Category: Children’s Author Trivia Answers

The theme this week was authors who used pseudonyms, or pen names. Their literary counterparts sometimes generated controversy or confusion.

1. Our first author has had several pseudonyms to help separate her adult level books from her young adult books, and also from her books for younger children. One of her favorite young adult characters is John Fell, a teen who solves mysteries. One of the mysteries involves changing places with a prep school student. Another involves ventriloquism. Any idea who the author is, or what any of her pseudonyms are?

Liviania recognized our first author by her pseudonym M.E. Kerr. The author’s real name is Marijane Meeker, who has also written under the names Ann Aldrich and Vin Packer for adults, and Mary James for younger children. The use of pseudonyms in this case allows readers to find the author’s books by genre.

2. This author made up a biography to go with his pseudonym, which backfired when the the books she supposedly wrote became popular. He had included some made up titles in the biography and people actually began searching for them. He thought the name he chose was an obvious pseudonym: “Sue Denim.” Do you know who this less-than-serious author might be?

Dav Pilkey used the pen name Sue Denim for his Dumb Bunnies series. His false biography of Sue Denim doesn’t seem like it would fool people into looking for her other titles, but it did according to his confession biography of Sue Denim. Newer editions of the books list Dav as the author.

It is easy to see why the Dumb Bunnies books might generate strong emotions, both pro and con, and why the author might have chosen to use a pseudonym, at least initially.

Dav Pilkey is best known for his Captain Underpants stories.

——————————————————————————————————————————– If you are in the mood to play more Children’s Author Trivia, simply click on the icon below for a list of previous questions (or you can click on the “Children’s Author Trivia Questions” category in the left sidebar). Enjoy!

We didn’t have any guesses this week, but I bet you will recognize the mystery illustrators/authors now.

1. Our mystery illustrator has won many awards for her illustrations of incredibly realistic nature in children’s picture books. Her work is so fine, the books she illustrates could easily be used a coffee table art books. She also has illustrated some books with a Southwest theme, and is particularly interested in Native American culture (I actually met her because she lives in the same state as I do, Arizona.) The first children’s book she illustrated was about ten little rabbits. Topics of more recent ones include eggs, seeds and butterflies.

Sylvia Long is our featured children’s picture book illustrator. Her lovely illustrations have graced such critically-acclaimed and award-winning books as An Egg is Quiet, A Seed is Sleepy, and A Butterfly is Patient.

Have you ever read any of Sylvia Long’s books?

2. Our second author grew up in central New York, (which is also where I grew up). He decided he wanted to become a writer at the tender age of 17, but had to take a number of different jobs before his career really took off. Now he has over 200 books published, most of which are for upper elementary-aged children. He has written one book with his best friend, Jane Yolen, and one about a teacher who is an alien.

The book that Bruce Coville wrote with Jane Yolen is Armageddon Summer. He is a prolific writer who thinks reading should be fun.

Do you have a favorite book by Bruce Coville?

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If you are in the mood to play more Children’s Author Trivia, simply click on the icon below for a list of previous questions (or you can click on the “Children’s Author Trivia Questions” category in the left sidebar).

Enjoy!

Heather answered both the questions correctly last week. Kudos!

Both our mystery authors today started out as artists and both struggled in school, but eventually became successful writing children’s books.

1. This year marks the centennial of our mystery author’s birth. He started out as an artist/cartoonist, selling his first cartoon to the New Yorker at 17. Later he combined his drawing with his storytelling ability and published a series of popular children’s books with animal characters such as dinosaurs, seals and hens. Do you know who we are celebrating this year?

Children’s author and cartoonist Syd Hoff is going to be the subject of an exhibit at the Miami Beach Regional Library in commemoration of the centennial of his birth.

Here’s information about the exhibit from curator Dina Weinstein:

Syd Hoff: Finding Home
Curated and organized by Dina Weinstein
June 14 – October 1, 2012
Miami Beach Regional Library
227 22nd St. • 305-535-4219

Beloved children’s book author and illustrator Syd Hoff made Miami Beach his home and there created his best-loved characters like Danny and the Dinosaur (1958) and Sammy the Seal (1959). The Syd Hoff: Finding Home exhibition is organized for the humorist’s 2012 centennial and curated by Miami-based journalist Dina Weinstein. The exhibition traces the life, achievement and influences of the prolific cartoonist and author through the curator’s visual aids and research. It consists of a series of creative “storyboards” composed of research notes, fact-finding footnotes, and humorous commentaries collected and written by Weinstein. Along with photographic reproductions, text panels, books, and video, the materials will trace Hoff’s early career and development. Sections will include Hoff’s work with the Lyrical Left in the 1930s, his New Yorker cartoons focusing on outer-borough tenement dwellers, his syndicated comics and cartoons, and the made-in-Miami/Cold War/Baby Boom children’s literature for which he is best known. Exhibition-goers will see the connection between Hoff’s storybook characters’ search for belonging to his earlier political and gag cartoons.

2. Our second author also began her career as an artist. Although she could always draw well, she reveals that she didn’t read very well as a child. In fact, she didn’t really take off reading until she was fourteen. After getting a PhD in Art History, she started writing children’s books. She says her troubles with reading did not interfere with her ability to listen to and tell stories. Some of this author/illustrator’s favorite characters are goats. She also wrote a story about how she overcame her fear of thunderstorms by baking a cake. Do you recognize this storytelling artist?

Heather recognized Patricia Polacco’s book Thunder Cake. Her website (linked to her name) has a biography and interesting tidbits about her books.

I enjoyed the photographs of the author with goats for her book G is for Goat (click to enlarge.)

Here are some of Patricia Polacco’s books:

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If you are in the mood to play more Children’s Author Trivia, simply click on the icon below for a list of previous questions (or you can click on the “Children’s Author Trivia Questions” category in the left sidebar).

Enjoy!