Author of over 400 Books for Children and Adults
This novel began as a short story also called “The Dragon’s Boy” (see Merlin’s Booke) but eventually grew to novel length. I had to first read a lot about the Arthurian cycle of stories. But I also had to learn about England around the fifth century. I spent time down in the English fen country, going on walks
This was written as a companion to THREE BEARS RHYME BOOK, using the same characters, but instead of rhyme, this book is told in prose. Baby Bear, determined not to go to bed, cons his babysitter Goldie into telling him story after story. Each story she tells is connected visually to one of his toys. In the end
This alphabet book stars elves doing a variety of activities. Illustrator Lauren Mills was one of my students at Centrum and I always loved her perfect miniaturist style. When she moved from California east and married Dennis Nolan, another wonderful illustrator, I wrote this book just for her.
I have always loved the Scottish border ballad Tam Lin, first mentioned in a ballad book of 1549. It’s one of the only ones (maybe THE only one) in which the woman does the rescuing. Young Janet McKenzie (in my version) wants to have her patrimony–the old mansion of Carterhaugh–but it now belongs to the fairies.
Originally published as Writing Books for Children, and revised and updated twice, this book is now–alas–out of print. But I still think that some of the essays–notably on writing with joy, folk tales, fantasy, and children’s poetry stand the test of time.
When they were little, my boys both loved dinosaurs so much, I embroidered dinosaur pillows for them. (I am NOT good at needlework.) When they were teenagers, I wrote this book. Go figure! The poems range from a dinosaur rock-and-roll band to a dinosaur waltz to a dinosaur square dance.
Original horror stories by a variety of authors, including William Sleator and Melissa Mia Hall. This saw the first publication of my much reprinted “The Baby-Sitter. ” I chose all the stories and edited them. Marty did the business end of things.
This original fairy tale, about a young woman who becomes a dragon has many aspects of an old fairy tale–a wicked stepmother, an enchantment, a handsome prince who breaks the spell. But as it was written in the end of the 20th century, the young woman is as much rescuer as rescued. Both hero and dragon
The stories and poems in this collection include eleven years worth of material. Stories vary from the Celtic retelling/restructuring of the title story (which I first learned about when we visited Dunvegan castle on the Isle of Skye) to the original art tale “The Face in the Cloth” written for my daughter
Songs and lap games, many of which I played with my own children when they were babies and toddlers, with musical arrangements by my son Adam who is a professional musician. Now I play “Trot, trot to Boston” and “This is the way the farmer rides” and others with my grandbabies. The Tomes art is delicious.