Phoebe Gilman facts for kids

Phoebe Gilman (born April 4, 1940 – died August 29, 2002) was a talented author and artist. She wrote and drew pictures for children's books. Her stories often featured strong girl characters. Her book Something from Nothing was based on an old Yiddish story. It won a big award in 1993 and was even made into a TV show! Phoebe was born in New York City. She later lived in Europe and Israel before moving to Canada in 1972.

Phoebe Gilman's Early Life

Phoebe Gilman was born on April 4, 1940, in the Bronx, New York. She was the second of three children. Her father, John Gilman, worked with textiles and loved photography. Phoebe's mother, Hannah, inspired her love for books. Phoebe was a very keen reader throughout her life.

She studied art at several schools, including the School of Industrial Art. After her studies, she traveled to Europe. She lived in Rome for a short time. Then she moved to Jerusalem, where she earned money by selling her paintings. In the early 1970s, she returned to North America. She visited Montreal before settling in Toronto, Canada. There, she met Brian Bender, and they married in 1974. Phoebe also taught art for 15 years at the Ontario College of Art.

Phoebe Gilman's Books and Stories

Phoebe Gilman found ideas for her stories in everyday life. She once saw a balloon stuck in a tree. This inspired her to write The Balloon Tree, a story about a tree that grows balloons! It took her 15 years to get this book published. Finally, Scholastic Inc. released it in Canada in 1984.

Her family also inspired her. Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs came from a time when her daughter and a friend made and sold mouse bookmarks. Other stories, like Something From Nothing (1992), were based on old tales. Phoebe drew all the pictures for her books herself. She spent ten years working on The Balloon Tree.

Phoebe's stories often changed as she worked on them. For example, Grandma and the Pirates started as Grandma's Chocolate Chicken. She said she grew to love her books while working on them. She missed them once they were finished and sent off to be published. To cheer herself up, she would hide small references to older books in her new stories. For instance, a tiny copy of The Balloon Tree can be seen in an illustration in Jillian Jiggs.

Her books were special because they featured strong female characters. Something from Nothing won the 1993 Ruth Schwartz Award. This award is given to the best children's book. The story was even made into a television show.

Phoebe Gilman's Published Works

• The Balloon Tree Markham, Ontario: Scholastic, 1984.
• Jillian Jiggs Markham, Ontario: Scholastic, 1985.
• Little Blue Ben Markham, Ontario: Scholastic, 1986.
• Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs Markham, Ontario: Scholastic, 1987.
• Grandma and the Pirates Markham, Ontario: Scholastic, 1990.
• Something from Nothing Markham, Ontario: Scholastic, 1992.
• Once upon a Golden Apple Toronto: Penguin, 1991. (illustrator)
• Jillian Jiggs to the Rescue Markham, Ontario: Scholastic, 1993.
• The Gypsy Princess North Winds Press, 1995.
• Pirate Pearl Scholastic Canada, 1998.
• Jillian Jiggs and the Secret Surprise North Winds Press, 1999.
• Jillian Jiggs and the Big Snow North Winds Press, 2000/2002.