Author Archives - Page 18 of 25 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Clark, Marc

Clark, Marc

Marc Clark’s first book, The Princess Fables, is an Amazon #1 Best Seller and has won several awards, including Best Children’s Book at both the 2014 Great Midwest and Beach Book Festivals.

The Royal Fables, his second book, was an Amazon #1 New Release and was Runner Up, Best Children’s Book at the 2015 Paris Book Festival. All proceeds from the book fund pediatric cancer research at the Texas Children’s Hospital.

He is currently at work on his new fairytale/cookbook, The Picky Princess, with noted nutrition expert, food journalist, TV personality, and author, Carolyn O’Neil MS, RD. www.thefableskingdom.com

3 Fun Facts

1. Produced the HBO Family Series, 30 X 30 Kid Flicks
2. Created Jerry Seinfeld’s 50th Birthday Video for his party at the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center
3. My initials spell my first name: Marc Angelo Robert Clark

Crowl, M. Tara

Crowl, M. Tara

M. Tara Crowl is the author of EDEN’S WISH and EDEN’S ESCAPE, released by Disney-Hyperion in 2015 and 2016. She has loved reading and writing stories since she was a kid growing up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She studied Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California and worked in Hollywood after graduation, but then moved to Sydney, Australia for a Master’s program in writing at Macquarie University. She now lives with her husband between New York City and their farm in the northern Catskills. www.mtaracrowl.com

3 Fun Facts

1. The M. in my name stands for my first name, Meagan.
2. I’m also a farmer. My husband and I have a farm where we raise cattle.
3. My sister is a librarian in Atlanta.

Durst, Sarah Beth

Durst, Sarah Beth

Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of eleven fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults, including Drink Slay Love, the basis for the upcoming TV movie of the same name, airing on Lifetime in 2017. Her next book for kids, Journey Across the Hidden Islands, comes out in April 2017 from HMH/Clarion Books, and her first picture book, Roar and Sparkles Go to School, comes out in June 2017 from Running Press Kids. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. For more information, visit her at sarahbethdurst.com. www.sarahbethdurst.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 10 years old. (Before that, I wanted to be Wonder Woman.)
2. I love pizza, hot chocolate, and Raisinets
3. I’m afraid of skunks and Frisbees

Weston, Carol

Weston, Carol

Carol Weston’s brand new novel, Speed of Life, is about Sofia, 14, who thinks her life is over when really it has just begun. Carol has been an advice columnist at Girls’ Life since 1994. Among her 16 books for kids, teens, and adults are Girltalk, which was translated into 12 languages, and seven diary novels about fifth-grade word nerd Ava Wren and fourth-grade traveler Melanie Martin. The New York Times called Ava and Pip a “love letter to language.” Carol studied literature at Yale and has an MA in Spanish from Middlebury. She lives in Manhattan. More at carolweston.com. I have written 16 books including eight novels for kids. (Ava and Pip series and Melanie Martin series. Also Girltalk, in print for 35 years…) www.carolweston.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I grew up in Armonk and my daughter was just on the Today Show because of her pancake business, Birch Benders.
2. I’m the Dear Carol advice columnist at Girls’ Life Magazine –have been since 1994!
3. I speak French and Spanish and do okay in Italian. I have zero sense of direction.

Gehl, Laura

Gehl, Laura

Laura Gehl is the author of award- winning picture books, including ONE BIG PAIR OF UNDERWEAR and the PEEP AND EGG series (PEEP AND EGG’s third adventure, I’M NOT TAKING A BATH, releases October 2017). Laura also writes about science for children and adults. She lives in Chevy Chase, MD with her husband and four children. Visit her online at www.lauragehl.com.

3 Fun Facts

1. I love to travel and have visited many different countries, including Australia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Argentina, Belgium, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey.
2. Two of my favorite vegetables are ones that a lot of people hate—Brussels sprouts and lima beans. But my other favorite vegetable is chocolate (hey…it comes from a plant, so close enough!)
3. I have four kids, and their names go in alphabetical order from oldest to youngest (We didn’t plan it that way…it just happened!)

Castrovilla, Selene

Castrovilla, Selene

Selene Castrovilla is the award-winning author of eight books, including four picture books about the American Revolution. Her forthcoming book, Revolutionary Rogues: John André and Benedict Arnold, reveals the sinister story that took place in the Hudson Valley: Arnold’s treason! Her previous books include Revolutionary Friends: General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette and By the Sword. Selene visits with students across the country in-person and virtually, talking about the humanity in American history. She lives on Long Island with her two sons and their rescue cats. Visit www.SeleneCastrovilla.com.

3 Fun Facts

1. I love the color purple. I have a purple computer, a purple car and even a purple house!
2. I had no idea I would write about the American Revolution when I was a kid. I thought it was so boring — especially George Washington and his wooden teeth! It took me by surprise when I found out all the amazing things he did, and he became my hero.
3. My sons and I rescue cats! We have six cats right now, plus we feed a lot more every day.

Rogers, Jacqueline

Rogers, Jacqueline

Some of my notable published work is the Beverly Cleary’s backlist, including the wonderful Ramona series in 2013-14. I loved working with Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager on the picture book, “Our Great Big Backyard” in 2016, a NY Times #1 Bestseller. Recently, I illustrated two picture books for Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. The first, “Little Ree” also a bestseller, and then “Little Ree, Best Friends Forever” came out in 2018. 2019 welcomed “Goblin Moon” published by Harper Collins. An original halloween poem I wrote and illustrated. While I still love to illustrate other authors’ manuscripts, I have found that my love for developing characters has led me to writing and illustrating my own picture books and now graphic novels. Writing for an older age group is very exciting, and I am working in photoshop and procreate to build a digital style to go with these stories. www.jacquelinerogers.com

Our Great Big Backyard written by Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager was a #1 New York Times bestseller in 2016.
Little Ree written by The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond reached #4 on the NY Times bestselling list in 2017.

3 Fun Facts

1. I love to make all kinds of art, including pottery, sculpture,and mosaics, as well as painting and drawing.
2. Monsters are my favorite things to draw.
3. Ramona and Beezus are exactly like my daughters.

Gordon, David

Gordon, David

David Gordon has art directed and/or worked on visual development, layout, and character design for numerous production companies from Lucasfilm to Pixar, including such movies as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., A Bug’s Life, and Cars; BlueSky’s Robots and Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants. He has also written and illustrated many children’s books, among them Hansel and Diesel, The Three Little Rigs, The Ugly Truckling, and Smitten. He is one of the illustrators of Jon Scieszka’s 52-book, NY Times best-selling series, Trucktown. His newest book is Extremely Cute Animals Operating Heavy Machinery, also a NY Times Bestseller. www.davidgordonbooks.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I LOVE all kinds of machines, especially heavy ones!
2. I started drawing when I was three and never stopped.
3. I’m lactose intolerant.

Miller, Daniel Jude

Miller, Daniel Jude

Daniel Jude Miller is the author and illustrator of the children’s picture book series Monsters in Manhattan, as well as Everybody Wake Up, Earclaw and Eddie and the upcoming Halloween Boy and the Christmas Kid. Growing up in Queens, NY and going to college and working in Manhattan for many years inspired him to write and draw all the creatures and goblins he came across on a daily basis. He now lives upstate, far from the clutches of those monsters. www.djudemiller.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I met my wife while working up in the clouds on the 65th floor of the Empire State Building.
2. I have a baseball hat collection, 279 and counting…
3. My middle name is Jude. It’s also the middle name of my brother, two sisters and son. And I donate a dollar from every book to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Zunon, Elizabeth

Zunon, Elizabeth

Drawing and painting have always been among the most important things to illustrator Elizabeth Zunon. Born in Albany, NY and raised in the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), West Africa, she cultivated a love of color and pattern, which are fixtures in her works today. After returning to the United States, Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2006 from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her twelfth illustrated children’s book, Grandpa Cacao: a Tale of Chocolate, from Farm to Family (Bloomsbury), was published in May 2019. It is her first authored-illustrated book: a true story about chocolate! Elizabeth’s most recent illustrated book, Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) has earned four starred reviews and is one of Amazon’s’ Best Books of the month for January, 2020.! www.lizzunon.com

3 Fun Facts

1. My favorite type of chocolate is dark chocolate.
2. I like to sing along with music when I paint.
3. I love to watch cooking shows and bake in my free time.