Alexandra Day facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexandra Day
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| Born | Sandra Louise Woodward Darling April 27, 1941 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer/illustrator |
| Genre | Children's picture books |
| Notable works | Good Dog, Carl |
Alexandra Day (born in 1941) is an American author who writes and illustrates books for children. Her real name is Sandra Louise Woodward Darling. She is most famous for her "Carl" series of books. These stories are about a kind Rottweiler dog named Carl who takes care of a baby girl named Madeleine.
The first book, Good Dog, Carl, came out in 1985. It was published by Day's own company, Green Tiger Press. Good Dog, Carl became very popular. Many more Carl books followed, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Contents
Growing Up
Sandra Louise Woodward Darling was born in 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio. She grew up in a big, loving family. Painting was a favorite activity for everyone. Family trips often included easels, sketch pads, and paints.
For four years, her family lived on a large farm in Kentucky. Young Sandra loved riding and training horses there. She also got her first dog. Living in the countryside gave her lots of time to read, which she always enjoyed.
Her Career
Starting a Publishing Company
In 1970, Alexandra Day and her husband, Harold Darling, started their own publishing company. It was called Green Tiger Press. Around this time, Day also began her career as an illustrator.
Her first illustrated book was The Teddy Bears' Picnic in 1983. This book was based on a popular children's song. In 1986, Green Tiger Press was sold. The Darlings then started a new company called Blue Lantern Publishing.
New Ventures
In 1993, the Darlings moved to Seattle. There, they founded another publishing company called Laughing Elephant. Harold Darling passed away in 2016. Today, Laughing Elephant is run by Alexandra Day and her children, Benjamin and Sacheverell.
The Carl Book Series
How Carl Was Created
Alexandra Day shared how she got the idea for Good Dog, Carl. In 1983, she and her husband visited Zurich, Switzerland. They saw an old German picture in a bookshop window. It showed a poodle playing with a baby who was supposed to be napping.
This picture inspired the story of Good Dog, Carl. Day's own dog, a Rottweiler named Toby, was the model for Carl. Since then, five other family Rottweilers have been models for the books. Their names were Arambarri, Zabala, Zubiaga, Zulaica, and Abelard. Day's granddaughter, Madeleine, was the inspiration and model for the baby in the first Carl book.
Other Popular Books
Carl's Christmas became a New York Times bestseller. Besides the "Carl" series, Day also created the "Frank and Ernest" books. These stories feature a bear and an elephant. They use fun and colorful language from different places, like diners, CB radio users, and baseball.
