This article give a brief biography of Mercer Mayer, best known for the Little Critter books, which have a long history as bestsellers in the children's book publishing field. A selected bibliography, as well as a list of related resources, is also provided.

This article presents a brief biography of author Arnold Lobel, perhaps best known for giving the world Frog and Toad. Arnold Lobel was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 22, 1933, and was raised by his grandparents in New York. He loved checking out books from the library when he was a little boy and sharing with his classmates the stories…

This column presents a brief biography of author Jan Brett. According to Jan Brett's official webpage, there have been more than twenty-eight million of her books printed. Her titles can always be found on the best-selling children's book author/illustrator lists. Brett is one of the most beloved and recognized children's book illustrators and is…

Four years after the 9/11 attack on the United States, the country continues to be in considerable turmoil. Children have lived through the devastation of the September 11th attacks, the panic over the anthrax mailings, the hunt for terrorists in Afghanistan, elevated homeland security threat levels, the war in Iraq, the tsunami disaster, and…

An author of over twenty books for teenagers describes her problems in writing biographies. (PF)

Daily life with Trina Schart Hyman is described by her daughter. (EL)

Wife of the 1981 Caldecott Medal winner comments on life with her author-illustrator husband. (AEA)

This column presents a brief biography of illustrator Stephen Gammell, well-known for both his black-and-white and his brightly colored children's picture book art. Stephen Gammell has made a long career illustrating children's stories and poems. The first book he illustrated, "A Nutty Business" (written by Ida Chittum), was published in 1973 and…

This column presents a brief biography of Dick King-Smith. Born on March 27, 1922 and raised in Gloucestershire, England, he grew up with animals of all kinds. King-Smith was a farmer for twenty years and then became a school teacher. He was also a soldier during wartime, a traveling salesman, shoe factory worker, and television presenter. He…

This article presents a brief biography of author Beverly Cleary. Born on April 12, 1916 in McMinnville, Oregon (Yamhill County), Beverly Cleary celebrated her eighty-ninth birthday in 2005. Cleary is probably best known for creating "Ramona" and the other children's book characters who live on Klickitat Street in Portland, Oregon. A selective…

This article offers a brief biography of Nikki Grimes, who is fast becoming one of the most prolific and versatile African American poets for children of this time. She takes risks in her work and brings readers humor, pathos and sensitive views of life as she has lived and seen it. Born in Harlem, NY, on October 20, 1957, Nikki was sent to live…

In teaching about Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing a human dimension to the study of the region is essential. Texts on the region can be dull and lifeless or even biased and skewed. Introducing students to the region by exploring prose, poetry, and picture books helps to illustrate the rich diversity found throughout Latin America and the…

Discusses the biographies of Jean Fritz, demonstrating that in the hands of an artist, biography benefits from the use of the conjectural tools of fiction, such as created dialogue or interior monologue. (ARH)

Describes the life, philosophy, and work of Patricia Crampton, translator of childrens' literature. (ARH)