Rosemary Wells facts for kids

Rosemary Wells was born on January 29, 1943. She is a famous American writer and artist who creates children's books. She is well-known for using animal characters to explore real-life topics that kids face. Some of her most popular characters are Max & Ruby and Timothy from Timothy Goes To School. Both of these stories were even turned into animated TV shows for young children!

About Rosemary Wells

Rosemary Wells grew up in Red Bank, New Jersey, after being born in New York City. Her mother was a ballerina, and her father was a playwright (someone who writes plays). Rosemary started drawing when she was only two years old! Her family always encouraged her artistic skills and her love for stories. She once said that "Reading stories aloud was as much a part of my childhood as the air I breathed."

When Rosemary was 19, she went to the Boston Museum School. There, she studied illustration, which is the art of creating pictures for books. Before becoming a writer and illustrator, she worked as an art editor and art designer for different publishing companies.

In 1963, she married Thomas Moore Wells, who was an architect. They had two daughters together.

Her Amazing Career

Rosemary Wells published her very first book in 1968. It was an illustrated version of a song called A Song to Sing, O! by Gilbert and Sullivan. Since then, she has written and illustrated more than 60 books! Her career has lasted over 30 years, bringing joy to many young readers.

Why Animals in Her Stories?

A special thing about Rosemary Wells's stories is that she often uses animal characters instead of people. She explained in a children's magazine called Stone Soup that using animals helps her talk about tricky or important topics in a way that kids can understand. It also makes it easier for adults to accept these topics in children's books.

For example, her book Yoko talks about racism. In the story, Yoko is a young Japanese kitten who feels left out when she brings sushi for lunch at school. By the end of the story, everyone becomes friends. This happens when Yoko hosts a school lunch where all the students bring food from their family's home country.

Many of her animal characters, like Max and Ruby, act just like humans. They talk, play, and have adventures. Other characters, like McDuff, a West Highland Terrier, are more like realistic pets adopted by a young couple.

Popular Books by Rosemary Wells

Children's Picture Books

Here are some of the picture books Rosemary Wells has written or illustrated:

• Impossible, Possum (1971)
• A Hot Thirsty Day (1971)
• Two Sisters and Some Hornets (1972)
• Unfortunately Harriet (1972)
• Noisy Nora (1973)
• Benjamin & Tulip (1973)

Later Works

Books for Older Readers

Rosemary Wells has also written books for older children and young adults. Some of these include:

• Fog Comes on Little Pig Feet (1972)
• Following Grandfather
• House in the Mail
• Lincoln and His Boys
• Mary on Horseback
• My Havana: Memories of a Cuban Boyhood
• On the Blue Comet
• Red Moon at Sharpsburg
• Streets of Gold
• Through the Hidden Door
• Leave Well Enough Alone
• The Man in the Woods
• When No One Was Looking
• Little Bunny, Big Germs

Awards and Recognition

Rosemary Wells's books have received many great reviews from important book critics like Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. She has also been nominated for several awards, including the Edgar Allan Poe Award. She has won these awards:

• Irma S. and James H. Black Award, 1975 - for Morris's Disappearing Bag
• Virginia Readers Choice Award, 1987 - for Man in the Woods
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, 1989 - for Shy Charles
• Parents' Choice Award, 2014 - for Stella's Starliner

See also

In Spanish: Rosemary Wells para niños