kids encyclopedia robot

Marla Frazee facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Marla Frazee
Frazee in 2009
Frazee in 2009
Born (1958-01-16) January 16, 1958 (age 67)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Writer and illustrator
Nationality American
Genre Children's literature
Notable works A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, All the World

Marla Frazee (born January 16, 1958) is an American author and illustrator who creates amazing books for kids. She has won three special awards called Caldecott Honors for her beautiful picture book illustrations.

Marla Frazee's Early Life and Education

Marla Frazee was born in Los Angeles, California, and later moved to Glendale, California. She found early inspiration in classic children's books like Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal.

She even illustrated her very first book in third grade! It was called The Friendship Circle. After it won an award at a state fair, Marla made another copy for her school library.

Marla went to college in the Greater Los Angeles Area. She studied at the Art Center College of Design and earned her degree in 1981.

Marla Frazee's Career Journey

Starting Out: Advertising and Toys (1981–1990)

After college, Marla Frazee worked for different companies. She helped create things for advertising, educational books, toys, games, and magazines. She even designed toys for big companies like Mattel and made Happy Meal boxes for McDonald's!

First Published Books (1990–1995)

In 1990, Marla illustrated her first published book, World-Famous Muriel and the Magic Mystery, written by Sue Alexander. After that, she illustrated That Kookoory! by Margaret Walden Froehlich. Her work started getting good reviews in Horn Book Magazine, a well-known journal about children's books.

Breakthrough with The Seven Silly Eaters (1997)

A big moment in Marla's career was the release of The Seven Silly Eaters in 1997. This book was written by Mary Ann Hoberman. It's about a family with seven children, and each one is a super picky eater! Horn Book Magazine called it "a pleasure for parent and child." Many other positive reviews followed.

Growing Popularity: More Picture Books (1998–2002)

After The Seven Silly Eaters, Marla illustrated many more books that made her even more popular.

  • In 1998, she illustrated On the Morn of Mayfest by Erica Silverman.
  • In 1999, she illustrated the classic folk song Hush, Little Baby.
  • In 2000, she illustrated Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! by Mem Fox. This story is about a little girl named Harriet who accidentally causes trouble for her mom, but their love stays strong.
  • In 2001, Marla illustrated Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers. This book shows all the ways families love their babies.
  • In 2002, she illustrated Mrs. Biddlebox by Linda Smith. In this fun story, Mrs. Biddlebox uses parts of her bad day (like fog and dirt) to bake a delicious cake!

Writing Her Own Story: Roller Coaster (2003)

In 2003, Marla Frazee wrote her very first book, Roller Coaster. She got the idea for the book during a family trip when her sons kept talking about roller coasters. This book was the first one Marla both wrote and illustrated herself. It follows a typical roller coaster ride and its passengers, focusing on a young girl who is a bit nervous about the ride.

Award-Winning Books: Clementine and All the World (2006–2009)

  • In 2006, Marla illustrated the Clementine series of chapter books, written by Sara Pennypacker. Marla's pen and ink drawings helped bring the story of an energetic and imaginative third-grader to life.
  • Later, Marla wrote and illustrated A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. This book was inspired by her son and his friend's adventures at a nature camp. Marla captured the fun of summer vacation and what it means to kids. She earned her first Caldecott Honor for her illustrations in this book.
  • After that, Marla illustrated All the World, a book written by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon. This book follows a family and their friends through a day, ending with a happy gathering. Marla earned another Caldecott Honor for her beautiful illustrations in this book.

The Boss Baby Takes Over! (2007)

In 2007, The Boss Baby, a book both written and illustrated by Marla Frazee, was published. It tells the story of a new baby who quickly takes over his parents' lives with his "meetings" and demands. The Boss Baby received many positive reviews.

This popular book later inspired an animated movie from DreamWorks Animation in 2017, and a sequel in 2021. DreamWorks also created a Netflix show called The Boss Baby: Back in Business.

Awards and Recognitions

Marla Frazee has received many awards for her wonderful work:

Marla Frazee's Books

As Illustrator

  • World Famous Muriel and the Magic Mystery
  • That Kookoory!
  • The Seven Silly Eaters
  • Me and the Pumpkin Queen
  • On the Morn of Mayfest
  • Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!
  • Everywhere Babies
  • Mrs. Biddlebox
  • New Baby Train
  • Clementine series:
    • Clementine
    • The Talented Clementine
    • Clementine's Letter
  • All the World
  • Stars
  • Hush Little Baby: A Folk Song with Pictures
  • The People in Pineapple Place – cover
  • It Takes A Village: Picture Book
  • Aurora County All Stars
  • Boss Baby

As Writer and Illustrator

  • Roller Coaster
  • Santa Claus, The World's Number One Toy Expert
  • Walk On, A Guide for Babies of All Ages
  • A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever
  • The Boss Baby (book)
  • The Bossier Baby
  • The Farmer and the Clown
  • Boot and Shoe
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Marla Frazee Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.