Congratulations to Heather, who correctly identified both our authors from last week’s trivia questions.
46. Our first author comes to the writing world as an executive editor at a major publishing house, who has still found time to write over 20 children’s books. One of her books won a Coretta Scott King Honor Award in 2001. She often works with her husband, who just happens to be a Caldecott-Award winning illustrator. Did I mention she also has two children and runs marathons?
Do you know who this amazing woman is?
Yes, the author who is both an executive editor (at Scholastic) and a published author is Andrea Davis Pickney.
It turns out her husband, Brian Pinkney, won the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award this week for Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (written by Laban Carrick Hill.) Congratulations!
The Brown Bookshelf has a wonderful interview with Andrea.
A few of Andrea Pinkney’s books:
47. Our second author today is also had many talents. He was a musician, playwright, and also children’s author. One of his books defied categorization, but that didn’t stop an insightful editor from publishing it. Another was the first children’s book to be listed on the New York Times Bestseller List. Johnny Cash made one of the songs he wrote famous (A Boy Named Sue.) Our family’s favorite of his books is a book of spoonerisms that was published after his death. Can you identify this gifted author?
For this question, I really should have asked, “Can you identify this gifted man?” Shel Silverstein was successful in many areas, not only as a children’s author.
Shel Silverstein is best known in the children’s literature world for his witty poems accompanied by deceptively simple line drawings.
The book that defied categorization and was rejected by many editors was the incredibly popular The Giving Tree.
His book of poetry, Light in the Attic, was the first children’s book to be listed on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Runny Babbit is the book of spoonerisms that was published after his death.
Shel Silverstein’s books are still widely available.
Do you have a favorite Shel Silverstein book?
I have always loved Where the Sidewalk Ends. I would read it again and again as a child. At my sister’s wedding, I even recited For Sale:
One sister for sale!
One sister for sale!
One crying and spying young sister for sale!
I’m really not kidding,
So who’ll start the bidding?
Do I hear the dollar?
A nickel?
A penny?
Oh, isn’t there, isn’t there, isn’t there any
One kid that will buy this old sister for sale,
This crying and spying young sister for sale?
Oh, that is too funny.
We are always on the look out for wild strawberries.