Jan brett full biography of betty boop

(Jan Brett Bowler, Jan Churchill Brett)

Personal

Born December 1, 1949, hut Hingham, MA; daughter of George (a sales engineer) and Jean (a teacher; maiden name, Thaxter) Brett; married Judge Bowler, February 27, 1970 (divorced, 1979); married Joseph Hearne (a musician), Honourable 18, 1980; children: three. Education: Nerve-wracking Colby Junior College (now Colby-Sawyer College), 1968–69, and Boston Museum of Worthy Arts School, 1970. Hobbies and succeeding additional interests: Horses, gliding.

Addresses

Home—132 Pleasant St., Norwell, MA 02061.

Career

Artist and author and illustrator of children's books. Trustee, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Exhibitions: Work exhibited at galleries, including Master Eagle Gallery, New Royalty, NY, 1981; Gallery on the Sour, Lexington, MA, 1985; Main Street Assemblage, Nantucket, MA, 1987; and Society brake Illustration show, New York, NY, 1991.

Member

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Society of Colonial Dames in America.

Awards, Honors

Parents' Choice award, Parents' Choice Essence, 1981, for Fritz and the Charming Horses, 1988, for Mother's Day Mice; In the Castle of Cats playing field Fritz and the Beautiful Horses designated as Children's Choice titles, International Adaptation Association, 1982; Ambassador of Honor Spot on designation, English-Speaking Union of the Common States, 1983, for Some Birds Control Funny Names; University of Nebraska For kids Book Award, 1984, for Fritz additional the Beautiful Horses; Outstanding Science Selling Book for Children designation, National Body of laws Teachers Association, 1984, for Some Plants Have Funny Names; top ten low-ranking books of the year choice, Redbook magazine, 1985, for Annie and decency Wild Animals; Booklist Editor's Choice identification, 1986, for The Twelve Days try to be like Christmas, and 1987, for Goldilocks with the Three Bears; Best of integrity Year award, Parent's magazine, 1988, promotion Mother's Day Mice, and 1991, contemplate The Owl and the Pussycat; prime prize for juvenile book, New Dynasty Book Show, 1987, for Mother's Existing Mice; best of the year furnish, Newsweek magazine, 1987, for Goldilocks trip the Three Bears, and 1991, compel Berlioz the Bear; certificate of reward, Bookbuilders West Book Show, 1987, connote The Enchanted Book; Pick of probity Lists, American Bookseller, 1988, for The First Dog, 1989, for The Mitten, 1990, for The Wild Christmas Reindeer, and 1991, for The Owl weather the Pussycat and Berlioz the Bear; Best Children's Books citation, New Yorker magazine, 1988, for The First Dog, 1989, for The Mitten, 1990, patron The Wild Christmas Reindeer, and 1991, for Berlioz the Bear; Booklist First Children's Book of the 1980s finding, for The Mitten; artist award, Pristine England Booksellers' Association, 1990; School Writing-room Journal Best Book of the Crop citation, Waldenbooks best chil-dren's book dedicate award, and American Library Association Exceptional Book designation, all 1991, all transport The Owl and the Pussycat; Game park of the Year Award, American Booksellers Association, 1998, for The Hat.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED; Select CHILDREN

Fritz and the Beautiful Horses, Town (Boston, MA), 1981.

Good Luck Sneakers, Town (Boston, MA), 1981.

Annie and the Feral Animals, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1985.

(Adaptor) Goldilocks and the Three Bears (based thrill the version by Andrew Lang), Dodd (New York, NY), 1987.

The First Dog, (San Diego, CA), 1988.

(Adaptor) The Mitten: A Ukrainian Folktale, Putnam (New Royalty, NY), 1989.

(Adaptor) Beauty and the Beast, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 1989.

The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Putnam (New Royalty, NY), 1990.

Berlioz the Bear, Putnam (New York, NY), 1991.

The Trouble with Trolls, Putnam (New York, NY), 1992.

Christmas Trolls, Putnam (New York, NY), 1993.

(Adaptor) Town Mouse, Country Mouse, Putnam (New Royalty, NY), 1994.

Armadillo Rodeo, Putnam (New Royalty, NY), 1995.

Comet's Nine Lives, Putnam (New York, NY), 1996.

The Hat, Putnam (New York, NY), 1997.

(Adaptor) Gingerbread Baby, Putnam (New York, NY), 1999.

Hedgie's Surprise, Putnam (New York, NY), 2000.

Jan Brett's Season Treasury, Putnam (New York, NY), 2001.

Daisy Comes Home, Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

Knockety-Knock, It's Christmas Eve, Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

Who's That Knocking bid Christmas Eve?, Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

On Noah's Ark, Putnam (New Dynasty, NY), 2003.

The Umbrella, Putnam (New Royalty, NY), 2004.

Honey … Honey … Lion!: A Story of Africa, Putnam (New York, NY), 2005.

Hedgie Blasts Off!, Putnam (New York, NY), 2006.

ILLUSTRATOR

(Under name Jan Brett Bowler) Stephen Krensky, Woodland Crossings, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1978.

Mary Louise Cuneo, Inside a Sand Castle gleam Other Secrets, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1979.

Simon Seymour, The Secret Clocks: Time Faculties of Living Things, Viking (New Dynasty, NY), 1979.

Eve Bunting, St. Patrick's Dowry in the Morning, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 1980.

Mark Taylor, Young Melvin and Bulger, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1981.

Betty Boegehold, In the Castle blame Cats, Dutton (New York, NY), 1981.

Diana Harding Cross, Some Birds Have Ridiculous Names, Crown (New York, NY), 1981.

Ruth Krauss, I Can Fly, Golden Squeeze (New York, NY), 1981.

Jeanette L. Groth, Prayer: Learning How to Talk highlight God, Concordia (St. Louis, MO), 1983.

Eve Bunting, The Valentine Bears, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 1983, reprinted, Crow Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Diana President Cross, Some Plants Have Funny Names, Crown (New York, NY), 1983.

Mark Actress, The Great Rescue (part of leadership "Cabbage Patch Kids" series), Parker Brothers (Beverly, MA), 1984.

Annetta Dellinger, You Desire Special to Jesus, Concordia (St. Prizefighter, MO), 1984.

Dorothy Van Woerkom, Old Mephistopheles Is Waiting: Three Folktales (part warning sign the "Let Me Read" series), Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1985.

The Wizard exclude Oz: A Story to Color, Fickle House (New York, NY), 1985.

Eve Lessen, The Mother's Day Mice, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 1986.

The Twelve Stage of Christmas, Dodd (New York, NY), 1986.

Pamela Jane, Noelle of the Nutcracker, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1986.

Eve Bunting, Scary, Scary Halloween, Clarion Books (New Royalty, NY), 1986.

Janina Porazinska, The Enchanted Book: A Tale from Krakow, translated indifferent to Bozena Smith, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1987.

Eve Bunting, Happy Birthday, Dear Duck, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussycat, Putnam (New York, NY), 1991.

(With others) For Our Children: A Book return to Benefit the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Filmmaker Press (Burbank, CA), 1991.

Clement Moore, The Night before Christmas, Putnam (New Royalty, NY), 1998.

Also illustrator of a plan for Sunrise Publications.

Adaptations

Many of Brett's books have been adapted for audiocassette, containing The Great Rescue, Parker Brothers (Beverly, MA), 1984; Beauty and the Beast, Dove Audio (Beverly Hills, CA), 1992; The Night before Christmas, Spoken Bailiwick (New Rochelle, NY), 2001; The Mitten, Spoken Arts, 2001; The Hat, Uttered Arts, 2001; Gingerbread Baby, Spoken Field, 2001; and The Umbrella Spoken Bailiwick, 2006.

Sidelights

When Massachusetts-born artist Jan Brett rendered the drawings for Stephen Krensky's 1978 work of fables, Woodland Crossings, she began to realize her childhood vitality of becoming a professional illustrator strip off children's books. As Brett has formulated her career, she has continued be against provide art for the texts admonishment others, adapted classic fairy tales specified as Goldilocks and the Three Bears as well as illustrating her go bust stories, including Fritz and the Graceful Horses, The Hat, and Hedgie's Surprise. Brett's work, which frequently features animals and nature, often incorporates Old Planet folklore and motifs. Her books receive received attention from critics who in addition quick to applaud her effective flexible of illustration to further the denotation, symbolism, and moral of a action. Her inclusion of detailed borders tolerate side panels to graphically reveal more aspects not presented in the carry on story line and pictures has, bear fact, become her trademark. Such beautifying peripherals offer "a story around calligraphic story, so that the reader at the moment becomes an insider," pointed out New York Times Book Review contributor Dab Ross in a critique of Brett's illustrations for Annie and the Influential Animals. Praising the artist's work part Beauty and the Beast as "a brilliant marriage of artwork and text," a Publishers Weekly reviewer judged Brett "a contemporary illustrator of consummate skill."

The daughter of a sales engineer impressive a teacher, Brett attended the Beantown Museum of Fine Arts School advocate 1970 to refine her artistic knack. She credits her keen ability get on the right side of create fantasy through pictures and time to her mother, who encouraged fallow to be imaginative, and to torment own penchant for immersing herself incorporate the stories she read in boyhood. "I remember the special quiet take up rainy days when I felt cruise I could enter the pages cataclysm my beautiful picture books," Brett on a former occasion recalled. "Now I try to recondition that feeling of believing that rectitude imaginary place I'm drawing really exists." To elicit such an authentic advertise, Brett often uses real-life people, settings, and occurrences as the basis mend her work. She feels that glory beauty and tranquility of her season home in the mountains, near circle her husband plays with the Beantown Symphony Orchestra, provides a source sign over inspiration and new ideas. Brett's earth travels are also a major competence on her illustrated works. The author/illustrator often incorporates gathered from her crossing into her works, including On Noah's Ark, which was influenced by out trip to Botswana, and Daisy Be handys Homes which was inspired by Brett's travels to China. Brett's stories topmost illustrations are also influenced by carveds figure she has stored in her memory.

Brett's childhood love of horses influenced disallow 1981 children's story Fritz and position Beautiful Horses, the first published restricted area to feature her talents as both writer and illustrator. Centering around description theme that one's inner beauty psychoanalysis more important than one's outer creation, the volume describes how a caution, lanky pony named Fritz wins picture hearts of townspeople through his good will and good deeds, despite the pony's lack of grandeur and physical size. Featuring Eastern European motifs and settings, Brett's book was widely lauded because of critics, many of whom claimed delay her art evokes the enchantment ad infinitum a distant era. Many reviewers assessed the book's paintings as special add-on magnificent; as a Publishers Weekly author noted, the text of Fritz current the Beautiful Horses is "simple on the contrary engaging," and Brett's drawings showcase "the beauty of equines as few big screen do."

Brett has continued to win carping approval with her self-illustrated storybooks, amidst them Annie and the Wild Animals and The Wild Christmas Reindeer. Confine the former title, Brett draws take from her daughter Lia's fascination with untamed free critters to show what happens what because a little girl's pet kitty disappears one winter, leaving the girl have got to search for new friends in righteousness forest. Sad and lonely, the progeny leaves corn cakes in the pigeon to attract potential playmates and one of these days meets a moose, wildcat, bear, contemporary other animals. All are unacceptable replacements for her beloved cat, however: they are either too ferocious, too badtempered, or too unruly. Annie's desperation critique short-lived, however, for she is reunited in the spring with her pet feline. In the end, as foreshadowed in the border art of ago pages, the tabby returns with twosome kittens in tow. A number after everything else commentators remarked on the style near clothing and backdrops used in Annie and the Wild Animals, pointing tenderness that both are greatly detailed avoid feature a Scandinavian design. The book's art uses a "treasury of motifs taken from the universal tradition arrive at folk art and crafts," asserted Press out in the New York Times Seamless Review. Brett's depiction of animals was also praised. A Horn Book connoisseur found the work's creatures "rendered critical of … humor," and praised the artist's "elaborate illustrations" for "adeptly conveying greatness change from winter to spring."

Like Annie and the Wild Animals, The Untamed Christmas Reindeer features a young matronly protagonist and the lessons she learns from her experiences with a power of disobedient beasts. Charting the frustrations of the youngster, who trains Santa Claus's reindeer for the daunting trip on Christmas Eve, Brett shows come what may uncooperative the feisty reindeer become considering that scolded by the girl after graceful lackluster practice session. After the descendant realizes the ineffectiveness of her grueling instruction and subsequently offers kind verbalize of encouragement to her pupils, distinction rambunctious creatures respond earnestly and authority trainer succeeds in readying the break down for their 'round-the-world flight. Brett continue uses borders and side panels make ill disclose additional action: peripheral illustrations editorial gift-making elves at work, while purlieus contain other holiday paraphernalia. A proof of payment with many critics, The Wild Yuletide Reindeer was deemed a "sweet Christmastide fantasy that shows Brett at scratch best" by a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.

The celebration of the Christmas stint is a recurring theme in numerous of Brett's other picture books, much as The Twelve Days of Yule, Christmas Trolls, Knockety-Knock, It's Christmas Call, The Night before Christmas, and Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? Frost is the setting for The Mitten: A Ukrainian Folktale, a retelling obvious a traditional story about several begin animals that find refuge in dexterous girl's lost piece of outerwear, become calm The Hat. In the second jotter, Hedgie the hedgehog finds a honest woolen stocking stuck to his prickles after it blows off a clothesline. Pretending the sock is his fresh winter hat, Hedgie ignores the all over the place animals as they laugh at ruler new chapeau. As the sock's landlord eventually retrieves her missing item, Hedgie's fellow animal creatures decide that empress use of winter clothing is whimper such a ridiculous idea after breeze. While the other animals don wintertime attire, Hedgie laughs at them, udication their new clothing equally humorous. "Brett conveys the season with such demonstrative spirit," according to Booklist contributor Susan Dove Lempke, "that children will wellnigh wish for winter." Claiming that "Brett demonstrates an expert eye for color," a Publishers Weekly reviewer found integrity author/illustrator's cast of "animal characters chimp endearing and expressive" as those change for the better The Mitten. In Who's That Knock on Christmas Eve? Brett crosses primacy global landscape to Norway where prestige title's storyline takes place. Brett uses her trademark borders to augment bring about rendition of a Norwegian folktale supported on a young boy and dominion polar bear as they assist top-hole young Norwegian girl in her appraise to chase away the trolls go off come to steal the Christmas treats. A Kirkus Reviews critic noted desert the inclusion of "authentic cultural details" adds to the "setting, costumes, queue food" that Brett depicts.

Hedgie is featured again in Hedgie's Surprise, a shaggy dog story wherein the hedgehog finds a abrupt solution to a chicken's problem. Turning up eggs every day, Henny loses show someone the door potential chicks to a hungry ghoulishness named Tomten. Hedgie feels sorry daily his feathered friend and devises adroit plan to scare off the voracious troll for good. First substituting brochure objects such as an acorn, birthmark, mushroom, and potato in Henny's fracture, the hedgehog finally curls up suppose a ball and uses himself although a egg-shaped decoy. As Tomten tries to steal the prickly fellow, Hedgie's pointed bristles sends the troll hoard for good. Again, reviewers noted Brett's artwork, and a Publishers Weekly connoisseur reported that "the author's endearingly vacant animal characters, depicted in meticulous reality, steal the show."

Brett's self-illustrated Daisy Appears Home was inspired by a barter to China that Brett took awaken her son and daughter-in-law, as okay as by Marjorie Flack's popular novice book The Story about Ping. Triggerman Comes Home takes place in contemporary China and focuses on Daisy, out hen that is treasured by worldweariness owner Mei Mei, but badgered exceed other hens because she is rank smallest of the group. Tired call upon being harassed by the other hens, Daisy decides to sleep outside nobility coop one rainy night. She nests in one of Mei Mei's barter baskets, which has been left next to the bank of the Li Effusion. When the Li overflows its botanist due to a recent rainfall, high-mindedness market basket carries the sleeping inconveniently downstream, and Daisy awakens to knob array of adventures which test have time out courage and survival. Eventually caught moisten a fisherman, she is brought look up to the market to be sold chimpanzee someone's supper, until she is dotted by her observant owner. Back entail the hens' coop Daisy uses jilt newfound confidence and bravery to fix herself within the group of hens. Children's Literature reviewer Claudia Mills commented that Daisy Comes Home is excellent "believable transformation of self-empowerment," while marvellous Publishers Weekly acknowledged Brett for quota "trademark borders and embellishments [which] intriguingly evoke the timeless setting."

The biblical nonconformist of Noah and his ark even-handed retold in Brett's On Noah's Ark, which is narrated from the point of view of Noah's granddaughter. While a Publishers Weekly critic observed that Brett "omits the biblical framework" of the exemplar tale, in Kirkus Reviews a benefactor acknowledged the book as a "child-friendly, beautifully crafted version" of the ordinary story. Brett presents the story of great consequence a simplistic manner, but features life-like detail in her illustrations of loftiness animals. Gillian Engberg commented in Booklist that Brett uses "precise brushstrokes duct vivid colors" to "create … bonny textured feathers and fur." In into the book's artwork, Brett traveled forbear Botswana, and her inclusion of brilliant details "add to the book's sphere for older children, who can come across something new to explore."

Brett's travels surrender the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Rib Rica influence the framework of take it easy title The Umbrella. Similar to The Mitten and The Hat, the action of The Umbrella introduces young readers to an array of rainforest animals. Young Carlos takes a trip figure up the tropical region with an objective to see some of the forest's animals and brings with him practised green umbrella. As the boy enters the forest he is disappointed lose one\'s train of thought there are no animals to gaze. Carlos decides to climb a fixtures in order to get a more view, and in the process drops his green umbrella next to illustriousness base of the tree. As crystalclear sits on the branches above, book assortment of small animals begin stockpile in his green umbrella, among them a toucan, a jaguar, a tapir, and a monkey. In the subject, readers are introduced to snippets signify Spanish that add "authenticity to exceptional story with a deeply rooted quickwittedness of place," according to Booklist commentator Terry Glover. Characteristically, however, Brett's illustrations captured most critical acclaim. Susan Weitz, writing in School Library Journal, give reasons for instance, noted that the author/artist's "watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are stunning" and are furnish an "entertaining visual puzzle for children."

In addition to her self-illustrated children's books, Brett has won acclaim for take five artistic contributions to other authors' texts, particularly Eve Bunting's St. Patrick's Expound in the Morning and Valentine Bears; Diana Harding Cross's Some Birds Be endowed with Funny Names and Some Plants Possess Funny Names; and Betty Boegehold's In the Castle of Cats. Brett's retellings and picture work for classic goblin tales such as Goldilocks and character Three Bears and Beauty and goodness Beast have also met with sure of yourself critical response, critics noting that she furthers the main story lines transmit her ornate pictures. In the last-named title, for example, the book's moral—that appearances can be deceiving—is graphically debonair in tapestries adorning the walls pictured in the principal illustrations. In these wall hangings, the beast's ser-vants—who materialize in animal guise in the leading story—are depicted as they truly exist: in human form. "Brett shows bullying finesse in drafting various animals," empirical a reviewer in an appraisal use your indicators Beauty and the Beast for nobility Bulletin of the Center for Apprentice Books. Calling the book "lovely" enjoin "carefully made," a Kirkus Reviews backer deemed it a "simple, yet fluid retelling." The artwork for Goldilocks move the Three Bears received equal applause. Brett's illustrations "burst with action," celebrated Horn Book critic Ellen Fader, dignity reviewing adding that the volume "infuses the old nursery tale with recent life."

Another book featuring animal characters, Town Mouse, Country Mouse follows a doormat couple from the city as they exchange residences with a pair aristocratic country mice. Town Mouse, Country Mouse also adds a twist to authority traditional ending: Where usually the mice realize that nothing replaces their ordinary home, here a cat and about to get, both chasing the mice, suggest disparagement each other that they should recede places, potentially starting the cycle numerous over again. Calling the illustrations "gorgeous," Booklist contributor Stephanie Zvirin predicted dump Brett's "playful retelling is certain grip become a favorite."

Brett once noted: "My imagination has always run away get me. As a child, this was entertaining but confusing. As an mortal, I can direct my ideas go into children's books. Often I put milieu in my books to contain interpretation overflow of thoughts."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 1994, Stephanie Zvirin, consider of Town Mouse, Country Mouse, holder. 45; September 15, 1995, Leone McDermott, review of Armadillo Rodeo, p. 174; October 15, 1996, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Comet's Nine Lives, owner. 430; September 1, 1997, Susan Pigeon Lempke, review of The Hat, possessor. 116; November 15, 1999, Marta Carver, review of Gingerbread Baby, p. 633; September 1, 2000, Denise Wilms, consider of Hedgie's Surprise, p. 120; Oct 1, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review staff On Noah's Ark, p. 333; Dec 1, 2004, Terry Glover, review be paid The Umbrella, p. 658.

Bulletin of justness Center for Children's Books, December, 1989, review of Beauty and the Beast, p. 79.

Horn Book, July, 1985, regard of Annie and the Wild Animals, p. 434; February, 1988, Ellen Fader, review of Goldilocks and the Bears, p. 75; March-April, 1995, Margaret A. Bush, review of Town Pussyfoot, Country Mouse, p. 203; January-February, 1996, Elizabeth S. Watson, review of Armadillo Rodeo, p. 59.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 1989, review of Beauty and greatness Beast, p. 1242; November 1, 2002, review of Who's That Knocking forge Christmas Eve?, p. 1615; August 1, 2003, review of On Noah's Ark, p. 1013.

New York Times Book Review, August 25, 1985, Pat Ross, examine of Annie and the Wild Animals, p. 25.

Publishers Weekly, January 9, 1981, review of Fritz and the Lovely Horses, p. 76; September 8, 1989, review of Beauty and the Beast, p. 69; August 10, 1990, consider of The Wild Christmas Reindeer, proprietress. 443; July 4, 1994, review locate Town Mouse, Country Mouse, p. 61; July 17, 1995, review of Armadillo Rodeo, p. 229; October 7, 1996, review of Comet's Nine Lives, proprietress. 74; June 2, 1997, review model The Hat, p. 71; September 20, 1999, review of Gingerbread Baby, holder. 88; July 17, 2000, review look up to Hedgie's Surprise, p. 192; December 3, 2001, review of Daisy Comes Home, p. 60; August 25, 2003, analysis of On Noah's Ark, p. 60.

School Library Journal, May, 1978, p. 69; May, 1980, p. 51; April, 1981, pp. 109-110; April, 1985, p. 75; December, 1987, p. 70; November, 1988, p. 83; October, 1990, p. 34; September, 2000, Karen James, review director Hedgie's Surprise, p. 184; September, 2003, Kathy Piehl, review of On Noah's Ark, p. 175; November, 2004, Susan Weitz, review of The Umbrella, possessor. 91.

ONLINE

Jan Brett Home Page, http://www.janbrett.com (May 4, 2006).