An Author a Month for Pennies

by Sharron McElmeel (Libraries Unlimited, 1988 ISBN 0872876616. Order Online.) Professional Book.
This review by Carol Otis Hurst first appeared in Teaching K-8 Magazine.

Review

This is a wonderfully complete book with lots of useful information and ideas librarians and teachers have been looking for. Whole language teachers will want their own copies as will librarians looking to break away from "library skills" and into children's literature. There are twelve author/illustrators of picture books: Marcia Brown, Eric Carle, Carol Carrick, Tomie de Paola, Beatrice Schenk deRegniers, Dr. Seuss, Steven Kellogg, Arnold Lobel, Margot Zemach, Bill Peet, Chris Van Allsburg, and Bernard Waber. For each Mrs. McElmeel gives us an interesting biography. Unlike many such biographies, these have information kids might actually care about. She follows each biography and clear black and white photo with what she calls an idea cupboard. There you'll find a summary of some of their books, and some practical, possible and interesting ways in which those books can be extended. Not only is this a treasure for the author studies she includes, it's a road map for other such studies you and the kids can come up with.