Felicia Bond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felicia Bond
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| Born | July 18, 1954 (age 71) 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, born on July 18, 1954, in Yokohama, Japan, is an American writer and illustrator. She has created many wonderful books for children. You might know her best as the artist who drew all the pictures for the famous If You Give... series. These popular books were written by Laura Numeroff and published by HarperCollins Children's Books.
Contents
Felicia Bond's Early Life
Bond was born in Yokohama, Japan, where her American parents lived for two years. She grew up in Bronxville, New York, and Houston, Texas. She lived with her four brothers and two sisters. When she was five, she saw a beam of light in her bedroom. At that moment, she knew that art was what she wanted to do.
What Inspired Her Art?
Many things inspired Felicia when she was a child. She loved the covers of The New Yorker magazine. The drawings in her Girl Scout Handbook also caught her eye. Her mother often drew sketches for her and her siblings. She also loved the art in children's books.
She especially liked the colorful style of Ludwig Bemelmans in his Madeline books. She also admired the detailed ink drawings by Garth Williams. He illustrated classics like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. For many years, she studied the work of Charles Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strip. She says his work made a lasting impression on her.
Felicia Bond's Education
Felicia Bond studied painting at The University of Texas, Austin. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree there. She also continued her studies at The School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Felicia Bond's Career
When she was twenty-two, Bond moved to New York City. She had about nine hundred dollars with her. She worked many different jobs. She illustrated books about plants and painted scenes for a children's museum. She also worked as an art director for a book publisher.
During this time, she took classes and built a collection of her artwork. This collection was meant for children's books. Soon, she received five offers to illustrate books. She decided to focus on children's books instead of just painting.
First Books and Famous Series
By the time she was twenty-six, her first book was published. It was called Poinsettia and Her Family. She both wrote and illustrated this book. Four more of her own books quickly followed. Then, in 1985, she illustrated If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Felicia Bond has also illustrated other popular books. These include Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. She also illustrated The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice Ransom. Other books she illustrated are Little Porcupine's Christmas and The Right Number of Elephants. She has also written and illustrated many more books herself. Some of these are Poinsettia and the Firefighters, The Day It Rained Hearts, The Halloween Play, Tumble Bumble, and Big Hugs, Little Hugs.
The If You Give... Series Success
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was the first book she worked on with writer Laura Numeroff. It quickly became a favorite and is now a classic. After its success, seventeen more books followed in the If You Give... series. More than fifty million copies of these books have been sold. They have also been translated into over thirteen 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 were the number one best-sellers for picture books. These books are so well-known that If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was even mentioned in the movie Airforce One. It was also featured on the TV show The L Word and in Mad Magazine.
Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, made two comic strips about If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. In 2000, Oprah Winfrey chose If You Give a Pig a Pancake as one of her favorite things. She also put it on her list of Oprah’s Favorite Things from A-Z. If You Give a Moose a Muffin was even an answer on the TV show Jeopardy!.
Cultural Impact of the Series
The If You Give... books have been turned into plays for children's theaters. The Bronx Zoo in New York featured the artwork in their Children's Zoo for a year. The art has also been used to create murals in children's hospitals. Fans of all ages around the world love the series. In Japan, an entire Tokyo city bus was painted with pictures of Mouse.
Mouse even visited the White House! In 2001, Felicia Bond and Laura Numeroff were honored by Laura Bush. This was part of a celebration of American authors. Former First Lady Laura Bush said her family's cat, India, loved If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. A bronze statue of India sleeping on the book is at the George W. Bush Presidential Library. In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
HarperCollins, the publisher, has a website called mousecookiebooks.com. It's an interactive site for kids, parents, teachers, and librarians.
Felicia Bond's Style and 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 unique way, especially in the If You Give... series. Her book Big Hugs, Little Hugs uses a mix of materials, like a collage. This style is similar to her paintings from when she was younger.
Hidden Details in Her Art
She often adds personal touches to her illustrations. She quietly writes the names of her family, friends, and pets in her art. She started doing this years ago. She was inspired by Al Hirschfeld, an artist for The New York Times. He used to hide his daughter's name, Nina, in almost every drawing.
How She Creates Stories
Bond's writing style changes, but her stories often focus on characters. Poinsettia and Her Family and Poinsettia and the Firefighters came from her own childhood experiences. Other stories started from simple drawings, like the fun The Day It Rained Hearts and Tumble Bumble.
Her book Big Hugs, Little Hugs is more about ideas. It came from a dream she had. She combined it with a comforting story her father told her when she was a child. In interviews, she has said 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 keep a special "mysterious third thing" alive in her books. She carefully plans the story, the words, and the design. She often compares making a book to cooking, creating music, or dancing.
Felicia Bond's Books
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)
If You Give... Series (Illustrator)
- Written by Laura Numeroff; HarperCollins Children's Books, 1985 onward
- 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)
If You Give... Series Compilation Editions
- Mouse Cookies and More (2007)
- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, A Special Christmas Edition (2010)
Awards and Recognitions
If You Give... Series Awards
- Honoree, Laura Bush Celebrates American Authors, 2001 Presidential Inauguration
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie Awards
- 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)
If You Give A Moose A Muffin Awards
- Children's Choices (IRA/CBC) (1992)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award (1998)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (1998)
If You Give A Pig A Pancake Awards
- 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”
If You Take A Mouse To The Movies Awards
- NAPPA Gold Award (2000)
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award (2001)
- IRA/CBC Children's Choice (2001)
If You Take A Mouse To School Awards
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (2003)
If You Give A Pig A Party Awards
- Quill Award (2006)
