Daniel Pinkwater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Pinkwater
|
|
|---|---|
Pinkwater in 2011
|
|
| Born | Manus Pinkwater November 15, 1941 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Pen name | Daniel Pinkwater, Daniel M. Pinkwater, Daniel Manus Pinkwater, D. Manus Pinkwater |
| Occupation | Author, illustrator |
| Alma mater | Bard College |
| Genre | Children's literature, young adult fiction |
| Notable works |
|
| Spouse | Jill Pinkwater (1969-2022; her death) |
Daniel Manus Pinkwater (born November 15, 1941) is an American author who writes exciting books for kids and young adults. He is known for his unique stories that often feature strange and funny situations. Some of his most famous books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. He has also written essays based on his talks on National Public Radio.
Many of the characters and events in his books are inspired by real people and experiences from his own childhood.
Contents
About Daniel Pinkwater's Life
Growing Up and Learning
Daniel Pinkwater was born Manus Pinkwater in Memphis, Tennessee. His parents were immigrants from Poland. When he was young, his family moved to Chicago, where he grew up.
He went to the Black-Foxe Military Institute in Hollywood for a while. Later, he finished high school back in Chicago. After that, he studied at Bard College in New York State. He first studied art, but he found that he preferred writing. He even tried working with a sculptor, but his mentor told him he was meant to be a writer!
Pinkwater later met a children's book editor by chance. He ended up writing his first book, The Terrible Roar, which was published in 1970.
Working with Dogs and Art
Daniel Pinkwater and his wife, Jill, once ran a dog training and obedience school in Hoboken, New Jersey. He also trained as an art therapist, but found it wasn't the right path for him.
Pinkwater is a talented artist and has illustrated many of his own books. For some of his newer books, his wife Jill has taken over the artwork. He uses different art styles for his books, like computer drawings, woodcuts, and even Magic Marker.
You might notice that Daniel Pinkwater uses slightly different names for his books, like "Daniel Pinkwater" or "Daniel M. Pinkwater." He started using the name Daniel in the 1970s.
Exploring Pinkwater's Books
Story Themes and Characters
Pinkwater's stories often feature characters who are a bit different or don't quite fit in. These characters then find themselves in very unusual situations. Imagine searching for a floating island with giant, smart lizards, or exploring other universes with a quirky relative! His books are often set in places that look a lot like Chicago and Hoboken, New Jersey.
He loves to include famous places and interesting people from his childhood in 1950s Chicago. For example, a recurring character is the Chicken Man. This mysterious man carries a performing chicken on his head! Pinkwater based this character on a real person he remembered from Chicago. He also mentions places like the Clark Theater and Bughouse Square in his stories.
Another common theme in his books is Jewish culture. Sometimes, character names sound like Yiddish phrases, or characters speak in a way that sounds like Yiddish.
Comics and Radio Work
Daniel Pinkwater also wrote a newspaper comic strip called Norb. It was drawn by Tony Auth. The comic strip was published in many newspapers, but it didn't last long.
Pinkwater was a regular voice on National Public Radio (NPR). He often reviewed children's books on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday. For a few years, he even had his own NPR show called Chinwag Theater. Fans of the NPR show Car Talk might remember him as a caller who gave funny advice about cars.
A Story on a Test: The Hare and the Pineapple
In April 2012, a story that sounded like it was by Daniel Pinkwater, called "The Hare and the Pineapple," was used on a test for 8th graders in New York. The story was actually based on his short story, "The Story of the Rabbit and the Eggplant," which he had sold to the testing company. However, the test version changed the eggplant to a pineapple and even changed the story's message!
Students found some of the questions very confusing, like "The animals ate the pineapple most likely because they were ___?" and "Which animal spoke the wisest words?" Even a famous Jeopardy! champion, Ken Jennings, couldn't figure out the answers! This led to discussions about how to make state exams better in the future.
