Jan Brett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Brett
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Brett at the Arctic Circle in Nunavut, Canada, researching The Three Snow Bears, 2007
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| Born | December 1, 1949 Norwell, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 1978–present |
| Genre | Children's picture books |
| Notable works |
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Jan Brett (born December 1, 1949) is a famous American artist and writer. She creates beautiful picture books for children. You might know her books like The Mitten, The Hat, and Gingerbread Baby. She also retells classic stories such as the Gingerbread Man and Goldilocks. Her books are known for their detailed and colorful artwork.
Contents
About Jan Brett's Life
Jan Brett was born in Massachusetts, and she still lives there today. She went to art school at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her artwork is very detailed. She uses a special paint called gouache, and it can take her an hour to paint just one inch of her pictures!
On August 18, 1980, Jan Brett married Joseph Hearne. He is a musician who plays the bass in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Jan and Joseph love to travel. They go on trips for Joseph's music or for Jan to research her books. They have visited many places like Africa, the Arctic, China, and Japan. These trips help Jan get ideas for her stories and drawings. Every year, they also go on bus tours across the country to share her books with children.
Jan and Joseph live near Boston. In the summer, they stay in a cozy log home in the Berkshires. They have three children together.
Jan Brett's Books
Jan Brett has written and illustrated many popular children's books. She has also illustrated books written by other authors.
Books She Illustrated for Others
- Happy Birthday, Dear Duck (1988) by Eve Bunting
- Mother's Day Mice (1986) by Eve Bunting
- Scary, Scary Halloween (1986) by Eve Bunting
- Noelle of the Nutcracker (1988) by Pamela Jane
Books She Wrote and Illustrated
- Fritz and the Beautiful Horses (1981)
- Annie and the Wild Animals (1985)
- The Twelve Days of Christmas (1986)
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1987)
- The First Dog (1988)
- The Mitten: a Ukrainian folktale (1989)
- The Wild Christmas Reindeer (1990)
- The Owl and the Pussycat (1991)
- Berlioz the Bear (1991)
- Christmas Trolls (1993)
- Trouble with Trolls (1994)
- Town Mouse Country Mouse (1994)
- Armadillo Rodeo (1995)
- The Mitten (1996)
- Comets Nine Lives (1996)
- Gingerbread Baby (1997)
- The Hat (1997)
- The Night Before Christmas (1998)
- Daisy Comes Home (2002)
- Hedgie's Surprise (2002)
- Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? (2002)
- On Noah's Ark (2003)
- The Umbrella (2002)
- Honey, Honey, Lion! (2005)
- Hedgie Loves to Read (2006)
- Hedgie Blasts Off! (2006)
- The Three Snow Bears (2007)
- Gingerbread Friends (2008)
- The Easter Egg (2010)
- The 3 Little Dassies (2010)
- Home for Christmas (2011)
- Mossy (2012)
- Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella (2013)
- The Animals' Santa (2014)
- The Turnip (2015)
- Gingerbread Christmas (2016)
- The Mermaid (2017)
- The Snowy Nap (2018)
- The Tale of the Tiger Slippers (2019)
- Cozy (2020)
- The Nutcracker (2021)
- Cozy in Love (2022)
Awards and Recognition
Jan Brett's books have won many awards over the years. These awards show how much people love her stories and artwork.
- 1990: Her book Wild Christmas Reindeer was on the New York Times Bestseller list.
- 1991: The Mitten won the Kentucky Bluegrass Award. Berlioz the Bear was named a Best Children's Book by Newsweek Magazine and New Yorker Magazine.
- 1994: Trouble with Trolls won the Black-Eyed Susan Book award.
- 1995: Trouble with Trolls also won the Little Bluestem picture book award and the Nebraska Golden Sower Award.
- 1998: The Hat won the American Booksellers Association's Book of the Year Award.
- 1999: The Hat won the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award. Gingerbread Baby was chosen as one of the Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College.
- 2001: Gingerbread Baby won the Children's Gallery Award.
- 2003: Daisy Comes Home was recognized for its cultural diversity.
- 2008: The Three Snow Bears helped Jan Brett become a finalist for Illustrator of the Year.
- 2010: The 3 Little Dassies won the Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids' Award. The Easter Egg won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Gold Book Award.
- 2013: Mossy was named a Best Children's Book of the Year by Bank Street College.
- 2014: Her version of The Night Before Christmas won the Libris Award's Children's Picture Book of the Year.
- 2019: The Snowy Nap was also chosen as a Best Children's Book of the Year by Bank Street College.
- 2021: Cozy won two awards: the Massachusetts Book Award and Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College. Jan Brett also received the Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association.
