Katharine Holabird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katharine Holabird
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| Born | January 23, 1948 Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States |
| Education | Francis W. Parker School |
| Alma mater | Bennington College |
| Notable works | Angelina Ballerina |
| Spouse |
Michael Haggiag
(m. 1974) |
| Children | 2 |
Katharine Holabird (born January 23, 1948) is an American writer. She is best known for creating the Angelina Ballerina book series. These popular books feature illustrations by Helen Craig. Katharine Holabird also wrote the Twinkle series, which was illustrated by Sarah Warburton.
Contents
Early Life and School
Katharine Holabird was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was the second of four daughters. Her family lived in Chicago, where she grew up in an artistic home. They often spent summers in Michigan.
In 1969, Holabird earned a degree in literature from Bennington College in Vermont. After graduating, she worked at Bennington College for a year. She was a literary editor there.
Katharine Holabird's Career
After college, Katharine Holabird moved to Italy. She worked as a freelance journalist. There, she met her husband, Michael Haggiag. They married in 1974 and then moved to London. In London, she continued writing and also worked at a nursery school. She has two daughters, Tara and Alexandra.
Creating Angelina Ballerina
Later, Holabird met Helen Craig, a London artist and photographer. Craig's illustrations were inspired by her childhood in rural England. Over several years, Craig illustrated mini-books about mice. Holabird wrote some of the text for these books. In 1983, Holabird's son, Adam, was born.
In 1983, Holabird's first children's book, Angelina Ballerina, was published. Her son Adam inspired the character Henry. Angelina's character came from her daughters' love for dressing up and dancing. Holabird wrote the first draft of Angelina Ballerina at her kitchen table. Her daughters danced around her as she wrote.
The Angelina books were first planned to be about a girl. However, Helen Craig drew a mouse, and Holabird loved it. Holabird said that Angelina, as a mouse, "seemed to pirouette off the page with enthusiasm and energy." Angelina is a very emotional character. She is sensitive and sometimes cries before saying sorry. She tries to do the right thing, which many young children can relate to.
The Angelina stories explore common childhood themes. These include friendship, jealousy, loyalty, and dedication. As a child, Holabird loved reading fairy tales and stories about heroic animals. She often saw ballets like Cinderella and Swan Lake with her grandparents. Young Katharine loved animals, playing in her tree house, and dancing with her sisters. She said that when she was a child, "we created our own imaginative world." She graduated from the Francis Parker School.
Angelina Ballerina's Success
The first American edition of Angelina Ballerina was published in 1984. A year later, Holabird received the Kentucky Bluegrass Award for the book. In 1986 and 1987, she won the ALA Notable Book Awards. Angelina's Christmas was named Child Study Association's Children's Book of the Year in 1987.
In 1988, Holabird and Craig published Alexander and the Dragon. This was their first Alexander book. It was for preschool children who needed comfort about bedtime monsters. In 1990, Holabird wrote the sequel, Alexander and the Magic Boat. This book shows a strong mother-son bond as they travel to imaginary worlds. Also in 1990, Holabird received the British Book Design and Production award.
In 1999, HIT Entertainment in London bought the rights for Angelina Ballerina. HIT Entertainment is known for Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, and Barney. They asked Grand Slamm Children's Films to make an animated TV pilot. HIT also created many Angelina products. Angelina made her worldwide television debut in 2001 on CITV in the United Kingdom. Actress Finty Williams is the voice of Angelina. Her mother, Judi Dench, voices Miss Lilly. In 2002, the Angelina series started on PBS Kids TV in the United States.
Angelina Ballerina's Invitation to the Ballet won the Oppenheim Platinum Award in the U.S. in 2004. That same year, Angelina became the official spokesperson for National Dance Week in the United States. In 2005, Angelina appeared on PBS Kids Sprout. This is a 24-hour digital TV channel for preschoolers in the U.S.
Later Achievements
In 2006, Katharine Holabird was invited to Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday party. This special event took place at Buckingham Palace. That same year, all the Angelina books were reissued by Grosset and Dunlap in the United States. Also in 2006, The Angelina Ballerina Dance Academy began. It offered special Angelina ballet classes across England.
Angelina's Star Performance, a new ballet based on Angelina at the Palace, debuted in 2007. It was performed in London with the English National Ballet. By 2008, Holabird and Craig had published ten Angelina books and two Alexander books. The Angelina books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Holabird speaks English, French, Italian, and some Spanish. Her favorite books include Charlotte's Web, Black Beauty, Harry Potter, Stuart Little, The Rescuers, and the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. She writes in a blue room upstairs in her London home. It usually takes her six to eight weeks to write an Angelina book. After that, Helen Craig illustrates each book for at least three months. Then, it goes to the publisher and is usually published nine months later.
Her most recent work is the Twinkle series. These books are about a child fairy who goes to the Fairy School for Music and Magic. Holabird wrote the series, and Welsh artist Sarah Warburton illustrated it.
