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FTT&S 2008 Authors & Illustrators
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Children's authors and illustrators appearing at Fish Tales, Tugs & Sails 2008 include Linda Gramatky Smith, Wendell Minor, David Wiesner, Ed Heck, Melissa Stewart, Donna Marie Merritt, Brian Floca, Judith Jango-Cohen, G. Brian Karas, and Catherine E. Clark. Download the schedule (PDF, 300 KB) for appearance times.
Linda Gramatky Smith
Linda Gramatky Smith, daughter of the late Hardie Gramatky, author of the classic tugboat story Little Toot
In 1939, Hardie Gramatky first published the classic story of Little Toot. It has been reprinted many times to the delight of generations of readers. As the years went by, the colors faded... In 2007, Hardie's daughter, Linda Gramatky Smith of Westport, Connecticut, had the book republished with the colors restored to their original brightness and clarity. Linda speaks with love and respect about Little Toot and about her father.
Little Toot the tugboat conquers his fear of rough seas when he single-handedly rescues an ocean liner during a storm. First published in 1939, this classic story of the energetic tugboat is brought to new life in this 2007 restored edition. With the help and support of Hardie Gramatky's estate and his granddaughter Linda, to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, archived first editions and Hardie's original paintings to restore Little Toot to its full glory have been used to bring back a richness of color that has been lost in decades of reprintings. This new edition also features several of the artist's full-color manuscript sketches, never before seen in print, and reintroduces the book's exquisite original endpapers.
Wendell Minor
Wendell Minor, nature artist and children's book illustrator
Nature artist Wendell Minor is the illustrator of many critically-acclaimed books for children, including Everglades by Jean Craighead George; The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow; Ghost Ship by Mary Higgins Clark; and Christmas Tree!, which he coauthored with his wife Florence. In addition to his many children's books, Wendell is well known in the publishing industry for illustrating the jackets of many best-selling fiction and non-fiction books for adults. The Minors live in Washington, Connecticut.
More about Wendell's work:
- Everglades Written by Newbery Medalist Jean Craighead George, this book tells the story of the Everglades. Wendell Minor's paintings bring the "living kaleidoscope of color and beauty" that is the Everglades alive with color and detail.
- Ghost Ship Mary Higgins Clark, the bestselling mystery writer, wrote this story of fire, intrigue, and time-travel. It takes the reader back to the seventeenth century Cape Cod when wreckers, or mooncussers, would lure unsuspecting ships aground with misplaced lanterns. Minor's atmospheric paintings of fires, ghosts, and beaches bring the reader back to the Cape Cod of long ago.
- Seashore Book A young boy, who has never seen the sea, asks his mother to describe it. From there, Zolotow's gently lilting words create a poem full of the colors, sounds, and sights of a day at the beach. Minor's softly detailed renderings reinforce the gentle mood.
- Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson Amy Ehrlich's lucid and loving prose, complemented by Wendell Minor's luminous paintings, tells a memorable story of the power of the word, the power of the individual, and—most of all—the importance of following your heart. A select bibliography complements the text.
David Wiesner
David Wiesner, children's book artist and visual storyteller
Visual storyteller David Wiesner is one of only two children's book illustrators to win the Caldecott Medal, America's most prestigious picture book award, three times—most recently in 2007 for Flotsam, a photographic journey through the hidden depths of the ocean. David is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and now lives in Pennsylvania with his family. His newest book, Hurricane, will be published in May 2008.
More about David's work:
- Flotsam A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam—anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share... and to keep.
- Hurricane The morning after a hurricane, two brothers find an uprooted tree which becomes a magical place, transporting them on adventures limited only by their imaginations.
Ed Heck
Ed Heck, artist and children's book author/ilustrator
Pop artist Ed Heck's deceptively simple illustrations in Big Fish, Little Fish rollick with humor and engage readers of all ages. Big Fish is big and wants to catch Little Fish, but Little Fish is very crafty. Ed began his life as a working artist drawing scientific illustrations for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He worked on his bold, pop art style privately until his first gallery showing in 1999, when art lovers of all kinds saw his talents.
More about Ed's work:
- Big Fish, Little Fish Big Fish is big, and Little Fish is little. Big Fish wants to catch Little Fish, but Little Fish is very crafty. Big Fish had better watch out! With simple text, the use of opposites (above/below, inside/outside), and the beautiful, bold illustrations of pop artist Ed Heck, this book is sure to swim its way into the hands of kids everywhere!
Melissa Stewart
Melissa Stewart, naturalist and children's author
Melissa Stewart has always been fascinated by the natural world and enjoys sharing it with readers of all ages. She is the award-winning author of more than 100 books for young readers and has written more than 50 articles for children and adults. Trained as both a scientist and a journalist, Melissa Stewart believes that nothing brings writing to life like first-hand research. She has explored tropical forests in Costa Rica, gone on a safari in Kenya and Tanzania, and swam with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands.
More about Melissa's work:
- Life in a Wetland Describes the ecology of plants and animals in Everglades National Park, a wetland in south Florida. A Lerner Publications Ecosystems in Action book.
- Rachel Carson: Biologist and Writer Read about Rachel Carson, the person, in this book. Appendix includes career information.
- When Rain Falls We go inside when the rain comes down, but where do animals go? Veteran children's book author Melissa Stewart takes a lyrical look at the behavior of animals in forests, fields, wetlands, and deserts and briefly describes how each creature interacts with its rained-soaked environment.
- Will It Float or Sink? Have fun learning about the properties of water in this Rookie Read About Science book from Children's Press.
Donna Marie Merritt
Donna Marie (Pitino) Merritt, teacher and science writer for children
Former school teacher and mother Donna Marie Merritt has written fifteen math and science books for young children, plus many of her stories and poems have been published in children's magazines such as Highlights High Five and Potluck Magazine. Donna is also a middle and high school curriculum writer and editor for Education Connection, a nonprofit organization in Litchfield, Connecticut. She lives with her daughters, stepson, husband, dog, and cat in Connecticut.
More about Donna Marie's work:
- Water Cycle A visual exploration of the water cycle, with simple and experiments you can do in the home with your preschooler or beginning reader.
Brian Floca
Brian Floca, artist and children's writer
Brian Floca was born and raised in Temple, Texas. He attended college at Brown University, where he studied art, history, and art history; cartooned for the Brown Daily Herald; and took classes down College Hill at the Rhode Island School of Design before earning his MLA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His book Lightship has received Starred Reviews in Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly—and is a Siebert Honor Book and winnier of a Cybil Award for Best Nonfiction Picture Book.
More about Brian's work:
- Lightship In a place too dangerous for a lighthouse, a ship holds her place while a cat watches. Find out why in this fascinating story of fog and big ships.
- Voyager's Stone: The Adventures of a Message-Carrying Bottle Adrift on the Ocean Sea A boy sets a bottle holding a letter and a special charm adrift in the Caribbean Sea, and readers follow its journey . while exploring oceanography—currents, animals, and the variety of life found at the margins of the world's oceans.
Judith Jango-Cohen
Judith Jango-Cohen, naturalist, photographer, and children's author
Photographer and children's nature writer Judith Jango-Cohen has spent most of her adult life exploring the outdoors as a photographer and naturalist. Among the many awards her children's books have won, 40 have earned recommendations from the National Science Teachers Association. Judith has a degree in biology and has worked as a science educator for ten years. She lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.
More about Judith's work:
- Why Does It Rain? With her use of expressive language, Judith gives the scientific theories the water cycle, from rain drops to concerns about conservation, a story-like feel. This On My Own Science book has been named a Best Children's Book of the Year by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College.
- Real-Life Sea Monsters Long ago, sailors told tales about kraken, mermaids, sea serpents, and other terrible monsters that lurked in the sea. Find out about the real-life sea creatures that inspired these stories. This book is one of the On My Own Science series and has been named a Children's Choice Reading List Book by the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council.
G. Brian Karas
G. Brian Karas, children's book writer and illustrator
G. Brian Karas was born and raised in Milford, Connecticut and found it necessary to use his imagination to find adventure. Now he lives with his family in the Hudson Valley region of New York and uses his imagination to write and illustrate an ever-growing list of award winning children's books, including Atlantic, which earned a place on Booklist's Ten Sci-Tech Books for Youth List 2002 among other awards, and On Earth, a 2005 American Library Association Notable Book.
More about Brian's work:
- Atlantic Stretching from the North Pole to the South Pole and from North America to Africa, the Atlantic Ocean is constantly changing shape and size and is always traveling. Explore what the Atlantic Ocean is, how far it stretches, how the moon affects it, and other characteristics as described by the ocean itself in Brian's poetic tribute.
- On Earth Climb aboard a giant spaceship... the Earth! In glorious art and poetic text, G. Brian Karas illuminates our Earth and its cycles. As you travel, watch shadows disappear into night, and feel the sun on your face as winter turns into spring as the Earth spins and circles, glides and tilts in a voyage that never ends.
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