Robin Preiss Glasser facts for kids

Robin Preiss Glasser is an American artist who draws pictures for books. She is famous for illustrating the Fancy Nancy series of children's picture books. These popular books started in 2005 and were written by Jane O'Connor.

About Robin Preiss Glasser

Robin Preiss Glasser grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York. She has three sisters, and one of them, Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman, also writes children's books. Robin has had two successful careers in her life. First, she was a ballet dancer. Later, she became a well-known illustrator.

From Ballet Dancer to Illustrator

Robin started her career as a ballet dancer. She was a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet company. Sadly, an injury made her stop dancing. At age 30, she went back to school. She studied art at Parsons The New School for Design. After graduating, it took five years for her big chance to come.

Her first major illustration job was for a book called Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move. This book was written by Judith Viorst and came out in 1995. It was a follow-up to a very popular book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Robin drew in a style similar to the original artist, Ray Cruz.

Famous Book Collaborations

Robin also worked with her sister, Jacqueline Weitzman, on a book. It was called You Can't Take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum. This book showed an exciting adventure through New York City. It was named an ALA Notable Book in 1998. This means it was recognized as a great book for children.

Since then, Robin has illustrated many other picture books. She has worked with famous writers. These include radio star Garrison Keillor and poet Elizabeth Garton Scanlon. She even worked with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.

Robin also teamed up with Lynne Cheney for three books. Lynne Cheney was the wife of the Vice President at that time. Robin's drawings for their book America, A Patriotic Primer were highly praised. People loved how she drew children from all backgrounds. She also drew historical figures and places with great detail.

The World of Fancy Nancy

In 2005, Robin started working with writer Jane O’Connor. Together, they created the Fancy Nancy books. Robin's drawings for these books are full of action. She draws Nancy in fun outfits like wild tutus and sparkly ruby slippers.

The Fancy Nancy series is incredibly popular. There are now over 100 titles in the series. These books have spent more than 330 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. They have sold over 50 million copies!

In 2013, Robin was named Illustrator of the Year. This was for her work on Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet. Over a million young people voted for her. Robin's most famous character, Fancy Nancy, even became a TV show. Disney Junior launched the animated series, Fancy Nancy (TV series), in 2018. It was so popular that Disney ordered a second and third season before the first one even finished!

New Adventures in Books

Robin continues to work with other authors. She met best-selling author Ann Patchett at a book signing. Their first children's book together, Lambslide, came out in 2019. Their second book, Escape Goat, was published in 2020. They plan to create more books together.

Robin also returned to her ballet roots for a book. She illustrated Grand Jeté and Me with New York City Ballet legend Allegra Kent. In 2020, American Ballet Theatre asked Robin to write and illustrate a story. It was about how she felt as a child, loving dance so much.

This new book, GLORIA'S PROMISE: A Ballet Dancer's First Step, came out in 2023. Robin wrote it with her sister, Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman. It's a story for serious dance students. But it's also for any kid who is passionate about something they love. It reminds everyone not to give up, even if they face challenges.

Life and Recognition

In 2015, Robin was named one of the 100 Most Influential people in Orange County, California. She lives in San Juan Capistrano with her husband, Robert Berman. Robin has a son and a daughter.