Bill Martin Jr. facts for kids

William "Bill" Ivan Martin Jr. (born March 20, 1916 – died August 11, 2004) was a super famous American writer and educator. He wrote over 300 children's books! You might know some of them, like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (which he wrote with John Archambault), Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?, and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?. He loved helping kids learn to read. In 1996, the Bill Martin Jr. Award was created in Kansas to honor him. It's given to the best children's picture book each year.

Early Life and Learning

Bill Martin Jr. grew up in Hiawatha, Kansas. He had four brothers. His dad was a paperhanger, and his mom was a housewife. Reading was tough for him when he was young. But when he went to college at the Kansas State Teacher's College in Emporia, Kansas, something amazing happened. A teacher read poems aloud, and Bill memorized them. This helped him connect the words he heard to the words on the page.

Bill became excited about helping other children learn to read. He wanted kids to "have language inside of themselves." He later earned a special degree in 1961. This degree was all about teaching young children.

Bill Martin Jr.'s Career

After college, Bill taught journalism, drama, and English in high schools. This was in Newton and St. John, Kansas. During World War II, he worked for the Army Air Force as a newspaper editor. This is where he wrote his very first book!

His First Book

His first book was called The Little Squeegy Bug. It came out in 1945. Bill's brother, Bernard Martin, drew the pictures for it. Even Eleanor Roosevelt, a famous First Lady, praised the book in her newspaper column. The Little Squeegy Bug sold over 1 million copies! Bill wrote 10 more books with his brother.

Bill always worked with a special artist for his books. He loved working with others and making many changes. He kept working until the words sounded just right. Later, Bill became a principal at a school in Illinois. Then he moved to New York City. He joined a publishing company called Holt, Rinehart and Winston. There, he helped create new and fun reading programs for schools.

Becoming a Full-Time Writer

In 1972, Bill became a full-time writer. He met John Archambault in 1983. They started working together on many award-winning books. These included Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Barn Dance!. Their first book together, "The Ghost-Eye Tree," won an award and has been printed for almost 30 years.

Bill also worked with Michael Sampson for the last 15 years of his life. They met at a reading conference in 1978. In 1992, Bill moved to Texas to live near Michael. They built houses next to each other on 26 acres of land. Bill named the land "Woodfrost" because he loved the poet Robert Frost. For 12 years, Bill and Michael wrote together every day. They created 25 books for kids. Some of these were I Pledge Allegiance and the best-selling Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? Their last book together was The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry. It was published after Bill passed away.

Helping Teachers and Kids

Bill Martin Jr. was also a popular speaker for teachers. He and Michael Sampson held workshops called "Pathways to Literacy." Over 50,000 teachers learned from them across the United States. Bill was one of the first children's book authors to visit schools and bookstores. He would read his books aloud to children. He often added music and dancing!

Bill believed that rhythm and repetition helped kids remember new words. Michael Sampson said that poetry helped Bill learn to read. If he could hear it, he could read it. Bill always focused on how his writing sounded. Poetry was his guide. In the 1950s, Bill hosted a TV show called The Storyteller. He also made audio recordings of his books.

Bill Martin Jr.'s Legacy

Bill Martin Jr. passed away in Commerce, Texas in 2004. He was eighty-eight years old. He had a daughter named Danielle.

A library at Texas A&M University–Commerce is named after him. It holds all his books and many special items. In 2000, a library in his hometown of Hiawatha, Kansas was also named after him and his brother Bernard. Bernard was a famous painter of Midwest wildlife.

Images for kids

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  The 2015 Bill Martin Jr. Symposium at Texas A&M University–Commerce