Emma Walton Hamilton facts for kids

Emma Katherine Walton Hamilton (born November 27, 1962) is a British-American author, theater director, and actress. She is well-known for writing children's books, often with her famous mother, Julie Andrews. Emma also teaches writing at Stony Brook Southampton and leads programs for young writers. Her father was Tony Walton, a talented set and costume designer.

Early Life and Family

Emma Walton Hamilton was born in London, England. Her mother is the famous singer and actress Julie Andrews. Her father was Tony Walton, who designed sets and costumes for movies and plays. Emma's godmothers were actress Carol Burnett and ballerina Svetlana Beriosova. Her godfather was British actor Vic Oliver.

In 1967, her parents divorced. Two years later, her mother married film director Blake Edwards, who became Emma's stepfather. Emma grew up spending time in London, Los Angeles, and New York City. She went to school at UCLA Lab School.

Career Highlights

Emma Walton Hamilton has had a busy career in many areas.

Acting Roles

From 1983 to 1991, Emma had several small acting roles. She appeared in movies like Micki + Maude and That's Life!. She also appeared on television shows like Great Performances and Today.

Theater Work

In 1991, Emma, her husband, and actress Sybil Christopher started the Bay Street Theater. This theater is in Sag Harbor, New York. It is a non-profit theater that is still open today. Emma worked there for 17 years. She was a co-director and led programs for young audiences.

Audiobooks and Writing

Emma has narrated many audiobooks for children. In 2010, she won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. This award was for her narration of Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies.

She started writing children's books with her mother, Julie Andrews, in 2000. Their first book was Dumpy the Dumptruck. They wrote 13 "Dumpy" books together. Emma's father, Tony Walton, illustrated 12 of these books.

Emma and her mother have written 31 children's books in total. These include The Great American Mousical and The Very Fairy Princess series. They have also put together collections of poems and songs.

Emma also wrote a book for adults called Raising Bookworms. This book helps parents encourage their children to read. It won several awards, including a Parent's Choice Gold Medal.

Julie's Greenroom

In 2016, Emma Walton Hamilton helped create a preschool TV show. She worked with her mother, Julie Andrews, and Judy Rothman. The show is called Julie's Greenroom. It stars Julie Andrews and puppets made by The Jim Henson Company. The show first aired on Netflix in 2017.

Personal Life

In 1991, Emma Walton married actor and director Stephen Hamilton. They have a son and a daughter together.

Awards

• Three Time #1 Bestseller
• Parents Choice Gold Medal
• Living Now Silver Medal
• IPPY Book Awards Silver Medal
• Grammy Award, Best Spoken Word Album for Children