Author of over 400 Books for Children and Adults
Almost ten years after my father died, I wrote this rhymed picture book about a boy on the day of his grandfather’s funeral. Why rhyme? I have absolutely no idea, but it was one of those books that simply poured out. The initial writing took several days and then I was weeks worrying it over.
This is one of the poems from “The Three Bears Rhyme Book” made into a Big Book and illustrated by a young Russian illustrator. The cover is actually too big to scan properly.
I was challenged by an editor to write a repetitive nursery rhyme. So I began it “Mouse’s house is very small, very small, very small. Hardly any room at all for anyone but mouse.” And then the editor turned the book down. So I turned around and sold it to my wonderful editor at Putnam
This book about the rain forest in occasional rhyme began when one of the Save the Rain forest groups asked me to write a book for Laura Regan to illustrate. I adored her bold, color-drenched work. But I said they needed to find a publisher before I’d start. I knew there would be lots and lots of research ahead.
The second of four music books I did for Boyds Mills. Adam was wonderful to work with, shipping me off the simple arrangements which I then played on the piano. We figured if I could sight read them, ANYONE could! I picked the songs, wrote the historical notes. Adam did all the musical arrangements.
Short stories and poems, all written by me, having to do with dragons. This was the first of the five HERE THERE BE. . .books. Since I’d already written many dragon short stories, I only needed to write one new one–a Chinese dragon story. Included here is “Cockfight,” which started the Pit Dragon Trilogy
Pat Gauch at Philomel wanted me to write a follow-up book for John Schoenherr after our success with OWL MOON. I wrote this book in the first person hoping it had the same tone. Perspicacious readers will note that the book is not illustrated by Schoenherr (he was already at work on a goose book)
I am a cat person. My husband is a dog person. We’ve owned both and so these poems are from experience! And no–there is no mistake. Half the book is upside down so you can start from either end, depending upon whether you prefer cats or dogs. Janet Street’s uproarious pictures are right on beat!
More than fifty weather related poems from poets as various as Carl Sandberg, Robert Frost, Eve Merriam, Lilian Moore, Ralph Fletcher, Emily Dickinson and four new poems by me, too. My poems are “Weather Report” (which has been quoted by local weather men on tv), “An Awkward Arrangement”
This is a book of poems all about the moon. Ruth’s warm and loving illustrations are a real highlight of the book. (See “Old Dame Counterpane” for more about her work.) A few of the poems were reprints, but most are original to this book.