Shane Tolentino (they/them or she/her) is a Filipino-American illustrator and graphic designer. Born in the Emirates and raised in the American Midwest, they live and work in Chicago. She is currently an Illustrator and Graphic Designer at Lincoln Park Zoo and the Art Director for South Side Weekly newspaper.

Shane graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Environmental Studies from Columbia College Chicago. They are the author/illustrator of You Are Going, a book for young readers about NASA’s Artemis missions and the illustrator of the upcoming Tiny Voyager, Mighty Mission (Moon & Bird, 2027).

They love working on projects about science (especially space!), the natural world, and stories of human resilience. Their dream picture book projects include: birding, ocean waves, geology, and queer scientists.

Outside of work, Shane loves to spend their time knitting by Lake Michigan, playing Dungeons and Dragons with their friends (they play a paladin in one campaign and a wizard in another), and taking early morning walks through forest preserves, binoculars in hand.

For project inquiries, please reach out to Tina Doffing at Astound Illustration Agency. For all other inquiries or to just say hello, please send an email to contact@shanetolentino.com.

Selected Clients

American Libraries Magazine, Block Club Chicago, The Chicago Poetry Center, The Chicago Reader, Collins Big Cat (HarperCollins UK), The Happy Newspaper (UK), The Los Angeles Times, Moon & Bird (Watkins), NASA Johnson Space Center, National Public Radio, South Side Weekly

Press

“Behind the Design: Creating the Run for the Zoo Logo,” for Lincoln Park Zoo.

"Orion Interns Model Futuristic Careers in Communications," by Catherine Ragin Williams for JSC Roundup Reads.

"Illustration Major and Environmental Studies Minor Shane Tolentino Combines Passions to Follow Her Dreams," for Columbia College Chicago.