Kay Chorao

Last updated

Kay Chorao
BornAnn McKay Sproat
January 7, 1936
Elkhart, Indiana, USA
OccupationArtist, illustrator and writer
NationalityAmerican
Period1972–present
GenreChildren's books

Kay Chorao, born as Ann McKay Sproat on January 7, 1936, [1] [2] [3] (some sources say 1937 [4] [5] ) in Elkhart, Indiana, is an American artist, illustrator and writer of children's books.

Contents

Biography

Chorao was born in Elkhart, Indiana, into a middle-class, suburban family. [6] She loved and was encouraged to draw at a young age. [6] She attended Laurel School in Shaker Heights, OH. [7] Chorao went to Wheaton College, where in 1958 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in art history. [3] After that, Chorao pursued her graduate study at Chelsea School of Art from 1958 to 1959.[ citation needed ]

Chorao got married and had three sons before moving to New York with her family. [3] From 1966 to 1968, she studied book illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York.[ citation needed ]

Career

Besides writing self-illustrated children's books, Chorao has been the illustrator for many books by Jane Yolen, Judith Viorst, Jan Wahl, and Marjorie Sharmat.[ citation needed ] Chorao published her first book, The Repair of Uncle Toe, in 1972. [3] Since then, she has written and illustrated more than fifty books. [8] Her illustrations have been exhibited several times by American Institute of Graphic Arts and Society of Illustrators.[ citation needed ] Chorao has received the Christopher Award twice; the first time in 1979 as the illustrator of Chester Chipmunk's Thanksgiving, by Barbara Williams; and the second time in 1989 as the illustrator of The Good-Bye Book, by Judith Viorst. [9]

In 1975, Chorao illustrated Albert's Toothache, by Barbara Williams. The book was critically successful, being given the American Library Association's notable book citation and Children's Book Showcase title. [6] In 1979, her 1974 book Ida Makes a Movie was adapted into a short film by the same name, which would become the genesis for the highly successful Degrassi teen drama franchise. In 1988, Chorao published Cathedral Mouse, which was well received by critics and featured among the ten best children's picture books of the year, by New York Times . [10]

In 1990, Chorao's book Baby's Lap Book was selected by American Library Association among the list of "Books to Grow On" for children from 6 to 12 months. [11] The following year, she published Here Comes Kate, which was named among the Pick of the decade 1995–2005 "Best books for children" list compiled by New Jersey State Library, Clifton Public Library and Woodbridge Public Library. [12] In 1994, Chorao self-illustrated book Annie and Cousin Precious was picked by International Reading Association as one of the Children's Choices for 1995. [6] [13]

Selected works

As writer and illustrator

"Baby" series

  • The Baby's Lap Book: Nursery Rhymes (1977, re-released with color illustrations in 1990)
  • The Baby's Bedtime Book: Poems and Rhymes (1984)
  • The Baby's Good Morning Book: Poems and Rhymes (1986)
  • The Baby's Christmas Treasury: Poems, Stories, and Songs (1991)

Oink and Pearl series

  1. Oink and Pearl (1981)
  2. Ups and Downs with Oink and Pearl (1986)

As Illustrator only

Books by Majorie Weinman Sharmat

Books by Marjorie W. Sharmat that are illustrated by Kay Chorao:

  • I'm Terrific (1977)
  • Thornton the Worrier (1978)
  • Grumley the Grouch (1980)
  • Sometimes Mama and Papa Fight (1980)

Book by Judith Viorst

Books by Judith Viorst that are illustrated by Kay Chorao:

  • My Mama Says there Aren't any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things (1973)
  • The Good-bye Book (1988)

Books by Jan Wahl

Books by Jan Wahl that are illustrated by Kay Chorao:

  • Frankenstein's Dog (1977)
  • Dracula's Cat (1978)

Books by Barbara Williams

Books by Barbara Williams that are illustrated by Kay Chorao:

  • Albert's Toothache (1974)
  • Kevin's Grandma (1975)
  • Someday, Said Mitchell (1976) ISBN   0-525-39580-6 HB
  • Chester Chipmunk's Thanksgiving (1978)
  • A Valentine for Cousin Archie (1981)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Viorst</span> American writer

Judith Viorst is an American writer, newspaper journalist, and psychoanalysis researcher. She is known for her humorous observational poetry and for her children's literature. This includes The Tenth Good Thing About Barney and the Alexander series of short picture books, which includes Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972), which has sold over two million copies.

<i>The Kids of Degrassi Street</i> 1979 Canadian childrens television series

The Kids of Degrassi Street is a Canadian children's television series created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. The first entry in the Degrassi franchise and the only one to focus on children instead of teenagers, it follows the lives of a group of children living on De Grassi Street in Toronto. It was produced by Hood and Schuyler's independent company Playing With Time. The series originated as a collection of annual standalone short films that started with Ida Makes a Movie, a live-action adaptation of the Kay Chorao book which premiered on the CBC on December 8, 1979. It became a full series in 1982 when the CBC ordered five more episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane Smith (illustrator)</span> American illustrator and writer of childrens books

Lane Smith is an American illustrator and writer of children's books. He is the Kate Greenaway medalist (2017) known for his eclectic visuals and subject matter, both humorous and earnest, such as the contemplative Grandpa Green, which received a Caldecott Honor in 2012, and the outlandish Stinky Cheese Man, which received a Caldecott Honor in 1992.

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat was an American children's writer. She wrote more than 130 books for children and teens and her books have been translated into several languages. They have won awards including Book of the Year by the Library of Congress or have become selections by the Literary Guild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Wiesner</span> American illustrator and writer of childrens books

David Wiesner is an American illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books including some that tell stories without words. As an illustrator he has won three Caldecott Medals recognizing the year's "most distinguished American picture book for children" and he was one of five finalists in 2008 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest recognition available for creators of children's books.

Barbara Cooney was an American writer and illustrator of 110 children's books, published for over sixty years. She received two Caldecott Medals for her work on Chanticleer and the Fox (1958) and Ox-Cart Man (1979), and a National Book Award for Miss Rumphius (1982). Her books have been translated into ten languages.

The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was an American literary award conferred on several books by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education annually from 1958 to 1979. Award-winning books were deemed to "belong on the same shelf" as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, having enough of the qualities of his work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Degen</span> American writer

Bruce Degen is an American illustrator and writer with over forty children's books to his credit. He may be known best for illustrating The Magic School Bus, a picture book series written by Joanna Cole. He has collaborated with writers Nancy White Carlstrom, on the Jesse Bear books, and Jane Yolen, on the Commander Toad series. He has written and self-illustrated Jamberry, Daddy Is a Doodlebug, and Shirley's Wonderful Baby.

Kelly Oechsli was an American illustrator of children's books. He illustrated Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock books, as well as children's encyclopediae such as the young children's encyclopedia.

J. Patrick Lewis is an American poet and prose writer noted for his children's poems and other light verse. He worked as professor of economics from 1974-1998, after which he devoted himself full-time to writing.

<i>Nate the Great</i> 31 childrens detective stories by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Nate the Great is a series of 31 children's detective stories written by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and featuring the boy detective Nate the Great. Sharmat and the illustrator Marc Simont inaugurated the series in 1972 with Nate the Great, a 60-page book published by Coward, McCann & Geoghegan. Simont illustrated the first twenty books, to 1998; the last ten were illustrated by Martha Weston, Jody Wheeler, or Olga and Aleksey Ivanov "in the style of Marc Simont". Some of the titles were jointly written with Sharmat's sister Rosalind Weinman, husband Mitchell Sharmat or sons Craig Sharmat and Andrew Sharmat. Regarding the series, Marjorie Sharmat has called her husband Mitchell "always my first editor, and it's been a very happy collaboration".

Helen Gillian Oxenbury is an English illustrator and writer of children's picture books. She lives in North London. She has twice won the annual Kate Greenaway Medal, the British librarians' award for illustration and been runner-up four times. For the 50th anniversary of that Medal (1955–2005) her 1999 illustrated edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was named one of the top ten winning works.

Polly Dunbar is an English author-illustrator.

Christine Davenier is a French author and illustrator of children's books. She has illustrated a large number of books, the authors of which include Jack Prelutsky, Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, Madeleine L'Engle, and Juanita Havill, and has received critical acclaim.

Jane Dyer is an American author and illustrator of more than fifty books, including Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Cookies series and Jeanne Birdsall's Lucky and Squash.

Kelly Murphy is an American author, illustrator and educator. She is based in Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Blackall</span> Australian artist, author, and childrens book illustrator

Sophie Jocasta Blackall is an Australian artist, author, and illustrator of children's books based in Brooklyn, New York.

Arnold Lobel was a children's author and illustrator. He wrote:

List of works by or about fantasy writer Jane Yolen:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosekrans Hoffman</span> American artist and childrens book illustrator

Ruth Olive Rosekrans Hoffman was an American children's book illustrator and painter, known as Rosekrans Hoffman professionally.

References

  1. H.W. Wilson Company, Joseph, Bea. Biography Index, p. 148.
  2. La Beau, Dennis. Children's authors and illustrators, p. 31.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Birthday Bio: Kay Chorao". Children Literature Network. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  4. Teacher's Calendar of Events from Education Oasis. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  5. Mossman, Jennifer. New Pseudonyms and Nicknames: Second Supplement to Pseudonyms and Nicknames, p. 73.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. Archived at Google Books.
  7. . Laurel School.
  8. Author Kay Chorao. Macmillan Books. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  9. The Christopher Awards: Books for Young People Archived November 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  10. Books of The Times; For Junior Bibliophiles, 10 Favorites of the Year. The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  11. "Books to Grow On". American Library Association. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  12. Pick of the decade:1995–2005. njyac.org. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  13. Children's Choices for 1995. Retrieved August 9, 2008.