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When I was about three or four, I dreamed I could read. It was a recurring dream: turning page after page and reading all the words. But when I woke up, I could no longer read. Finally, in the first grade, in spite of the infamous red, blue and yellow Dick and Jane readers, I learned to read! Books were a part of life in my family. My parents read bedtime stories to me and my brother every night. The table by my father's red armchair always held a stack of books with torn paper markers in various places. He read history, economics, novels, paperback mysteries with thrilling, lurid covers. He also read Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Pogo comic books which he bought as soon as they hit the newsstand and which he allowed us to read only after he was finished. My brother and I were given books on birthdays, at Christmas, when we were sick . . . I saved them all, eventually shelved them alphabetically, catalogued them, loaned them to my friends and charged fines when they were overdue. Much of my early childhood was spent slouched in an armchair or up in a tree house with my nose in a book . . . A good early education for a writer! My parents didn't buy a television until I was eleven or twelve. We were allowed to watch an hour and a half a week, so we selected our shows carefully. I discovered, thanks to my father's enthusiasms: Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, the Marx brothers, Jackie Gleason and Art Carney, and British films, like the Lavender Hill Mob - all wonderful slapstick humor. In retrospect, I'm sure these shows have had some influence on my picture books. I wasn't much interested in writing until I had a dynamic and demanding English teacher in the eighth grade and another in high school. I wrote many stories for our high school magazine and planned to major in English in college. But freshman English was so tedious, that I lost all enthusiasm for that idea. Instead, I took art history and some drawing and design courses-a pre-architecture major intended to lead to three years of graduate work in architecture. But, my senior year, I discovered photography! My first years out of college, in Philadelphia, in the late 1960s, I photographed buildings for architects, and did photo essays for small magazines on urban life: skid row, Chinatown, inner city schools, political demonstrations . . . . While I was photographing, I was also looking at children's picture books in bookstores and at the library. I read picture books to any neighborhood child who wanted to listen. I started experimenting with my own stories, illustrating them with photographs or drawings. And, during that same time, I met and married my husband, Ahren. By the mid seventies, Ahren and I were living in Berkeley, California with a child of our own, Heather. She and I went to the library once or twice a week and borrowed piles of books to read at bedtime, nap time, and times in between. I decided, once again that I was going to try writing and illustrating picture books. I started with an alphabet book, thinking it would take a few weeks. Two years later, I reached Z , having taught myself something about illustration and about the complexities of writing a "simple little picture book." Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish my alphabet book. But I got encouragement from editors who told me to write and illustrate a story and then come back to see them. So, while earning my living as a photographer and graphic designer, I continued to experiment with picture books. One job I had was to design and illustrate a poster about animal camouflage for a science museum. The poster gave me the idea for what became my first published book, Henry and the Red Stripes. In 1981, I sold my first two books and we moved to Vermont. Many years and many books later, picture books are still an exciting challenge. I have file folders filled with ideas for new stories: clippings from newspapers, stories heard on the radio, family stories, childhood memories, conversations overheard, nursery rhymes, all waiting for me to find their beginnings, middles, and ends and to bring them alive in the space of a thirty-two page picture book. |
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The Five Dog Night Price: $16.00 "Old folks and dogs comprise the cast of this fresh and comical tale that shows there's more than one way to beat frigid wearher...Christelow's freewheeling watercolors evoke Ezra, Betty and the doggy crew in broadly characterized relief, with pen-and-ink details adding humorous punch." ALA Booklist |
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Five Little Monkeys Bake a Birthday Cake Price: $15.00 "The five little monkeys are back, and this time eager to bake a cake for their mother's birthday...Christelow's cartoon figures are as exuberant as ever . . ." School Library Journal IRA CHILDREN'S CHOICE |
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Five Little Monkeys Bake a Birthday Cake Price: $15.00 "The five little monkeys are back, and this time eager to bake a cake for their mother's birthday...Christelow's cartoon figures are as exuberant as ever . . ." School Library Journal IRA CHILDREN'S CHOICE |
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Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping Price: $16.00 "The day before school starts, Mama takes her five little monkeys shopping
for clothes. "Stay right here," she says, "AND DON'T GO WANDERING
OFF!" |
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Five Little Monkeys Play Hide-and-Seek Price: $16.00 "Those naughty monkeys are back, and this time they're tormenting their baby-sitter. Mama's instructions are clear: "Lulu's the sitter./You'd better be good./No tricks! No silliness!/Is that understood?" They promise to behave and invite Lulu to be "it" for a game of hide-and-seek..." School Library Journal |
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Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree Price: $15.00 "A gleeful rendition of a happy, familiar rhyme doublis as a simple, counting that teaches numbers one through five..." ALA Booklist IRA CHILDREN'S CHOICE |
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Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car Price: $15.00 "The monkeys' old family car becomes too much trouble for Mama and is put up for sale. The five little ones take it upon themselves to spruce it up, but despite their good intentions, the vehicle ends up in a swamp. Some crocodiles come to the rescue and decide to buy the wreck and the monkey family drives off in a snazzy red convertible. The pencil-and-watercolor illustrations highlight the industrious little monkeys and their expressive faces as the mishap unfolds." School Library Journal |
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Five Little Monkeys With Nothing To Do Price: $16.00 "When five bored little monkeys complain of nothing to do, their mother gladly enlists their help in getting ready for Grandma's visit...This book can be engoyed one-on-one pr story hour, and all who read it will gain more appreciation for whoever does the cleaning at home." School Library Journal |
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Flimflam Man Price: $5.95 (OUT OF STOCK) "From Beard (The Pumpkin Man from Piney Creek, 1995), an easy-to-read tale based on a true incident that the citizens of Wetumka, Oklahomain a classic case of making lemons into lemonadestill celebrate with an annual "Sucker Day....Morrison cuts a genial figure in Christelow's comfortably casual black- and-white drawings." Kirkus Reviews |
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The Great Pig Escape Price: $15.00 "When Bert's pigs overwhelm him announcing to his wife Ethel that they are big enough for Market Day, they oink out a plan...Christelow's vigorous, broken-lined watercolors capture the story's humor and suspense perfecly...Great fun." Kirkus Reviews ABA PICK OF THE LISTS BOOKLINKS - "A FEW GOOD BOOKS" |
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The Great Pig Search Price: $15.00 "Christelow's jolly tale revisits Bert, Ethel, and the troublemaking pigs from "The Great Escape "(1994). Once again the pigs have fled Bert and Ethel's Vermont farm, "...Christelow's squiggly lines and dabs of bright watercolor are a perfect counterpoint to the deadpan text, which will have readers rooting for the pigs and laughing as the hapless Bert finds nothing but trouble in this snorter of a hide-and-seek picture book." Kirkus Reviews ONE OF THE BEST PICTUREBOOKS OF 2001 - SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL |
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Jerome Camps Out Price: $16.00 "The appealing alligator from Jerome the Babysitter is back in a new adventure. Now, he is looking forward to a school camping trip that has only one snag-- he and his friend P.J. will have to share a tent with the class bully. Christelow hits home with a theme to which every child can relate. Colorful pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations extend the text as they capture all of the tricks and fearful expressions. A delightful picture book." School Library Journal |
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Letters From A Desperate Dog Price: $16.00 Poor Emma is a pup with a problem. Her human, George, constantly misunderstands
her. No matter how hard she tries to please him, it's just "Bad! Bad! Bad!"
all day long. Tired of feeling unappreciated, Emma finally writes to "Dear
Queenie," who, like any good canine advice columnist, suggests that Emma
get off the couch and make herself useful--perhaps even find a career. |
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Not Until Christmas, Walter! Price: $5.95 "A lively picture book that stars Walter, the family dog, and his young mistress, Louise, in a series of holiday misadventures. With humor and warmth, Christelow expresses the family's cozy relationships and preholiday excitement. The watercolor and pen-and-ink cartoons are filled with appealing characters especially Louise, an intrepid young lady, hands on hips and garbed in a blue, polka-dot bathrobe and yellow boots, who stands angrily in front of the doghouse containing a chagrined Walter. Don't wait for Christmas to share this entertaining romp one-on-one or in a family read-aloud." School Library Journal |
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The Robbery at the Diamond Dog Diner Price: $6.95 "Glenda Feathers, a chicken who makes her living delivering eggs, warns her canine friends, Lola snd harry, owners of the Diamond Dog Diner, that there are diamond robbers in town. (Lola always wears diamonds as she cooks to make the food taste better)...The book reads well aloud, and it is well suited to primary grade independent reading." School Library Journal A READING RAINBOW FEATURE BOOK IRA CHILDREN'S CHOICE |
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Vote! Price: $16.00 Using a town's mayoral election as a model, this lively introduction to voting covers every step in the process, from the start of the campaign all the way to the voting booth. There's even a recount! Told with clarity and wit in Eileen Christelow's signature comic-book style and vetted by an expert in voter education, who would have guessed that learning about voting could be so much fun? A timeline of the history of voting in the United States, a glossary of words associated with voting, a discussion of American political parties, and a list of Internet resources are included. ALA NOTABLE -2003 ONE OF THE BEST 100 CHILDREN'S BOOKS - 2003 - NY PUBLIC LIBRARY LASTING CONNECTIONS - 2003 BOOKLINKS STARRED LISTING - 2004 EDITION OF THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR - CHOSEN BY THE CHILDREN'S BOOK COMMITTEE OF THE BANK STREET COLLEGE OF EDUCATION |
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What Do Authors Do? Price: $16.00 Witty, lucid account of what authros do. Cartoon-like panels tell a dual story: two authors watch their pets get intor a comic squabble and are inspired to write about it but come up with very different ideas for their books...Christelow packs a great deal of humor into her attractive pages." ALA Booklist, starred review. ALA BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR NOTABLE CHILDREN'S TRADE BOOK IN LANGUAGE ARTS - NCTE |
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What Do Illustrators Do? Price: $15.00 "In this companion to What Do Authors Do? (Clarion, 1995), Christelow gives readers a great deal of insight into the creative process while entertaining them with a story (actually two) within the story that tells the story of how picture-book artists workChildren will come away from this effort with a bit of knowledge about how books are made and an appreciation for the hard work and talent involved in telling a story through pictures. Better than a magic bean, this title is sure to spark youngsters' curiosity and creativity, and when that happens-as everyone knows-the sky's the limit." School Library Journal ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK HORNBOOK FANFARE - BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR PARENT'S CHOICE RECOMMENDED |
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Where's the Big Bad Wolf? Price: $16.00 "Christelow (The Great Pig Search) offers more animals who bamboozle slow-witted innocents in this rib-tickling take on the Three Little Pigs....The familiar story line allows Christelow to include plenty of details and extra cast members; two elderly cows in bathrobes provide comic running commentary. Both adults and children will enjoy listening to Esmerelda urge the pigs to put down those bricks: "Build a cardboard house. It's so much easier!" Publishers Weekly NOTABLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN - 2002 SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE |
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Author and Illustrator Current Location: Dummerston, Vermont Honorarium:
Program Description An interactive program talking about writing and illustrating. My program has four parts: With an Apple Keynote presentation (similar to Powerpoint) I talk about how I got my first book published. The story includes a picture of me when I was 10, early drawings, rejected projects, my family and my animals who have all played a role in my career. For older students, I also show first drafts of stories, first sketches for illustrations - talking more about my writing process and putting a book together. I will bring my own laptop and can bring my own projector. A few drawing tricks . . . I start drawing by showing students how a few simple lines can create facial expressions (anger, surprise, sadness, happiness), how a few lines can make something look as if it's moving and . . . whatever else occurs to me while I'm drawing. Drawing I start a story with drawings, asking for ideas from the students. And how does the story end? That's up to the students to figure out back in their classrooms. I will leave my drawings at the school. Questions and Answers. . . I welcome any questions. Students who are well acquainted with my books often have many. How many? How long? How large? My program is best suited to k-4 although I often present a more in-depth program to grades 5 and 6 as well. I can work with small or large groups. (50-150) Each presentation is 45 mins - 1 hour I will do a maximum of 3 programs
per day, |
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