Stephen Shaskan author page

Stephen Shaskan biography

Stephen Shaskan is an American children’s author and illustrator. He holds a BFA in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked for 20 years as an early childhood educator and as an art teacher on after-school and summer programmes. He has written and illustrated more than 20 children’s books.

His picture books include A Dog Is a Dog, The Three Triceratops Tuff, Max Speed, Toad on the Road and Big Choo. He has also collaborated on children’s books with author Trisha Speed Shaskan.

Shaskan is the creator, writer and illustrator of the Pizza and Taco graphic chapter-book series. The series begins with Pizza and Taco: Who’s the Best?, in which the two food-shaped friends turn a disagreement over which of them is best into a competition decided by their friends. Random House Graphic published the original US edition in 2020, and it was later included on the Texas Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List and received a Sakura Medal.

Further books in the series include Best Party Ever!, Super-Awesome Comic!, Too Cool for School, Rock Out!, Dare to Be Scared!, Wrestling Mania!, Best Christmas Ever!, Coolest Club Ever! and Go Viral!. Shaskan has also created the activity book Pizza and Taco: Draw Your Own Comic!, which introduces children to elements of comics and storytelling through drawing activities.

In the UK, Puffin publishes the Pizza and Taco series, with Pizza and Taco: Rock Out! published in paperback on 6 August 2026.