Eileen Christelow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eileen Christelow
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | April 22, 1943 Washington, DC, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, illustrator |
| Genre | Juvenile fiction |
| Notable works | Five Little Monkeys series |
Eileen Christelow (born April 22, 1943) is an American writer and illustrator. She creates books for children, including both made-up stories (fiction) and factual books (non-fiction). She is most famous for her series about the "Five Little Monkeys." This series started with her own version of the classic nursery rhyme "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." She has also written stories about her home state of Vermont, books featuring a dog named Emma, and a non-fiction book called Vote! which explains how voting works.
Contents
Who is Eileen Christelow?
Her Early Life and Education
Eileen Christelow was born in Washington, DC. Her father was a historian and her mother was an economist. She grew up in Washington, DC, and also in New Canaan, Connecticut. When she was 14, her family moved to Japan for a year because of her father's job. She went to high school there at the American School in Japan in Tokyo.
After returning to the U.S., Christelow finished high school at Abbot Academy. She then went to the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1965. She studied architecture there, which taught her important design skills. These skills later helped her in photography, graphic design, and illustrating books.
Becoming a Photographer
Eileen Christelow met her husband, Ahren Ahrenholz, in Philadelphia. They got married in 1965. For the next six years, she worked as a freelance photographer. She took pictures of buildings, city life, schools, and even political protests in the 1960s. Her photos were printed in many magazines and textbooks.
In 1971, Eileen and Ahren moved to Cornwall, England for a year. Their daughter, Heather, was born there in March 1972. In 1972, the family moved back to the United States. They settled in Kensington, California. Later, in 1981, they moved to Vermont, where Eileen had spent summers as a child on her grandparents’ farm. Today, they live in East Dummerston, Vermont. Her husband designed and built their house.
Her Journey to Writing and Illustrating
From Photography to Children's Books
Eileen Christelow first worked as a photographer and a graphic designer. A graphic designer creates visual ideas using images and text. Eventually, she decided to try writing and illustrating children's picture books. While her young daughter, Heather, was at day care, Christelow worked on her book ideas. She created "dummies," which are like rough versions of a book, and sent them to many publishers.
She took a class called "Writing for Children" at the University of California. The teacher, Betty Bacon, was a former editor for a publishing company. Bacon gave Christelow helpful advice to make two of her book ideas ready for publishing.
Her First Published Books
Betty Bacon suggested that Christelow show her books to Jim Giblin at Clarion Books. In August 1981, Giblin bought both books! Her first book, Henry and the Red Stripes, was published in 1982. Her second book, Mr. Murphy’s Marvelous Invention, came out in 1983. Jim Giblin continued to be her editor for more than 30 books until he passed away in 2016.
Her Famous Books
Eileen Christelow is best known for her "Five Little Monkeys" series. These books are very popular with young readers. Besides the monkeys, she has written other fun stories. Some were inspired by her dog, Emma, who passed away in 2013. These include Letters from a Desperate Dog and The Desperate Dog Writes Again.
Other stories, like The Five-Dog Night and The Great Pig Escape, were inspired by real events. They also show the beautiful places and culture of her home state, Vermont. Christelow has also written non-fiction books that teach kids about different topics. These include What Do Authors Do?, What Do Illustrators Do?, and Vote!. The book Vote! helps explain how people vote in elections.
Some of the "Five Little Monkeys" books have been translated into Spanish and Chinese. This means children in other countries can enjoy them too! Her book The Robbery at the Diamond Dog Diner was even made into an episode for the PBS children's TV show Reading Rainbow in 1988. The famous actor Peter Falk narrated it.
