ILLUSTORIA SUBSCRIPTION

Looking to get caught up? Find our last three issues for one low price here.

Listed as a best gift for nine-year-olds by Wirecutter.

Illustoria is an art and storytelling print magazine for all ages, suitable for readers as young as six years. Packed with stories, comics, DIY projects, and interviews orbiting a central theme—this magazine aims to incite curiosity and ignite creative response.

Here’s what readers will receive first:

Illustoria #26: Blue
Welcome to the blue Issue! Explore the many hues and moods of this fascinating color, with cover art by Isabelle Arsenault—made with a cyanotype print process using sunlight to create turquoise tints.

Learn how to make blue ink from copper pennies and a slurp-tastic blue Slime Drink with Dog Chef (Illustoria’s in-house celebrity cook). Try a blue-themed fill-in-the-blank writing game, and capture wild ideas in your own story-planning diagram. Learn about dangerous blue creatures like the popevine swallowtail butterfly and the blue dragon sea slug. Read myths about how the sky became blue, written by young authors around the globe. Check out interviews with our cover artist and an ink-maker from Toronto.

Find all this plus ponder how blue feels with our guest poet; revel in all the shades of blue: azure, indigo, cobalt, and ultramarine; find blue-hued music, book, and art supply recommendations from Illustoria’s staff and contributing artists; and that’s just the tip of the (blue) iceberg!

Illustoria is the official publication of the International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers, publishing writing and art by young people alongside accomplished professionals.

For Issues 1-8, and to keep up on the latest news and blog updates, visit Illustoria.com.

Praise for Illustoria magazine

Best Gifts for Nine-Year-Olds—Wirecutter

“The best kids art & storytelling magazine out there.”
—Wendy MacNaughton, Draw Together

“[A] beautifully produced print magazine that invites young readers to revisit arresting pages again and again… Illustoria is a visual feast, with a focus on storytelling through art and literature. In addition to crafts and art projects, Illustoria presents stories through comics, and profiles illustrators, artists, and makers… [with] messages of compassion and inclusivity… bursting with creative ideas and inspiration.”
—“Our Favorite Gifts for 6- to 10-year-olds,” Wirecutter, The New York Times

“Each stunning issue is something you’ll proudly want to display on your bookshelf.”
— “20+ of the Coolest Magazines For Kids, From Toddlers to Tweens,” Mother

“This is the kind of magazine you keep on your bookshelves with your favorite books.”
—Cece Bell, author of El Deafo

“It’s a rewarding offering that I hope sticks around for many years down the line.”
—Julie Danielson, Kirkus Reviews, blogger of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

“[A] visually exciting magazine with a DIY attitude… offer[s] plentiful opportunities for engagement, while the quality artwork and inventive layouts are sure to inspire imaginative responses.”
—School Library Journal

“Cover to cover, its content and aesthetics are smart, modern and engaging. Illustoria is a magazine I would’ve loved to have growing up.”
—Michelle Sterling, Avery & Augustine

Get the next three issues of Illustoria AND the next four issues of McSweeney’s Quarterly for one unbeatable price with the Illustoria-McSweeney’s Combo Subscription.

IMPORTANT LOGISTICAL INFORMATION: Subscriptions placed by June 1, 2025, will begin with Issue #26: Blue. All subscriptions to Illustoria magazine automatically renew after three issues. In the event of any future rate changes, we will notify you via email. If you’d like to cancel your subscription at any time prior to its auto-renewal, you can log in to your account and adjust your subscription settings. Or send an email to custservice@mcsweeneys.net with the subject line “End Illustoria Autorenew.” Refunds will be accepted only up until the first issue of your renewal is shipped. Any subscription purchased with the “gift” option marked at checkout will not be enrolled in autorenew.

Canadian shipping costs for a three-issue subscription: $24
International shipping costs for a three-issue subscription: $36

Giving this subscription as a gift? Click here to download an official printable PDF gift notice.