Holly Keller facts for kids
Holly Keller (born 1942) is an American writer and artist who creates children's books. She is known for her simple, cartoon-like drawings, often featuring animal characters.
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Early Life and Education
Holly Keller was born in New York City in 1942. From a young age, she loved to read and found drawing to be a fun way to entertain herself.
She went to Sarah Lawrence College and earned a degree in history. Later, she continued her history studies at Columbia University, where she received her master's degree.
After her history studies, Holly took classes at the Parsons School of Design. A professor there encouraged her to try illustrating children's books. In 1981, she put together a collection of her artwork. She showed it to an editor at Greenwillow Press, and they published her first two books: Cromwell's Glasses and Ten Sleepy Sheep.
Family Life
Holly Keller got married in 1963 to a doctor who worked with children. They soon had two children together.
About Holly Keller's Books
Holly Keller has received many awards and special mentions for her books. She draws in a simple, flat, and cartoon style. Her books are not just fun to read; they also share important messages.
Some of her stories talk about real-life topics. These include things like adoption, learning to fit in, relationships between brothers and sisters, and saying goodbye to a beloved pet.
Her book Ten Sleepy Sheep was chosen as a Library of Congress Children's Book of the Year in 1983. This was a big achievement, especially since it was only her second published children's book.
Holly Keller is famous for her books with wonderful characters who face everyday challenges. She also creates many standalone picture books that tell relatable stories. Besides writing and illustrating her own books, she also draws pictures for stories written by other authors, such as Paul Showers, Wendy Pfeffer, and Anne Rockwell.
Awards and Recognitions
Holly Keller has won many awards for her work:
- Children's Book of the Year, Library of Congress, 1983, for Ten Sleepy Sheep
- Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal, 1984, for Geraldine's Blanket
- Children's Choice and Child Study Association Children's Book of the Year, both 1987, both for Goodbye, Max
- Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for the Social Studies/Children's Book Council (NCSS/CBC), 1989, for The Best Present
- Fanfare Honor Book, Horn Book, 1991, for Horace
- Reading Rainbow Review Book, 1991, for Horace
- Pick of the Lists, American Booksellers Association, 1991, for The New Boy
- Pick of the Lists, American Booksellers Association, 1992, for Island Baby
- Pick of the Lists, American Booksellers Association, 1994, for Geraldine's Baby Brother
- Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, NCSS/CBC, 1994, for Grandfather's Dream
- Charlotte Zolotow Award for Farfallina & Marcel, 2003
Selected Books by Holly Keller
Holly Keller has written and illustrated many books for children. Here are some of her well-known titles:
- Cromwell's Glasses (1982)
- Ten Sleepy Sheep (1983)
- Geraldine's Blanket (1984)
- Goodbye, Max (1987)
- Horace (1991)
- Island Baby (1992)
- Grandfather's Dream (1994)
- Farfallina and Marcel (2002)
She has also illustrated books for other authors, including:
- Clever Raccoon by Jane Thayer (1981)
- Snow Is Falling by Franklyn Mansfield Branley (1986)
- Ears Are for Hearing by Paul Showers (1990)
- From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer (1994)
- Growing like Me by Anne Rockwell (2001)
