Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for December 19, 2023

 When this Massachusetts writer read an article about the "pallid primers" featuring "abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean children" that kids learning to read found boring, he came up with an early reader in 1957 that featured wild misbehavior--subversive for that time. The book became the first of  17 books in the Random House series Beginner Books, which featured limited vocabulary but unlimited creativity, fun language and zany illustrations. This was Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss and that first book in the series was Cat in the Hat.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for December 12, 2023

 This author/illustrator was a successful artist in Italy and earned a degree in economics before moving to the US in 1939 and working as art director for magazines and as head of the graphic design dept. at Parsons School of Design. On a train trip with his grandchildren, he tore up a magazine and created a story, which led to his later career as a children's author. He is one of the very few who had four books listed as Caldecott Honor Books for their illustrations. His collage story Swimmy, about little fish who join together to form one big fish to avoid being eaten, is one of his most famous. This is Leo Lionni.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for December 5, 2023

 This author grew up struggling to read, and he credits his storytelling grandmother and his 5th grade teacher who read aloud to the class twice a day with his ability to appreciate the sounds of language. He became an editor and created reading programs at a publisher and then began writing books of his own, meant to be read aloud, that featured repetition and rhythm and encouraged the child audience to participate. His most famous books were illustrated by Eric Carle (Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?) and Lois Ehlert (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom). This was Bill Martin Jr., 1916-2004.

91 Submissions in 2023, My 25th year of subbing, and some successes!

 I joined SCBWI in 1998 so this marks my 25th year subbing stories. I had no sales for the past ten years, but this year was luckier. I submitted 91 times. A local paper printed seven of my poems, I had a poem in the British on-line magazine Dirigible Balloon, I sold a poem to Highlights, and I signed a contract for a rhyming picture book with Familius Publishing! Which goes to show--keep submitting. Don't quit!

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for November 28, 2023

 For this author/illustrator, born in Michigan in 1949, drawing was just a way to relax after sculpting. But his curious illustrations in pencil made him famous, starting with his first book in 1985, which became a holiday classic. Another book was inspired by the thought, "What if kids were bored and found a board game..." and another sees the world from the perspective of ants. His most widely read book is The Polar Express and the creator is Chris Van Allsburg.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for November 21, 2023

 This Grand Junction, Colorado author is a retired teacher and mother of five. She's written early readers and edcational books, but her best-selling picture books feature a loveable turkey. Turkey Trouble came out in 2012, followed by 6 more, including Turkey Trick-or-Treat, Turkey's Eggcellent Easter, and her most recent, Turkey's Sandtastic Beach Day which came out in May of 2023. Happy Thanksgiving to Wendi Silvano!

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for November 7, 2023

 When this author/illustrator moved from Honolulu to NYC hoping to become a children's book illustrator, he met: a) his future wife and b) an art director who told him his portfolio of sketches was so bad he should throw it away. He did, but then created a new collection of drawings that got him a contract with Dial Press for his first book in 1967--A Boy, A Dog and A Frog. It was wordless, as were his next several books. He went on to create over 300 books, including There's a Nightmare in My Closet and the Little Critter series. This is Mercer Mayer.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for October 24, 2023

 This writer/composer used his talent to create songs for the characters on Sesame Street. He wrote "I Love Trash" for Oscar, and "Rubber Duckie" and "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" for Ernie. He worked up until the day he died of cancer in 1998. This was Jeff Moss. His story is one of many in the book Street Gang by Michael Davis, about the earliest days of Sesame Street.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for October 17, 2023

  This Irish-born author of over 250 books passed away Octover 1, 2023. Her  book The Valentine Bears (1985), about a bear couple who wake from hibernation to celebrate Valentines Day, is illustrated by Jan Brett. Her story Fly Away Home (1991) is about a homeless father and son living in an airport, and her The Wall (1992) is about searching for a grandfather's name on the Vietnam memorial. The Cart That Carried Martin (2013, illustrated by Black artist Don Tate, tells about two mules and a borrowed cart that carried Martin Luther King's casket. This is Eve Bunting.

Fall Frenzy 2023 entry--Fall Into Fun

 Thanks again this year to Kaitlyn Sanchez for hosting the Fall Writing Frenzy contest, and thanks also to all the sponsors who offered prizes! This is my entry, based on the photo below.

Fall Into Fun by Deborah Holt Williams (54 words)

 

Is a leaf surprised by a sudden tumble,

Or does it decide to descend,

To take flight, swirling and spiraling,

Down,

                   Down,

                                           Down.

Does it cling to the branch until children appear,

Then leap to join them in their joyful game?

Does a leaf wait for just the right moment

To come and play?

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for October 3, 2023

 This Chinese author/illustrator used a variety of art techniques in his fables from his own and other cultures. He used a cut paper technique in The Emperor and the Kite, pictures divided into panels in the Chinese version of Red Riding Hood (which won the 1990 Caldecott medal), and inky black backgrounds of the tale from India, Seven Blind Mice. This is Ed Young, who died this week on September 29th at the age of 91.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for September 19, 2023

This New York City author's most famous book came out in 1951. His narrator spoke in the voice of an anguished teenager, disgusted with adult hypocracy. The book was hailed (and banned in some places for bad language) as the voice of a generation. The author found the fame and attention "demoralising" and moved to New Hampshire, where he dabbled in religions and died at the age of 91. This was J.D. Salinger and his most famous book is The Catcher in the Rye.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for September 5, 2023

  This rural New Mexico writer, youngest of 10 children, is best known for his 1972 groundbreaking Hispanic novel about a boy and an old woman, a curandera, who comes to live with his family. But he also wrote children's books based on traditional tales of New Mexico. He had a home in Jemez Springs, NM and I was honored to meet him when I worked in the library there. He was a lovely man, and very generous to the library. This is Rudolfo Anaya, and his classic book is Bless Me, Ultima, and his books for children include The Farolitos of Christmas, Maya's Children: the Story of La Llorona and The Curse of the Chupacabra.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for August 29, 2023

 At age 9, this fightened Ohio boy ventured into his attic and found a typewriter and began his writing journey. One of his early successes was Bananas, a humor magazine for teens, published by Scholastic. Later he drew on his childhood fears and wrote books that were what he called "safe scares," which were gently frightening and enormously popular. This is RL Stine, and his series include Goosebumps, Fear Street and Garbage Pail Kids.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for August 22, 2023

 

This New Jersey author/illustrator was encouraged by a teacher to pursue his art. He became a graphic designer and married author Ann Jonas. His books often feature transportation (Freight Train, Truck, School Bus) but childhood visits to his grandparents' home in rural Florida inspired Bigmamas and Shortcut. This is Donald Crews.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for August 15, 2023

   Sometimes compared to P.T. Barnum, this American writer/showman/filmmaker/family man wrote his most famous book in 1900, which has been called "America's first fairytale." Who is this author and...what was Dorothy's last name? L. Frank Baum loved word play, and Dorothy's last name was appropriately Gale.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for August 8, 2023

    This Long Island author was also an illustrator but she asked an artist who had lived and worked in China to illustrate her 1933 story of a duck who lived in the Yangtze River. She wrote and illustrated a series of books about a Scottie dog name Angus, and she is known for her ability to give her animals personality without losing sight of their natural instincts. She married Swedish artist Karl Larsson and they had one daughter, Hilma.This is Marjorie Flack and her most famous book is The Story of Ping.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for August 1, 2023

 Nan, Bert, Flossie and Freddie were the characters in this series which debuted in 1904 and grew to 72 books. Although all the books were credited to "Laura Lee Hope" they were actually written by several different authors through the years, beginning with Edward Stratemeyer. In the 60's the family's maid and gardener's ethnic dialects were removed and the characters were made a little older. This series is The Bobbsey Twins.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for July 25, 2023

 This author began her most famous book for children in 1909, while she was creating a garden in her new Long Island home. The novel didn't make a great impact at first, but she lived long enough to see it bloom into a treasured story. "The happiest thing in the world is to feel that, after all, one's work was worthy of the doing," she said. She died in 1924. This is Frances Hodgson Burnett and her most famous book is The Secret Garden.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for July 18, 2023

 This author, born in Brooklyn in 1940, was a gifted singer as a child and talented potter and photographer as an adult, but he found his greatest success with his poems for children. He sent poems with illustrations to an editor at Macmillan, who ditched the drawings but loved the verse. He has more than 30 books to his credit, "poems for children who thought they hated poetry." His characters include the Gloopy Gloppers and Baloney Belly Bill. This is Jack Prelutsky.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for July 11, 2023

 This Canadian author, born in 1874, began submitting her writing to magazines at age 11, and in 1908 she published her first novel, set on Prince Edward Island. Her main character voiced criticism of the way girls, orphans and redheads were treated, and she greatly valued imagination. The author is Lucy Maud Montgomery and the first in a series of seven Anne books is Anne of Green Gables.

Kidlit Trivia for June 27, 2023

 This 81-year old writer and grandfather of 8 is best known for his song lyrics but in 2019 he published a picture book about a  grandfather taking his grandkids on wild adventures with a magic compass. The title of the book is the name that the writer's grandchildren call him in real life. The book is "Hey, Grandude!" and the author is Paul McCartney.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for June 13, 2023

 This Brooklyn-born writer began as an editor, and one of the more successful books she pushed to publication was Caps For Sale. Her own book, written in 1947, was banned from the New York Public Library until 1970, because the powerful librarian there hated it and felt children should be reading classic fairy tales. The author wrote about bunnies but enjoyed hunting rabbits and had affairs with men and women. This is Margaret Wise Brown and her best known book is Goodnight, Moon.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for June 6, 2023

 An 11-year-old girl (who dresses like a boy) practices for a career in espionage by observing people on her "spy route" and writing her about them in her notebook. The New York Times said the 1964 novel introduced a "new realism" into children's literature, and it's been banned from some school libraries because the main character "sets a bad example." The lesbian author came from a wealthy, disfunctional Southern family and died at 46 of a brain aneurism. This is Louise Fitzhugh and her most famous book is "Harriet the Spy."

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 30, 2023

 Born in a small Yorkshire village in 1940, this author-illustrator grew up watching his dad paint every day after returning from the coal mines. He fulfilled his father's dream by attending art school in London. The editor of Oxford University Press loved his paintings and encouraged him to illustrate children's books. His bright colors were expensive to reproduce so it was decided he should illustrate classics with wide appeal. His first was an alphabet book, followed by The Hare and the Tortoise, The Miller, the Boy and the Donkey and other fables.This is Brian Wildsmith.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 23, 2023

      This English author/illustrator was born in 1812, the last of 21 children. Life was tough for the family, but he amused his siblings and himself with nonsense rhymes and limericks.  He wrote The Owl and the Pussycat, The Scroobious Pip and The Nonsense Alphabet and never sought to moralise to Victorian  children, only to entertain them. Although he never wrote a novel, he was mentioned as a novelist in a song by the Beatles, who admired his wordplay. This is Edward Lear.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 16, 2023

   When he was a child this Canadian author's family took in a pair of owls. As a teen in Saskatoon, he wrote a coulmn about birds for the local newspaper. He studied zooloogy and never finished his degree but continued to be fascinated by nature and became a passionate environmentalist. He wrote a book about his dog Mutt (who had nightmares and needed goggles to ride in the family car) and about the owls his family adopted, but his most famous book, published in 1963, is about wolves and faulty government policy towards them. This is Farley Mowat, and his book is Never Cry Wolf.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 9, 2023

 This singer/songwriter turned her lyrics into a picture book published in 2016. But her biggest contribution to literacy is her donation of more than two million books each month to children around the world. She started her Imagination Library in 1995 to honor her father who couldn't read or write. The writer is Dolly Parton and her book is Coat of Many Colors.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for April 17, 2023

 This American author/illustrator, born in 1944 in Lansing, Michigan draws on her Irish and Russian Jewish roots for inspiration. As a child she loved to draw but struggled to learn to read. Her book Thank You Mr.Falker honors the teacher who recognized her dyslexia and took time to help her. Other books include The Keeping Quilt, Fiona's Lace, Babushka's Doll and Thundercake. This is Patricia Polacco.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for April 11, 2023

This third grade teacher wanted to pep up his students' reading time so he started adding music. A chance encounter at a stoplight with an artist known for his cat paintings led to a 2008 self-published book about a cat who stains his white shoes. The book led to a publishing contract and three more books. The duo performed at schools, the artist creating a cat painting to leave behind while the author read the story and played guitar. At an Austin school the microphone failed, and the audience of kids recited the book from memory. The illustrator and his wife now write the books in the growing series, but the original author has gone on to write The Nuts and The Poop Song. He has no children and no cats. The author is Eric Litwin, and the artist is James Dean.The cat is Pete, based on the artist's adopted pet.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for April 4, 2023

 This Swiss author began writing at age 43 and donated her profits to help war refugees. Her first novel was translated into English in 1884. Her character's innate goodness and love of life in the Alps continue to charm readers today. The author is Johanna Spyri and her book is Heidi.

2023 Spring Fling entry THE FIRE GROWS

 

The Fire Grows  145 words

WILDFIRE! Mom said take one thing, and we’ll drive to get Granny. One? I pick the treasure box Gramps carved when he was sick. The trees are dry as cornhusks, the smoke tastes like burnt beans, and the fire grows. Granny cries, leaving her cabin and her garden. It’s hard to sleep at the shelter. Inside, people sob. Outside, helicopters come and go, dropping water on the flames.  I hold my treasure box all through the night. News comes in the morning: our home is OK, but Granny’s cabin and garden are gone. All that’s left is her old clawfoot bathtub. Granny comes to live with us, and I tell Dad my idea. The truck rumbles down the hill, carrying Granny’s tub. My treasure box holds seeds from her garden. We fill the tub with soil, and start over. And now, the garden grows.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for March 28, 2023

 This author/illustrator's first book, inspired by her daughter's love of cupcakes and obsession with a certain color, came out in 2016. It grew into a series of colorful titles. The is Victoria Kann (who began writing with her sister Elizabeth) and her first book was Pinkalicious.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for March 21, 2023

 This New York author wrote training manuals for the Army during WWII and came home to work for magazine publisher Conde Nast. There he met his wife, an illustrator, and their friends the Reys (of Curious George fame) encouraged them to try a picture book. Their book, Harry the Dirty Dog, came out in 1956 and is still beloved today. Others followed, but, sadly, when the couple divorced in 1968, the writer never wrote another book. The author was Gene Zion and his wife was artist Margaret Bloy Graham.

Tuesday KidLit Trivia for March 14, 2023

 This Jewish author/illustrator, born in Brooklyn in 1916 to Polish immigrants, knew what discrimination felt like, and he thought stories for children should represent kids who didn't often see themselves in books. His Caldecott-winning collage style books were among the first to feature an African-American main chatacter, Peter, who found simple joys in his urban neighborhood. This is Ezra Jack Keats, and his most famous book is The Snowy Day, published in 1962.

Vivian Kirkfield's 50 Precious Words challenge

 It's a tough challenge--write a story with a beginning, middle and end, in just 50 words. Here's my entry this year: 

Starting Over (50 words) by Deborah Holt Williams

Wildfire! “Take one thing,” said Mom. “We’ll go get Granny.” Layla grabbed the box Gramps carved. Shelter news: Layla’s house--OK, Granny’s cabin--gone, except her old tub. Granny cried and moved into Layla’s. In the box? Seeds from Granny’s old gardens. The tub? A planter, for a new garden.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 28, 2023

 This author/illustrator has won Caldecott medals for his illustrations and Newbery honors for his writing. Born in the Bronx in 1907, he helped support his family during the Depression by selling cartoons to the New Yorker and other magazines. He was in his 60's when he started writing children's books featuring animal characters, such as a mouse dentist. One book was banned in places because the police were pictured as pigs. This is William Steig, author of Dr. De Soto and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 21, 2023

 This environmentally conscious singer/songwriter, born in Egypt, turned his lyrics into children's books. Not great literature, perhaps, but kids who knew the songs could follow along eagerly and enjoy the printed words. His titles include One Light, One Sun and Down By The Bay. This is Raffi Cavoukian, whose family moved to Canada when he was 10.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 14, 2023

 This Irish-born author of over 250 books feels a bit like a Shanachie, a traditional Irish storyteller. Her  book The Valentine Bears (1985), about a bear couple who wake from hibernation to celebrate Valentines Day, is illustrated by Jan Brett. Her story Fly Away Home (1991) is about a homeless father and son living in an airport, and her The Wall (1992) is about searching for a grandfather's name on the Vietnam memorial. The Cart That Carried Martin (2013, illustrated by Black artist Don Tate, tells about two mules and a borrowed cart that carried Martin Luther King's casket. This is Eve Bunting.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for February 7, 2023

Growing up as an "Army Brat," this Black author/illustrator was always the new kid at school and made friends by drawing pictures for her classmates. Her own books, Jimmy Lee Dit It in 1985 and C.L.O.U.D.S. in 1986, deal with imagination and fantasy, but she also illustrated books with more difficult themes, such as Chilly Stomach in 1986, about child molestation, and Willie's Not the Hugging Kind in 1989. Her own books, Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon (1991) and Harvey Moon, Museum Boy (2008) feature a young Black character. She was born in 1950 and is still writing and illustrating today. This is Pat Cummings. 

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for January 31, 2023

 As a little girl this New York author thought she'd grow up to be a cop like her dad, but her first grade teacher told her she was a writer. Her first book came out in 2000 and featured cows who find an old typewriter in the barn and begin to type up demands for the farmer. The barn is cold, and they won't give milk until they get electric blankets! This is Doreen Cronin, and her first book (followed by many others) is Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for january 24, 2023

  Carolyn Keene was my favorite author when I was a young teen, but I later learned she never existed. The first three books in the popular series were written in 1930 by Edward Stratemeyer, the next few by his daughter, and the rest by anonymous authors, all using the psuedonym Carolyn Keene. Ms. magazine called the main character in this series "a role model for young feminists." This mystery-solving teenager was Nancy Drew.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for January 17, 2023

 When this author graduated from college, she wrote lyrics for her father's Broadway musicals. Later she was a contributing editor to the book and album Free to Be You and Me. In 1972, while home with her five children, she wrote her first and most famous book about Annabel Andrews, who turns 13 and finds she's turned into her mother. This is Mary Rodgers, daughter of Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame, and her first book was Freaky Friday.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for January 10, 2023

   This English author and artist left school at 14 and worked as an errand boy for an illustration studio and later as an illustrator for advertisers. When he noticed in 1976 that his toddler son loved an ad with flaps, he wrote his first book about a missing puppy where young readers had to lift the flaps to look for the dog. He appeared on Mr. Rodger's program to show how a book is made. This is Eric Hill and his first book was Where's Spot?

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for January 3, 2023

 When she first came to the US from Denmark at 4 years old, this author hated learning the English language.  She earned degrees in education and psychology and taught first grade for many years, and went on to write some of the first books for young readers in the 1950's for her students and her young daughter. Maurice Sendak illustrated her stories about a bear cub and his mother. The author is Else Homelund Minarik and her first book in 1957 was Little Bear.