Carmen Agra Deedy facts for kids

Carmen Agra Deedy is a well-known author who writes books for kids. She is also a talented storyteller and has shared her stories on the radio.

Early Life and Moving to the U.S.

Carmen Agra Deedy was born in Havana, Cuba. In 1963, when she was young, her family moved to the United States. This happened after the Cuban Revolution. She grew up in a town called Decatur, Georgia.

A Gifted Storyteller

Carmen Agra Deedy is famous for her storytelling. She has performed all over the United States and Canada. Some of the famous places she has shared her stories include the Disney Institute and the Kennedy Center. She has also been a featured storyteller at many big events, like the National Storytelling Festival. In 2010, she gave a special speech at Brenau University and received an honorary doctorate, which is a special degree.

Books for Young Readers

Carmen Agra Deedy has written many popular children's books. Most of her books are in English, and some have also been published in Spanish. All her books have been released by Peachtree Publishers. Many of her books have won important awards.

English Books

Here are some of her books written in English:

• TreeMan (1993)
  • This book won the Georgia Author of the Year award for children's books.
• Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story (1994)
• The Library Dragon (1994)
  • This book has won several honors, including the Flicker Tale Children's Book Award Honor Book. It was also chosen for the National Book Festival for Georgia.
• The Last Dance (1995)
• The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark (2000)
  • This book tells an important story and has received many awards. These include the Parent's Choice Gold Award and the Christopher Award. It also won the Bologna Ragazzi Award, which is a big international award.
• The Secret of Old Zeb (2002)
• Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale (2007)
  • This popular book received the Pura Belpré Award Honor. It was also named one of the Best Children's Books of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education.
• 14 Cows for America (2009)
• The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale (2011) - co-written with Randall Wright.
• The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! (2017)

Spanish Books

Carmen Agra Deedy's stories are also available in Spanish:

• La Cama De Plumas De Agata (Alfaguara Infanfil) (1996)
• Martina una Cucarachita muy Linda: Un Cuento Cubano
  • This Spanish version of Martina was recognized as a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People.
• Un Colchon de Plumas para Agata: Un Cuento de "ALAS" para Ninos]]

Radio and Audio Stories

Carmen Deedy has shared her stories on NPR shows like Weekend All Things Considered and Latino USA. Her audio collection, Growing up Cuban in Decatur, Georgia, won the Parents' Choice Gold Award. Her audio CD for Martina the Beautiful Cockroach is also very popular. It includes the story in both English and Spanish. This CD was named an Odyssey Award Honor.

Personal Life

Carmen Agra Deedy is married to a musician named John McCutcheon. They live in Decatur, Georgia.

See also

• List of Cuban-American writers
• List of famous Cuban-Americans