After a 12-year tenure at Random House Children’s Books, most recently as VP and executive director of Random House Studio, Maria Modugno retired on June 4. Since beginning her publishing career in 1979, she has held positions at four leading children’s book companies in three cities and launched numerous popular picture book characters and series.

Having grown up outside of New York City, Modugno remained close to home for her first job, at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, but four years after arriving at the house, she crossed the country to San Diego, where she established the West Coast office of Harcourt Children’s Books. At that imprint, she edited The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Don Wood and worked with other celebrated authors and illustrators, including Tomie dePaola and Nancy Willard.

The editor’s next stop was Boston where, as VP and editorial director at Little, Brown, she acquired and edited Holly Hobbie’s Toot and Puddle and worked with such literary luminaries as Barbara Cooney, Jane Dyer, and David McPhail.

After 12 years, Modugno returned to Manhattan to serve as VP, editorial director at HarperCollins, acquiring and editing a robust roster of successful titles, including Victoria Kann’s Pinkalicious, Rob Scotton’s Splat the Cat, and the Marley series by John Grogan.

In 2012, Modugno moved to RHCB and, Lee Wade, VP and publisher of Random House Studio, said in a statement, “Maria became a driving force behind the success of our picture book program.” The editor’s skill at recognizing picture book characters that resonate with young readers led to the acquisition of such bestsellers as Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager, which spawned three additional picture books and numerous other Uni books across multiple formats that have accumulated sales of more than one million copies worldwide.

Modugno also worked with creators Suzanne and Max Lang to develop the Grumpy Monkey series, which includes seven picture books, five board books, four Step into Reading titles, and two graphic novels. Recent notable additions to the editor’s stable are Lane Smith’s Stickler Loves the World and Buffalo Fluffalo, written by Bess Kalb and illustrated by Erin Kraan.

Walking a Steady Editorial Line

Over the years, Modugno has demonstrated a talent for calibrating her acquisitions, publishing books that land on award lists as well as bestseller lists. “Maria somehow balances hugely commercial titles with books that sell well and receive critical acclaim,” Wade added, citing as examples Penguin Problems and its sequels by Jory John, illustrated by Smith; the Underwear Dragon books by Scott Rothman, illustrated by Pete Oswald; and The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, with illustrations by Pascal Campion.

Modugno’s knack for striking that balance is well attuned, but she acknowledges that it can be tricky to achieve. “My goal was always to acquire and edit high-quality books that appealed to kids and sold well commercially—and those things can be difficult to find in the same book,” she noted.

Yet distinct priorities have prevailed throughout Modugno’s career. “Wherever I have worked, I’ve had the chance to publish characters that make kids laugh—which has always been a priority for me as an editor,” she explained. “And whenever I found a character that I wanted to publish, I never saw beyond that first book—I never envisioned the character becoming a big franchise. My goal has always been to make the first book as good as it could be.”

Modugno’s editorial instincts may well be rooted in her own childhood, which is still very much alive for her. “I have total recall of my childhood—I really loved being a kid,” she said. “My house was filled with books, and I practically lived in the library. I read all the time and spent a lot of time in my own world—and I love going back there. The grownup in me wants to find quality books for kids to help them shape their tastes—but I can also read a book as a kid and imagine how a young reader would react to it.”

Connecting with Colleagues

Beyond her list of publishing accomplishments, Modugno has profoundly influenced those she has worked with, a fact underscored by Mallory Loehr, EVP and publisher of Random House Books for Young Readers Group. “From the moment Maria arrived, she made an impact,” Loehr said in a statement. “Her passion and knowledge about picture books go far beyond editorial, and she connected with people in every department. I truly believe that she has mentored us all, both overtly and surreptitiously, and I am extraordinarily grateful for the years she has been a part of our team.”

From her perspective, supporting her colleagues has never been a specific item on Modugno’s agenda. “I think that has happened naturally—that is how I learned when I started in the business,” she said. “It was through internships and talking to people rather than through any formal mentoring programs. When I talk to those new to publishing, I mostly want to let them know it’s important to trust your authors and artists—and to trust your instincts.”

A Look Back, A Look Ahead

As she closed the most recent chapter of her career, Modungo reflected on its span, concluding, “I can say that my experience with Random House Studio has really been the best. I got a lot of support and had great colleagues. It’s a small imprint in a big corporation, and we are nimble—and I think that helped us to move fast. The three main editors—Lee Wade, Annie Kelley, and myself—were looking for different kinds of books, but we were all in the same mindset, and had mutual respect for each other. We were all allowed to play to our strengths.”

In retirement, Modugno looks forward to a very different kind of play. She currently lives in Evanston, Ill. (which she called “The Brooklyn of Chicago”), where she moved from New York City during the pandemic to be closer to family.

“Now I’ll have more freedom and time to spend time with them,” she said. “I decided to retire while I still loved my job—and, as Buffalo Fluffalo says, ‘I’ve had enuffalo.’ ” At the top of Modugno’s retirement to-do list? “I live three blocks from Lake Michigan, and I plan to spend the summer at the shore, reading grownup books. I also want to travel—I have a long list of places I’d like to go. Oh, and I might finally make good on my plan to go to the gym.”