Rosemary Wells | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, U.S. | January 29, 1943
Alma mater | Boston Museum School [1] |
Occupation(s) | Freelance author and illustrator |
Years active | 1968–present |
Spouse | Thomas Moore Wells (m. 1963;died 2001) |
Children | Victoria, Marguerite [4] |
Website | rosemarywells |
Rosemary Wells (born January 29, 1943) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She often uses animal characters to address real human issues. Some of her most well-known characters are Max & Ruby and Timothy from Timothy Goes To School (both were later adapted into Canadian-animated preschool television series, the former airing on Nickelodeon (part of the Nick Jr. block) and the latter as part of PBS Kids on PBS.
Wells was born in New York City and raised in Red Bank, New Jersey. Her mother was a ballerina with the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo and her father was a playwright. She began drawing at age two. Wells' family encouraged her artistic talents and love of stories. "Reading stories aloud was as much a part of my childhood as the air I breathed," she recalled. [5] [6]
When Wells was nineteen, she attended the Boston Museum School, where she studied illustration. Before becoming an author and illustrator, Wells worked as an art editor for Allyn and Bacon, Inc and as an art designer for Macmillan Publishing.
In 1963, she married architect Thomas Moore Wells, with whom she has two daughters.
In 1968, Wells published her first book, an illustrated version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s A Song to Sing, O!. She has since published more than 60 books in her 30+ year career. [7] [8] [9]
A common theme in Rosemary Wells' stories is the use of animal characters rather than humans. In the children's journal Stone Soup, Wells explained that she writes using animals because it allows her to address sophisticated, controversial topics in ways children can understand and adults can accept. For example, Yoko tackles the thorny topic of racism. It is about a young Japanese kitten who, in the beginning, is ostracized when she brings in sushi for her school lunch. At the story's conclusion, she gains acceptance by hosting a school luncheon where everyone brings in food native to their family from around the world. Many of the animal characters, such as those in Max & Ruby, interact with one another much as humans would, while others such as McDuff – a West Highland Terrier – take on a more realistic role as the adopted pet of a young couple. [10]
Library of Congress catalog records imply that these six are children's picture books.
Rosemary Wells's books have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Horn Book Magazine. She has been nominated for numerous awards, such as the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the Black-Eyed Susan Award, the Red Clover Award, and the Beehive Award. She has won the following:
Richard McClure Scarry was an American children's author and illustrator who published over 300 books with total sales of over 100 million worldwide. He is best known for his Best Ever book series that take place primarily in the fictional town of Busytown, "which is populated by friendly and helpful resident [animals...such as] Mr. Frumble, Huckle Cat, Mr. Fixit, Lowly Worm, and others..." The series spawned a media franchise.
Max & Ruby is a Canadian children's preschool animated series based on the book series by Rosemary Wells and produced by Nelvana Limited. The series follows two young rabbit siblings in the 1940s and 1950s. Starting with season 6, their parents were also depicted.
Mabel Lucie Attwell was a British illustrator and comics artist. She was known for her cute, nostalgic drawings of children. Her drawings are featured on many postcards, advertisements, posters, books and figurines.
Timothy Goes to School is a preschool children's animated television series based on books written by Rosemary Wells, but is titled after the book of the same name. The series is a co-production with Nelvana Limited and Animation Services Limited, in association with Silver Lining Entertainment Ltd. and produced in association with PBS and TVOntario with the participation of Knowledge Network, Access and Saskatchewan Communications Network.
Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky, also known as Rojan, was a Russian émigré illustrator. He is well known both for children's book illustration and for erotic art. He won the 1956 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration from the American Library Association, recognizing Frog Went A-Courtin' by John Langstaff.
Lillian Hoban was an American illustrator and children's writer best known for picture books created with her husband Russell Hoban. According to OCLC, she has published 326 works in 1,401 publications in 11 languages.
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began her acting career at a young age, quickly being labeled a teen idol as the title character in the Disney Channel comedy series Lizzie McGuire (2001–2004) and in the film based on the series, The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003).
Gyo Fujikawa was an American illustrator and children's book writer. A prolific creator of more than 50 books for children, her work is regularly in reprint and has been translated into 17 languages and published in 22 countries. Her most popular books, Babies and Baby Animals, have sold over 1.7 million copies in the U.S. Fujikawa is recognized for being the earliest mainstream illustrator of picture books to include children of many races in her work, before it became common to do so.
Kaye Umansky is an English children's author and poet. She has written over 130 books for children and her work ranges from picture books to novels. She is best known for the Pongwiffy & Jim Series.
Ted Dewan is an American-born British writer and illustrator of children's books who resides in England. He is best known as the creator of the award-winning book series, Bing, now adapted into an animated television series.
Dani's House is a British children's comedy series broadcast on CBBC and starring Dani Harmer. The first series premiered on 26 September 2008, and its fifth series concluded on 19 July 2012. It has received several awards and nominations from BAFTA Kids. A spin-off called Dani's Castle aired from 2013 to 2015. Currently, all 5 series are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Weston Woods Studios is a production company that makes audio and short films based on well-known books for children. It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut, and named after the wooded area near his home. Weston Woods Studios' first project was Andy and the Lion in 1954, and its first animated film was The Snowy Day in 1964. In 1968, Weston Woods began a long collaboration with animator Gene Deitch. Later, they opened international offices in Henley-on-Thames, England, UK (1972), as well as in Canada (1975), and in Australia (1977). In addition to making the films, Weston Woods also conducted interviews with the writers, illustrators, and makers of the films. The films have appeared on children's television programs such as Captain Kangaroo, Eureeka's Castle, and Sammy's Story Shop. In the mid-1980s, the films were released on VHS under the Children's Circle titles, and Wood Knapp Video distributed these releases from 1988 to 1995.
Jean Marzollo was an American children's author and illustrator. She wrote more than 100 books, including the best-selling and award-winning I Spy series for children, written completely in rhythm and rhyme.
Irresistible is a 2006 Australian mystery drama film written and directed by Ann Turner and starring Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill, and Emily Blunt. Sophie is an American book illustrator and her family is disrupted by her husband's new co-worker, Mara. Sophie is made to look crazy by the activities of Mara.
Jan Ormerod, born Janet Louise Hendry, was an Australian illustrator of children's books. She first came to prominence from her wordless picture book Sunshine which won the 1982 Mother Goose Award. Her work was noted for its ability to remove clutter to tell a simple story that young children could enjoy, employing flat colours and clean lines. She produced work for more than 50 books throughout her career, including publications by other authors, such as a 1987 edition of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan and David Lloyd's retelling of "The Frog Prince". Ormerod began her illustrative career in Britain after moving to England in 1980, but she returned to themes connected to her home country with Lizzie Nonsense (2004), Water Witcher (2008) and the award-winning Shake a Leg (2011) for Aboriginal writer Boori Monty Pryor.
Tad Hills is an American children's book author and illustrator. His first picture book, Duck & Goose, a New York Times bestseller and ALA Notable Book for Children, is about a pair of feathered friends. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews wrote that "readers will likely hope to see more of this adorable odd couple"—a hope that was realized. The Duck & Goose series now contains nine titles, including Duck, Duck, Goose; Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin; and Duck & Goose, It's Time for Christmas. Hills is also the author of How Rocket Learned to Read, winner of the Irma Simonton Black & James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature and a New York Times bestseller. A sequel, Rocket Writes a Story, was published to similar acclaim, debuting at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list and named as a top picture book of the year by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.
Here Comes Mother Goose is a children's picture book by Iona Opie. It is a collection of 56 Mother Goose nursery rhymes, chosen by Opie and is the second such collaboration between her and illustrator Rosemary Wells.
Sophie Jocasta Blackall is an Australian artist, author, and illustrator of children's books based in Brooklyn, New York.
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