Felicia Bond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felicia Bond
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| Born | July 18, 1954 (age 70) Yokohama, Japan |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Children's illustrated books |
| Notable works | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Illustrator Poinsettia and Her Family Writer, illustrator Big Red Barn Illustrator |
Felicia Bond is an amazing American writer and illustrator. She creates many popular books for children. You might know her best as the artist behind the famous If You Give... series. These books, written by Laura Numeroff, are loved by kids everywhere!
Contents
Felicia Bond's Early Life and Art Inspiration
Felicia Bond was born on July 18, 1954, in Yokohama, Japan. Her parents were American, and she lived in Japan for two years. She grew up in Bronxville, New York and Houston, Texas. Felicia had a big family with four brothers and two sisters.
When she was only five years old, Felicia knew she wanted to be an artist. She saw a beam of light in her bedroom and felt a strong pull towards art. Many things inspired her as a child. She loved the pictures on The New Yorker magazine covers. She also enjoyed the drawings in her Girl Scout Handbook. Her mother often drew sketches for Felicia and her siblings, which also sparked her creativity.
Felicia was especially inspired by other children's book artists. She admired the colorful style of Ludwig Bemelmans in his Madeline books. She also loved the detailed ink drawings by Garth Williams in Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. For many years, she studied the work of Charles Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strip. His art made a lasting impression on her.
Felicia Bond's Education and Artistic Journey
Felicia Bond studied painting at The University of Texas, Austin. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree there. After that, she continued her art studies at The School of Visual Arts in New York City.
When she was 22, Felicia moved to New York City with just $900. She took on different jobs to support herself. She illustrated books about plants and worked as a freelance scene painter for a children's museum. She also became an art director for Margaret K. McElderry Books. During this time, she built a portfolio of her artwork, hoping to illustrate children's books.
Soon, she received five book contracts! This made her change her plans from just painting to focusing on children's books. By age 26, her first book, Poinsettia and Her Family, was published. She both wrote and illustrated this book.
Felicia Bond's Amazing Career and Famous Books
After her first book, Felicia quickly wrote and illustrated four more of her own. Then, in 1985, she illustrated If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. This book became incredibly popular!
Felicia has also illustrated many other wonderful books. These include Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown, The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice Ransom, and Little Porcupine's Christmas by Joseph Slate. She has also written and illustrated other books like Poinsettia and the Firefighters, The Day It Rained Hearts, and Big Hugs, Little Hugs.
The If You Give... Series: A Big Hit!
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was the first book Felicia Bond illustrated for author Laura Numeroff. It quickly became a favorite and is now considered a classic children's book. This success led to a whole series of 17 books! Over 50 million copies of these books have been sold. They have also been translated into more than 13 languages.
The If You Give... series has won many awards. They are often found on The New York Times Best Seller List. Many of them even reached the #1 spot for picture books! These books are so well-known that If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was mentioned in the movie Airforce One and in Mad Magazine.
Even famous people love these books! Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, made two comic strips about If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Oprah Winfrey chose If You Give a Pig a Pancake as one of her favorite things in 2000. If You Give a Moose a Muffin was even an answer on the TV show Jeopardy!.
The If You Give... books have been turned into plays for children's theaters. The The Bronx Zoo in New York featured the artwork in their Children's Zoo. The art has also been used to create murals in children's hospitals. Fans of all ages love these books, even in Japan, where a whole Tokyo city bus was painted with images of Mouse!
The books even made it to the White House! In 2001, Felicia Bond and Laura Numeroff were honored by First Lady Laura Bush. Laura Bush even said that her family's cat, India, loved If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. A bronze sculpture of the cat sleeping on the book is now at the George W. Bush Presidential Library. First Lady Michelle Obama also read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at the White House Easter Egg Roll in 2009.
HarperCollins, the publisher, has a fun website called mousecookiebooks.com. It's an interactive site for kids, parents, teachers, and librarians.
Felicia Bond's Unique Art Style and Creative Process
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Felicia Bond's illustrations have a special look. She often uses bright, rich watercolors. She also uses a black line to make her drawings stand out. She uses white space in a clever way, especially in the If You Give... series. In her book Big Hugs, Little Hugs, she used a mix of materials, like collage, which shows her painting style from her younger years.
Felicia likes to add a personal touch to her illustrations. She often hides the names of her family, friends, and pets in her artwork. She got this idea from Al Hirschfeld, an artist who used to hide his daughter's name, Nina, in almost all his drawings.
Felicia's writing style is often about characters and their stories. Poinsettia and Her Family and Poinsettia and the Firefighters were inspired by her own childhood. Other stories, like The Day It Rained Hearts and Tumble Bumble, started from simple doodles. Her book Big Hugs, Little Hugs came from a dream she had. She combined it with a comforting story her father told her when she was a child.
Felicia says her ideas come from an "impulsive and intuitive place." She feels like she "lives a story" rather than just telling it. She works hard to make sure her books have a good story, rhythm, and design. She often compares making a book to cooking, creating music, or dancing.
Books by Felicia Bond
Books Written and Illustrated by Felicia Bond
- Poinsettia and Her Family (T.Y.Crowell/HarperCollins, 1981)
- Mary Betty Lizzie McNutt's Birthday (T.Y. Crowell, 1983)
- The Day It Rained Hearts (T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins, 1983)
- The Halloween Play (T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins, 1983)
- The Chicks' Christmas (T.Y. Crowell, 1983)
- Poinsettia and the Firefighters (T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins, 1984)
- Wake Up, Vladimir (T.Y. Crowell, 1987)
- Tumble Bumble (Front Street Books, 1996)
- Big Hugs, Little Hugs (Philomel Books, 2012)
Books Illustrated by Felicia Bond (Selected)
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- Little Porcupine's Christmas, written by Joseph Slate (T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins, 1992)
- The Big Green Pocketbook, written by Candice Ransom (HarperCollins, 1993)
- Big Red Barn, written by Margaret Wise Brown (HarperCollins, 1989)
- The Right Number of Elephants, written by Jeff Sheppard (HarperCollins, 1990)
Illustrator, If You Give... Series (Written by Laura Numeroff)
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985)
- If You Give a Moose a Muffin (1991)
- If You Give a Pig a Pancake (1998)
- The Best Mouse Cookie (1999)
- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (2000)
- If You Take a Mouse to School (2002)
- If You Give a Pig a Party (2005)
- Merry Christmas, Mouse! (2007)
- Time for School, Mouse! (2008)
- If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (2008)
- Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! (2009)
- Happy Easter, Mouse! (2010)
- If You Give a Dog a Donut (2011)
- It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! (2012)
- Happy Birthday, Mouse! (2012)
- If You Give a Mouse a Brownie (2016)
Compilation Editions of the If You Give... Series
- Mouse Cookies and More (2007)
- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, A Special Christmas Edition (2010)
Awards and Recognitions for the If You Give... Series
Honors for the If You Give... Series
- Honoree, Laura Bush Celebrates American Authors, 2001 Presidential Inauguration
Awards for If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
- Alabama Children's Choice Book Award, K–1 (1986–87)
- California Young Reader Medal (1988)
- Colorado Children's’ Book Award (1988)
- Georgia Children's Picture Story Book Award (1988)
- Nevada Young Readers’ Award (1988–89)
- Buckeye Children's Book Award, K–2 (Ohio) (1989)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award (1994)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (1994)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Blue Chip Classic Award (1994)
- NEA Teacher's Picks Books to Read Across America (1999)
Awards for If You Give A Moose A Muffin
- Children's Choices (IRA/CBC) (1992)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award (1998)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (1998)
Awards for If You Give A Pig A Pancake
- Oppenheim Platinum Award (1999)
- IRA Children's Choice (1999)
- Oprah Winfrey named If You Give a Pig a Pancake her “favorite book for children”
- Listed on Oprah Winfrey's “Oprah’s Favorite Things from A-Z”
Awards for If You Take A Mouse To The Movies
- NAPPA Gold Award (2000)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award (2001)
- IRA/CBC Children's Choice (2001)
Awards for If You Take A Mouse To School
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (2003)
Awards for If You Give A Pig A Party
- Quill Award (2006)
