandma would even crochet little yarn outfits for me. The day my weight reached two pounds was celebrated as a party. Despite challenges like these at birth, I didn't let them hold me back. As I grew up, I overcame these obstacles and became a girl with big dreams fueled by her passion for making art.
