Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson

And now, the answers to last week’s trivia:

Talk about talent! I would have loved to have to been a fly on the wall to see the collaboration between Ruth Krauss, the author of The Carrot Seed, and her husband, Crockett Johnson, who illustrated it. Turns out there was a lucky person who did get to learn how to write children’s books from the couple, none other than Maurice Sendak.

Ruth Krauss wrote over thirty children’s books, and many are still in print. Her book A Happy Day was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1950, and A Very Special House was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1954. She was well-known for her ability to put a lot of information into few words.

If you haven’t read The Carrot Seed or at least read it lately, take a look.

Don’t you just love the size of the carrot at the end?

And for a bit of botany trivia, it turns out that carrot seeds do take an extra long time to germinate, at least when compared to other garden favorites.

Growing With Science has carrot information and activities

Gryphon House gives wonderful story stretcher activities

Other books by Ruth Krauss:

Crockett Johnson was known as a successful children’s illustrator and author, too. He is the creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Here’s a bit of trivia:  Crockett Johnson was a pen name. His real name was David Johnson Leisk.

Books by Crockett Johnson:

What a pair!