About
Hi, my name is Kaitlyn Wells (she/her) and I write about Pets, Style, and Carry for Wirecutter, a leading product review site owned by The New York Times. In 2020, I received top awards from the Cat Writers’ Association and the Dog Writers Association of America, as well as a Publisher’s Award from The Times for my ambitious efforts driving innovation and impact across the company.
A service journalist at my core, I have a decade of experience showing readers how to be more informed and safer consumers. No matter if it’s teaching them the right way to gift a pet, warning them of the dangers of infant bath seats, or exposing how romantic partners can spy on them, I’ll share with them how to stretch their dollar further while making educated decisions for their families.
I’ve written for ABCnews.com, Consumer Reports, MarketWatch.com, MSNMoney.com, Nautilus, The New York Times, Techlicious.com, TIME.com, TheSimpleDollar.com, TheUptowner.org, Urban Home, the Wall Street Journal Sunday, and Washington Post’s On Parenting, among others. My commentary on diverse literature has appeared in Book Page, Diverse Kids Books, and The New York Times Sunday Book Review. I also contributed to Forty Acres of Fun, an anthology about the history of student life at The University of Texas at Austin.
I have an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and a B.J. (B.A.) from The University of Texas at Austin. I live in New York City with my wonderful husband and two rambunctious pets. In my down time, I volunteer with the ASPCA and DiverseSources.org, a database of industry experts.
My debut picture book, A FAMILY LOOKS LIKE LOVE, arrives May 31, 2022 with Penguin Random House/Flamingo Books.
Featured Work
A Family Looks Like Love
A heartening picture book about a young pup who looks different from her siblings and ultimately learns that love, rather than how you look, is what makes a family.
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Sutton Button has always looked different from her family. While her siblings had short, stout legs, Sutton’s legs were long like noodles. And while her siblings had scruffy, yellow fur, Sutton was a tricolor puppy with soft fur.
But when others don’t believe that Sutton and her siblings are actually related, Sutton starts to wonder if she really belongs in her family at all–until she realizes that her and her family are the same in all the most important ways and that love, rather than what you look like, is what makes a family.
With heartwarming text and adorable illustrations, A Family Looks Like Love is a story about the enduring power of love and teaches readers that family comes in all shapes and sizes.
Other Works
Awards and Recognition
- Poynter Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media – Class of 2020-21
- First Place, General Excellence – Dog Writers Association of America, 2020 & 2021
- First Place, Written Article – Cat Writers’ Association, 2020
- Publisher’s Award – New York Times, 2018, 2019 & 2020
- First Place, Lone Star Awards – Houston Press Club, 2010
