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6th Annual Princeton Children's Book Festival Saturday, September 10, 2011 11:00 a.m.-4:00p.m. Albert E. Hinds Memorial Plaza at the Princeton Public Library
Princeton Childen's Book Festival Poster with Ivy and Bean is illustrated by Sophie Blackall. |
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Selina Alko was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. Although Selina has lived in New York since 1991, she still believes that she brings a Canadian perspective to her writing and illustrating. Selina’s optimism permeates her work; it’s filled with her positive viewpoint and tendency to see the glass as half full. It is important to Selina that her books help children to be more open-minded. She feels strongly that people are fundamentally the same at heart, despite labels of religion, race and class. When she was pregnant for the second time, Selina wrote and illustrated I’m Your Peanut Butter Big Brother about a child who wonders what his sibling-on-the-way will look like. Will it be a girl with a “cappuccino-frosted ‘fro bouncing along,” or a boy who is “ginger cookie brown or midnight licorice purple”? The fictional family bears a strong resemblance to Alko’s own: husband Sean Qualls is African American; their children Isaiah and Ginger, are biracial. Alko will again explore the idea of blended families in a book about a multi-religion household which is currently titled Hannukah Mama and Daddy Christmas. Selina captures the experiences and emotions of so many people through using bright colors, jazzy juxtapositions, abstract shapes and unusual designs. Selina lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and two children. |
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Jennifer Allison’s Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator mystery series introduces a 13-year-old girl whose grief over the death of her father drives her to become a ghost-hunter and sleuth. The series has been praised for the “earnest personality” and “dry wit” of its protagonist, along with the “surprisingly spooky” scenes that leave some young readers sleeping with the lights on. The Gilda Joyce series has been featured in School Library Journal’s “Best Books of the Year” and Booklist Magazine’s “Top Ten Mysteries” list, along with numerous starred reviews and an Edgar Award nomination from Mystery Writers of America. Jennifer Allison is a former news reporter, editor, and high school English teacher. She lives in Kensington, MD with her husband and their three children. Her short story “The Perfects” appears in the International Thriller Writers Association fiction anthology FEAR (September, 2010).
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Cyn Balog is the author of young adult paranormal novels Fairy Tale (Delacorte), a 2010 RWA RITA finalist for best romantic fiction, and Sleepless, which Kirkus called “a lovely read." Her latest novel, Starstruck, released this year. Two more novels, Touched, and Dead River will be released soon. She lives in Bucks County with her husband and daughters.
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Sudipta bardham Quallen never thought she'd grow up to be a writer. She'd thought of being a doctor (but she's afraid of blood), a model (but she likes to eat), the president (but she had a dissolute youth)...so much for childhood dreams. Now, Sudipta is the award-winning author of over thirty books for children, including HAMPIRE!, The Mine-o-saur, Quackenstein Hatches a Family, and Chicks Run Wild . She visits schools around the country to share her stories and teaches writing to children and adults. She lives in New Jersey with her three children and an imaginary pony named Penny. |
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Lindsay Barrett George is recognized widely for her striking illustrations of birds, animals, and fish in their habitats. She is the author-illustrator of Around the World: Who's Been Here?, Around the Pond: Who's Been Here?, In the Snow: Who's Been Here?, In the Woods: Who's Been Here?,and Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse. Lindsay Barrett George lives in northeastern Pennsylvania with her two children, a quail, three dogs, two cats, a tortoise, and a rabbit. |
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Beth Bauman Beth Ann Bauman is the author of the adult short story collection Beautiful Girls, and the young-adult novels Rosie and Skate, which was selected for the New York Times Editors' Choice list and Booklist's 2009 Top Ten First Novels for Youth, and Jersey Angel, forthcoming in summer 2012. Ms. Bauman has received fellowships from the Jerome Foundation and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She lives in New York City.
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John grew up on a farm with two older brothers and a lot of animals in Three Bridges, NJ. After graduating Columbia University, he got a job in New York selling buffalo wings, and then worked as an architect's assistant, a small-town newspaper reporter, and a computer programmer before settling down to write and illustrate children's books. It really, really helped that his grandfather, Ludwig Bemelmans, had created the Madeline books and left a story unfinished for him to work on. At author's events he often get called Mr. Bemelmans, and people occasionally speak to him in French, which is problematic. Before starting in publishing, his standing as an Italian-American had pretty much gone unchallenged. To tip the scales back the other way a little, he wrote the story of my other grandfather in an op-ed for the New York Times last winter, which had the wonderful effect of putting him in touch with his long-lost Calabrian cousins. He currently lives in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn with his family. |
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Artie Bennett is the executive copyeditor for a children’s book publisher and he writes a little on the side (but not the backside!). He wrote The Dinosaur Joke Book: A Compendium of Pre-Hysteric Puns and co-authored 101 Ways to Say Vomit when he was a much younger man. The Butt Book is his first mature work. Artie was the youngest (at about age thirteen) person to originate and sell a crossword puzzle to the New York Times. He went on to sell several dailies and two large Sunday puzzles to the Times before he began college. His “number two” picture book, fittingly called Poopendous!, will be published in March 2012. He and his wife, Leah, live deep in the bowels of Brooklyn. He is pleased to share the visionary promise of The Butt Book with a wider audience. |
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David Biedrzycki has been drawing ever since he was a little larva. During his pupa stage, he did scenery and art for middle school and high school musicals. As a young adult he bugged his parents to send him to college. The Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective series marks David’s debut as both an author an illustrator. He has illustrated many books including Dory Story, Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? and his current self authored book Me and My Dragon. David flies to over 70 schools a year sharing his work with aspiring lady and gentlebug writers, illustrators and readers. He makes his nest in Massachusetts with his mate Kathleen and three little larva who have all molted and ……. you get the idea. |
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Becky Birtha’s picture books feature African American families at significant times in American history. Lucky Beans, in which young Marshall Loman, uses math and ingenuity to help his family through the hard times of the Great Depression, is a classroom favorite, and was listed in best of CCBC Choices 2011; NYPL Children’s Books 2010: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing; and Smithsonian’s 2010 Notable Books for Children. Grandmama’s Pride, in which learning to read plays a big part in a child’s experience of the Civil Rights era, received a Golden Kite Honor for picture book text, and was among the IRA Teacher’s Choices for 2006. Becky draws on family memories for her stories, lives in Lansdowne, PA, just west of Philadelphia, where she grew up, and welcomes invitations to visit schools and other places where kids gather, near and far. |
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Sophie Blackall grew up in Australia where she learned to draw on the beach with sticks, which has not altogether helped her sense of perspective. She completed a Bachelor of Design in Sydney in 1992 with honors. The following few years were spent painting robotic characters for theme parks, providing the hands for a DIY television show and writing a household hints column. In 2000, Blackall was seduced by New York. She has lived and worked in Brooklyn for the past ten years. Her editorial illustrations have appeared in many publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Architectural Digest, Town and Country, Vogue and Gourmet, and she has animated nine tv commercials for the UK. Sophie is the illustrator of the Ivy and Bean series, Spinster Goose, The Crows of Pearblossom and recently wrote and illustrated Are You Awake? Sophie lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY. Sophie is the illustrator of this year's Princeton Children's Book Festival Poster. |
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Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud was born in England and moved to the United States when she was six. She has lived in Florida, Pennsylvania and now finds home in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington DC. She graduated from State College Area High School in State College, Pennsylvania (home of the Nittany Lion), and completed a journalism degree from The University of Maryland in an appropriate amount of time (regardless of what others may say). During her ‘year out’ from university, she interned at Lloyd’s of London and pulled a pint or two at a charming pub in the City of London. Louise is the author of such picture book titles as Polly Hopper’s Pouch (Dutton, 2001), How Do You Sleep? (Marshall Cavendish, 2005), Bubble & Squeak (Marshall Cavendish, 2006) and Never Ask A Bear (HarperCollins, 2009). She is currently at work on her first chapter book and hopes to have great news about its acquisition by the festival! Louise currently resides in Sandy Spring, MD, with her family (that, much to the dismay of her children, remains petless). |
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Laurie Calkhoven started thinking about the siege of Boston while she was researching a biography of George Washington. She wondered what like was life for the people trapped in Boston with the Redcoats while the Patriot army gathered outside. It wasn’t long before a character named Daniel starred whispering in her ear, telling her about his secret work for General Washington. In Daniel at the Seige of Boston, 1776, twelve-year-old Daniel Prescott lets the British officers who have taken over the Prescott's Blue Whale tavern believe he is loyal to King George. Secretly he's on the side of the Patriots. Calkhoven is at work on more Boys of Wartime stories as well as novels for American Girl’s new series, Innerstar University. The first, Fork in the Trail, was just published. |
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Alyssa Capucilli is the award winning author of over fifty books including Biscuit, the popular best-seller used to launch the My First I Can Read Series from HarperCollins. With over fifty titles in the series as well as over fifteen million books in print, Biscuit has been deemed a modern classic and has been translated into numerous languages worldwide. Ms. Capucilli began her professional career as a dancer. Although her storytelling initially became realized in the roles she embodied as a dancer, she feels most fortunate that she was able to segue into the world of creating characters and literature for young readers. The irrepressible Katy Duck, bridges the love of writing and dance. Ms. Capucilli is the recipient of numerous awards including the Washington Irving Award, the Garden State Award, the Bank Street College Best Book Award and the Oppenheim Portfolio Gold Award, and the American Library Association Award. She is a frequent lecturer at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and currently teaches at Sarah Lawrence College. She resides in New York state with her family and pets. |
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Sheela Chari was born in Bangalore, India, and has lived in Iowa, Washington State, California, Massachusetts, and New York. She loves music, mysteries, and Boston - Vanished (Disney Hyperion) is the result of fitting all of those into one book - along with a four-foot stringed instrument from India! She has an MFA in creative writing from New York University and lives in New York with her husband and two daughters. Vanished is her first novel.
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Illustrator and freelance artist Richard Gregory Christie was born in Plainfield, NJ and grew up in Scotch Plains, NJ.
he enrolled in New York's School for Visual Arts (SVA). His first illustration was published by the Star Ledger in the summer of 1990. In 1993, Christie graduated from SVA with his B.F.A. degree. |
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Margery Cuyler has been involved with children’s books as an author, editor, or publisher for more than forty years. She was Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Holiday House for twenty-one years before assuming executive positions at Henry Holt and Company, Golden Books Family Entertainment, Winslow Press, and, for the past eight years, Marshall Cavendish, where she is Publisher of Children’s Books. She has written 45 books, including the That’s Good! That’s Bad! books, the Jessica Worries books, The Biggest, Best Snowman, Hooray for Reading Day, Skeleton Hiccups, The Little Dump Truck, Bullies Never Win, Princess Bess Gets Dressed, The Battlefield Ghost, Weird Wolf, and, most recently, I Repeat, Don’t Cheat! and Guinea Pigs Add Up. She worked closely with Sean Covey on The 7 Habits of Happy Kids. Her books have received innumerable awards, including the Japanese Best Picture Book of the Year award for Skeleton Hiccups. The mother of two grown sons, she lives in Princeton, N.J. with her husband, Jan. |
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Debbie Dadey, former teacher and librarian, is the author and co-author of 151 books for students, including The Adventures of the Bailey Schools Kids and The Keyholder series. With titles like Zombies Don't Play Soccer and The Worst Name in Third Grade, Debbie loves writing books that appeal to even the most reluctant reader. Visit her at www.debbiedadey.com where she has the unique feature that allows kids to write directly to her on Kid's Talk. She answers on Debbie Talks. |
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Barbara Dee writes for tweens. Her newest novel, Trauma Queen, has been called “a laugh-out-loud look at family and friendship” by Discovery Girls magazine, and was named a “Must Read” by Girls Life. Barbara is also the author of This Is Me From Now On, Solving Zoe (a 2010 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, 2010 New York State Library Association Three Apples Book Award Finalist, Girls Life “Top 100 Must Reads”) and Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life (Publishers Weekly starred review). A former English teacher, she lives with her family and two naughty cats in Westchester County, New York. |
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Laura Dower worked in marketing and editorial in kid’s publishing for many years before taking a big leap to the full-time life of an author. Since 2000, she has penned 90+ books–from picture books to young adult fiction and nonfiction. Laura has authored The Monster Squad series, For Girls Only, and The Boy Next Door to name a few. Along the way, she had two sons and a daughter. Laura and her groovy family of five live in Yonkers, NY. |
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Doris Ettlinger has illustrated over 30 books for children, including The Orange Shoes by Trinka Hakes Noble, nominated for ten state reading awards; and G is for Garden State by Eileen Cameron. Her latest title is A Book for Black-eyed Susan. Her detailed watercolor illustrations of life on the Oregon Trail supplement the poignant story written by Judy Young. A graduate of RISD and UW – Madison, Doris lives, works and teaches in a 150-year-old gristmill on the banks of the Musconetcong River in Warren County, NJ. |
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Brian was born and raised in Temple, Texas. He attended college at Brown University, where he double majored in art and history, cartooned for the school newspaper, and took classes down College Hill at the Rhode Island School of Design. Recent books include his own Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, and The Race Car Alphabet, Ballet For Martha which he illustrated and his latest book;Marty McGuire with Kate Messener. His books have received three Robert F. Sibert Honor awards, been selected for the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books list, received a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, been chosen as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and received other honors. Brian lives in Brooklyn, NY. |
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Alison Formento’s award winning picture book This Tree Counts! and new board book This Tree, 1, 2, 3 are proof that trees matter. Booklist: Teachers and parents will welcome this “going green” tale. Upcoming books include These Bees Count! (2012) and Seas Count! (2013). Alison has written for several publications including The New York Times, The Writer and Parenting. She loves visiting schools and libraries and donates a portion of her book sales to AmericanForests.org.
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Margie always wanted to be a writer, and when she was seven she got her shot. Her second grade teacher held a writing contest. She wrote a ten page story about a girl who was kidnapped, taken to an island, and tied to a coconut tree. She found a way to use the coconuts as weapons and escaped, against all odds! I didn’t win. The girl who won wrote about a talking strawberry, and her story was only 3 pages long. Talk about being robbed! Margie recovered, continued to write, she edited her high school and college literary magazines, wrote an adult multi-generational novel about a Russian-Jewish family, scrapped the novel but realized the part about the teens really came alive. She started writing a YA book about a Russian-Jewish girl with an alcoholic mom that is now called Inconvenient. During all this, she got married and had an amazing son who she considers her good luck charm. Her second novel, Pieces of Us, will be published by Flux in March 2012. Like with the first book, there’s some Russian stuff and some Jersey stuff (Jersey makes for great settings) but it’s really dark, edgy, and the culture is more background/setting than center stage. |
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Ponder Goembel has been illustrating children’s picture books for over twenty years. She specializes in animal stories, anthropomorphic ones in particular. A graduate from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1977, she has been illustrating ever since. She has exhibited at the Society of Illustrators in New York City as well as several schools and the Philadelphia Sketch Club where she won Best of Book category. In 2002 she received a Golden Kite Honor in Illustration from the SCBWI for Sailor Moo, Cow at Sea. Her experience includes teaching at the Philadelphia College of Art, now called the University of the Arts. Presently, she has eight books in print including her adoption of the song Animal Fair and her last released Give Me Wings, Poems Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Ponder feels that illustrating each new book is an adventure. |
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David Gordon is the author and illustrator of JETT- pup, Smash Crash, Smitten, and The Three Little Rigs. He has also done concept work for Pixar's Toy Story I and II; A Bug's Life; Monsters, Inc.; and Cars, as well as the hit Nickelodeon cartoon show SpongeBob SquarePants. He helped design the characters in BlueSky's feature film Robots. Dave Gordon lives in New York City, where he continues to create stories for children. |
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Chris Grabenstein did improvisational comedy with Bruce Willis before James Patterson hired him to write advertising copy. His middle grades Haunted Mystery Series from Random House (The Crossroads , The Hanging Hill, The Smoky Corridor, and, new in 2011, The Black Heart Crypt) has won Anthony and Agatha Awards. Chris is also a New York Times best-selling author of award-winning mysteries and thrillers for adults.Chris has written for Jim Henson’s Muppets and co-wrote The Christmas Gift, starring John Denver, a made for TV movie that first aired on CBS and still shows up on cable every holiday season. His new middle grades caper series Riley Mack And The Other Known Troublemakers will be published by Harper Collins in 2012. He is also working on The Great Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Ridiculously Brillant Library for Random House. Chris lives in New York City with his wife, two cats, and a dog named Fred who starred on Broadway in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. |
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Dan Gutman was raised in a mud hut by a pack of wild monkeys in the rainforest of Rangoon. Okay, okay, he really grew up in New Jersey. Dan graduated from Rutgers University in 1977 with a degree in psychology (which means, in Latin, "a total waste of time").He never took a writing class in his life, and it shows. He doesn’t know how to create beautiful “word pictures.” He never learned the standard formula for a novel. There is no symbolism or deep moral lessons in his books. He still doesn’t know the difference between a simile and a metaphor. Dan’s books are known for four things: a quirky, exciting plot that grabs the reader and Wait, that’s only three things.Well, |
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Children’s book author and illustrator Lee Harper lives with his family in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Lee’s latest book is The Emperor’s Cool Clothes, which he both wrote and illustrated. Mr. Harper’s other books include Woolbur, by Leslie Helakoski; Turkey Trouble, by Wendi Silvano; Snow! Snow! Snow!, and Looking For The Easy Life, by Walter Dean Myers. |
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Ann Haywood Leal comes from a long line of musicians,artists, and teachers. Since she’s never been able to carry a tune, she was always given plenty of writing supplies and allowed to use the sharp scissors. Eventually, she put those writing supplies to good use and wrote her first novel, Also Known as Harper. Ann is an elementary teacher and lives in Connecticut with her husband, Andy; her daughter Holly; her cat, Pepper,and is a train and a subway away from her daughter Jessica. Her second novel, A Finders-Keepers Place, was released in October. |
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Brett is originally from a small town in Arizona that’s surrounded by red dirt where there’s not a whole lot to do. At a young age, he became a big fan of newspaper comic strips — “Alley Oop” was his favorite. He had to learn to use his imagination to keep himself occupied, and he dreamed that I would one day create my own comic strips. He was also interested in science. His family moved to Utah when he was 11 years old, and that’s where he discovered camping, fishing, and hiking. He began college as an engineering major, but before long he realized that wasn’t the right choice for him. In order to figure things out, he took some time off and headed to Taiwan. While there, he stumbled into a job as a textbook illustrator, and suddenly it was clear. I knew what I wanted to do. I returned to school a year later as an illustration major. As an artist, I am always observing, trying to find the beautiful and amazing things around me. His illustrations have appeared in novels including Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer, many picture books, magazines, and newspapers. I’ve also written books including Roger, the Jolly Pirate, which is about a lousy pirate who manages to save his ship from attack while baking a cake. Brett lives in New York City with his wife. |
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John Hendrix loves to draw. In fact, he is drawing right now. Born in St. Louis, John has been drawing since shortly after that moment. John attended The University of Kansas to study graphic design and illustration, graduating with a degree in Rock Chalk and Visual Communication in 1999. John’s work has appeared in such publications as Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Esquire, The New York Times, and Time Magazine among many others. He has also drawn book jackets for the likes of Random House, Harper Collins, Greenwillow Books, Knopf, Penguin, Abrams Books and St. Martin’s Press. His images also appeared in advertising for ESPN/ABC, The NBA and Travelocity. John’s drawings have won numerous awards, including the Society of Illustrator’s Silver Medal in 2006 and 2008, the 3x3 Gold Medal in sequential illustration and the SILA Silver Best of Show Award. His first picture book Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, was named and ALA Notable book of 2008 and won the Comstock Award for read aloud books. John’s book, John Brown: His Fight for Freedom is the first he has both written and illustrated won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal and was named one of the “Best Books of 2009” by Publisher’s Weekly. John's most recent book is The Story of Sarah Edmonds A Civil War Hero which he illustrated. In addition to his editorial drawings and picture books, John is teaching Illustration and Communication Design at Washington University in St. Louis. John lives in the neighborhood of University City, with his beautiful bride Andrea, son Jack and daughter Annie. |
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I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where my family owned a barbershop. During the summer I would walk to the shop and deliver my Dad’s hot lunch. Then I would take a break and listen to the conversations. Many customers told “big fish” stories laced with humor and exaggeration. I enjoyed drawing those stories at the kitchen table when I returned home. Later I went to art school, and after taking a class in picture book art, I decided to try illustrating children’s literature. After more than 50 books, I still feel lucky to do what I love. I live with my wife, Jane, and son, Ian, in Terrace Park, Ohio. Will is an award winning author and illustrator. His list of titles is extensive. His latest works include Sneeze, Big Bear, Sneeze, Mother Goose Picture Books and Spring Is Here. |
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Kate Hosford read constantly as a child, even reading through a school fire alarm at one point. She grew up in Waitsfield, Vermont with lots of animals, including a miniature cow named Mini Moo. Kate attended Amherst College, and also spent a semester studying Buddhism in India. Kate has worked as an adoption and foster care worker, a teacher and an illustrator, before turning to writing full time. She has taught in New York, San Francisco, and Hong Kong. She is presently getting her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband Chris, and her two sons, Charlie and Andreas. Kate enjoys singing and dancing with her boys. Her free time is spent trying to keep up with them! She has three picture books in the works with Carolrhoda Books. Her latest is Big Bouffant. A creative and clever look at a certain hairstyle! |
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Patricia Rusch Hyatt, a former newspaper reporter and editor, writes about undernoticed American heroes. She also plays violin, hugs trees and plants, and feeds her sketchbook travel diaries. In addition to The Quite Contrary Man (www.quitecontraryman.com), she is the author of Coast to Coast with Alice, about the first woman to drive a motorcar across the U.S. in 1909. Ms. Hyatt (menber of SCBWI and Dramatists Guild) was born in Texas, and now lives in Princeton, N.J, with her husband Jim. !Contrary boys and girls can change the world! |
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Patricia Intriago is an award-winning graphic designer with 15 years experience as a corporate art director and visual identity professional. In 2008, she opened Intriago Design LLC to specialize in Web site, publication, brand collateral and custom invitation design for businesses and individuals. She is the author and illustrator of, a concept book which pairs simple circular shapes with spare, rhythmic text to convey opposite relationships. Patricia lives in Tenafly, New Jersey with her husband and their two sons. |
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A graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Melissa now lives in Brooklyn with her husband, author, Denis Markell, and their son, Jamie. She has illustrated numerous award winning books for children, including Good Night Engines, Snuggle Mountain and Green As A Bean. Soup Day, published in 2010, is the first book she both wrote and illustrated and is included in the 2011 PA Baker’s Dozen list. It was inspired by her experiences cooking with Jamie. Please visit her cooking/food blog at www.thehungryartist.wordpress.com for recipes and craft ideas. |
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Marthe was born in Toronto, Ontario. |
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Jacqueline Jules is the award-winning author of 22 books for young readers including the 2010 CYBILS winner, Zapato Power:Freddie Ramos Takes Off, the first in a series of transitional chapter books about a boy with superhero dreams and super-powered purple sneakers. Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation, winner of the 2010 Library of Virginia Cardozo Award, is a Reader’s Theater of the Constitutional Convention. Jacqueline is also a teacher, librarian, and poet.
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As a print and television writer, Alan has majored in silliness for more than 30 years. During that time, he's written several Emmy-nominated TV shows (five years worth of parody songs and other funny things for The Rosie O’Donnell Show), animated series like Taz-Mania, Disney’s Raw Toonage and Goof Troop, several editions of the Grammy Awards and Tony Awards, Kids Are People Too, a slew of Nickelodeon projects including Whoopi’s Littleburg, network specials, game shows, articles for publications including the New York Times and the New York Daily News. He is the author of Mosquitoes are Ruining My Summer: Silly Dilly Camp Songs, Me! Me! Mine!, Take Me Out of the Bathtub and many more. Alan lives with his family in Conneticut.
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Here’s the thing about Katy Kelly: If you look at Lucy Rose’s life and then look at Katy’s, you’ll see that in some ways they’re very similar. She grew up on Capitol Hill and had a dog named Gumbo. Her parents are very much like Madam and Pop and she’s an original thinker, at least according to her dad. She is the author of the Lucy Rose and Melon Heads series. Katy and her family still reside not far from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
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Leslie Kimmelman is the author of many children’s books, whose subjects range from a joyous romp through Paris; Everybody Bonjours! to a lively picture book biography of President Teddy Roosevelt’s oldest daughter; Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt! to a matzah-making, Yiddish-spouting hen; The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah. Her most recent title, the timely The Three Bully Goats, turns a traditional tale on its head and turns the table on a trio of head-butting bullies. Awards for her various books include Best Children’s Books of the Year from the Bank Street College of Education; Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies; and Sydney Taylor Notable Books. Ms. Kimmelman is an editor at Sesame Workshop and spends her down-time (ha!) with her family outside New York City. |
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For more than twenty-five years Jeanette Larson worked in libraries and with the publishing industry. After writing several books and innumerable articles for librarians, Jeanette moved to the other side of the shelf with her first book for young people, Hummingbirds: Facts and Folklore from the Americas. Born at Ft. Dix, NJ, Jeanette and her military family moved around a lot, frequently returning to New Jersey. As a librarian, Jeanette has met many writers and illustrators and worked with the Texas Book Festival. She also helped former first lady Laura Bush by organizing authors for events like the White House Easter Egg Roll. She lives in Pflugerville, TX, a small community just north of Austin with her husband, Jim, two schipperke dogs, and two cats, including a "reformed feral." Her home is near a 100-acre park that is home to herons, ducks, and other wildlife while her garden includes an assortment of flowers, plants, and bushes that attract hummingbirds. |
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Galen Longstreth has been a kindergarten teacher and a children's bookseller. She grew up in Seattle, Washington and received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Yes, Let's is her first book. She currently works at the Princeton Public Library. |
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Fran Manushkin is the author of over sixty picture books, including the popular "Katie Woo" easy-to-read series about a Chinese-American girl. There are 16 Katie Woo stories published and 8 more are on the way. She's also is the author of The Tushy Book, Feiwel and Friends, How Mama Brought the Spring, The Shivers in the Fridge, and Baby, Come Out!, which has been translated into 8 languages.Ms. Manushkin has taught children's book writing in Russia, Albania, Hungary, and Albania, and, for six years, was the Chair of PEN American Center's Children's and Young Adult Writers Committee. She lives in New York City with her two unhelpful cats, Cookie and Goldy. |
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Keri Mikulski is the author of Head Games, Stealing Bases, Making Waves, and Fifteen Love. A three-sport athlete in high school, Keri worked as a magazine columnist, personal trainer, lifeguard, registered nurse, middle school teacher, and high school coach. Currently, she teaches college writing courses at Rowan University and Stockton College while working toward a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing. Keri splits her time between the New Jersey suburbs and the shore with her husband and daughter.
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Roxie is the acclaimed author/illustrator of more than 35 books for children (including EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures; Mazescapes; The Inside-Outside Books: New York City [New York Times Best Illustrated Award], Washington DC, Texas, London, Paris, and Libraries; Go!Go!Go!;and Inside-Outside Dinosaurs). Her books have been translated into French, Italian, Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese. She’s had fourteen The New Yorker magazine covers published. Recently created are two children’s apps: Roxie’s a-MAZE-ing Vacation Adventure, an animated interactive maze and search-and-find game, and Roxie’s Doors, a 3-D animated interactive app based upon the award-winning book, Doors. Roxie’s latest book is Hatch!
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Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich was the ‘new kid’ at school many times over, in more than one country, and currently lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY, where she loves walking and working on crafts in many forms. Her middle grade debut novel, 8TH GRADE SUPERZERO, received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and was named one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month. It was also chosen as an IRA Notable Book for a Global Society, 2011 |
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Fiona Robinson studied at North Western Polytechnic London (now London Metropolitan University), Oxford Brooks University, BA Fine Art and History of Art and the University of Portsmouth, MA Fine Art Painting. In 2007 she won the University of Bath Painting Prize, was a prizewinner in the 4th International Drawing Biennale in Australia. In 2009 she was a finalist in the Milton Keynes Painting Prize. She recently completed a two month Fellowship at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Co. Mayo, Rep. of Ireland and work from that Fellowship will be exhibited at The Pelavin Gallery in May 2011. She is Writer in Residence for Evolver Magazine and writes a monthly article about an artist of her choice in Writings on Art. Fiona has authored The Useful Moose, 3.2.3 Detective Agency and What Aninmals Really Like. She lives in Brooklyn, NY. |
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John grew up in a quiet little town called Barrington, Rhode Island. After high school he studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and School of Visual Arts in New York City. |
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Ryan Sias is the author of Are You Eating Something Red?. His story and illustration work has appeared in the Take Along Learning series of activity/coloring books, Nickelodeon magazine, the Flight series and Mad magazine. He publishes a comic, "Silent Kimbly" on the educational website Funbrain.com. Ryan has considerable experience in the world of television and film. He has directed videos for Barney and Chuck E. Cheese and his storyboarding credits include the movie "Bowling for Columbine," "Robots," "Pinky Dinky Doo" and "Maya & Miguel" for Scholastic Entertainment. He is currently working with Sesame Street. His latest book is titled Balloon Toons : Zoe and Robot; Let's Pretend. |
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As a child, Judythe Sieck was constantly on the move. Belgium, Hawaii, and Washington D.C. are only a few of the places she landed. Roaming the halls of the National Gallery of Art with her docent mom, Judythe realized that great art would be her true home. After attending 17 primary and secondary schools she graduated from Allegany College and pursued her art and theatre passions in Newport, R.I. and New York City. When a different kind of passion lured her to San Diego, she landed in the magical vortex known as Green Tiger Press. Under the knowing guidance of Alexandra Day (GOOD DOG CARL), she learned art of book design and perfected her hand lettering. As Creative Director for Harcourt Brace Judythe worked with numerous award winning illustrators. While her design and lettering for STELLALUNA by Janelle Canon is what she is best known for her work is readily recognized in the work of Marla Frazee, Margaret Chodo-Irvine, Jeanette Winter, and more recent bestsellers including THE SANDWICH SWAP, by on the and designed many classic in the whimsical world of a are powerful, appropriate, and distinctive. To each project she brings a unique talent for distilling words and images into inventive covers that get noticed in a crowded, competitive market. Her collaborative approach to book design has earned numerous awards including Book Builders West, Parent's Choice, AIGA, and the Caldecott Honor. Many of her projects rise to the top of the New York Times and other bestseller lists. The hallmark of Judythe’s artistic integrity comes from her love of the printed word, well-crafted stories, and exquisite illustration.
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Tricia Springstubb has been a teacher and a children’s librarian. What Happened on Fox Street, her previous novel, is the first book about Mo Wren and her family. Her second novel in the series is Mo Wren, Lost and Found. Tricia has been a teacher, a publisher and now an author. Tricia is the mother of three daughters and lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. |
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Bill Thomson has created artwork for advertising, book, and editorial clients across the United States. Bill’s recent work has focused primarily on children’s books, illustrating Karate Hour, Building With Dad, Baseball Hour, Chalk and Soccer Hour for Cavendish Children's Books. Bill was the winner of 2009 Connecticut Book Award for Children’s Illustrator and was also a finalist for the award in 2005 and 2007. Bill is an Associate Professor of Illustration at the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford where he received the Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2004. He also serves as thesis advisor in the Limited Residency MFA in Illustration program. Bill lives and works in Southington, Connecticut with his wife, Diann, and their three sons, Billy, Nik, and Ethan.
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Illustrator Eric Velasquez, the son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents, was born in Spanish Harlem and grew up in Harlem. His dual heritage coupled with the experience of living in dual cultures in New York City gives Eric a rich and unique cultural perspective. As a child, his love for doodling and drawing was strongly encouraged by his mother. From his grandmother he inherited a love of music and from his father he developed a love of film. Growing up in this setting, Eric says, “Becoming an artist was a natural choice for me. I have never thought of being anything else.” Eric attended the High School of Art and Design and earned his BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1983. In 1984 he completed a year of studies with Harvey Dinnerstein at the Art Student’s League. Eric is a member of the Art Student’s League. Upon completion of his studies with Mr. Dinnerstein, Eric began his career as a freelance illustrator. Over the next 12 years he completed a body of work of over 300 book jackets and interior illustrations. Such works include The Rain Stomper and I, Matthew Henson. His latest book Grandma's Gift is the 2011 Pura Belpre Award for Illustration by the American Library Association. |
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Audrey Vernick is the author of the picture books Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? (IRA/CBC Children’s Choice Book 2011); Teach Your Buffalo to Play Drums; and She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story (Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books 2011). Her debut novel, the upper middle-grade Water Balloon, will be out on September 6. She has presented her work at writers’ and educators’ conferences along the east coast, and enjoys visiting schools and working directly with young readers and writers. Audrey attended public school in Queens and the Bronx and now lives with her family near the ocean in New Jersey. |
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Kay Winters was a classroom teacher, and reading specialist and international consultant, before becoming a full time writer of 16 published books. She writes fiction, poetry, non fiction and early chapter books. Abe Lincoln the Boy Who Loved Books, My Teacher for President were selected as best books of the year by Banks St. College Voices of Ancient Egypt was an Editor’s Choice for Booklist, and an ALA and CBC Notable Social Studies title. Colonial Voices:Hear them Speak won the Carol Otis Hurst Book Prize has been included on the Teacher’s Choice List for 2009, & nominated for 7 state reading awards. Her newest book This School Year will be THE BEST was widely used in elementary schools across the country at the beginning of the year, in January… as a new year’s resolution… and the end of the year as a writing prompt for what would make next year the best. It even inspired a principal in Ohio to kiss a pig! Kay is a frequent speaker at elementary schools, colleges, libraries and regional and national conferences for teachers, writers and librarians. |
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Children the world over know Dan Yaccarino from his children's books, animated TV series Oswald (Noggin) and Willa's Wild Life (NBC and Qubo) and character designs for The Backyardigans (Nickelodeon), as well as his many illustrated toys, games, and other children's products. His bold, stylized illustrations add wit and energy to the work of such prestigious authors as Margaret Wise Brown, Jack Prelutsky, Kevin Henkes and Patricia MacLachlan in addition to his own stories. Dan's work has been recognized with a host of prestigious awards including the Parents Magazine Top Toy Award, Parent's Choice Award, and Child Magazine Award. All the Way To America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel is both written and illustrated by Dan. Dan lives with his wife and their two children in New York City and creates his quirky characters in his studio high above the Hudson River, surrounded by vintage toys.
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Kat grew up reading, doodling and scribbling in Westtown, Pennsylvania. She worked for many years in advertising and sports marketing -- while writing for herself in the wee hours of the night. She currently lives on Long Island where she can see water everyday and explore all the bay and harbor beaches with her family. She is the author of children's books You're Lovable to Me and The Magic Brush. |
Planning committee: Allison Santos, Coordinator
Lucia Acosta, Courtney Bayne, Beth Bouwman, Susan Conlon, Pamela Groves, Martha Perry- Liu, Aaron Pickett, Suzanne Savidge, Ann Woodrow, Youth Services Staff,
Lindsey Forden; Development Director, Tim Quinn, Public Information Director
The Princeton Children's Book Festival is made possible by a partnership with the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, Packet Publications of Princeton, Jazam's of Princeton, Cotsen Children's Library of Princeton University, Terra Momo Restaurant Group and The Princeton Public Library.
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