Ruth Heller facts for kids

Ruth Heller (1923–2004) was a talented author and artist. She was known for her colorful and detailed drawings. Ruth used bright colors and cool designs in her books. She drew animals, plants, patterns, and puzzles. She mainly used colored pencils and markers for her book pictures. Ruth was born in Winnipeg, Canada. She grew up in San Francisco, California, USA. She lived there until she passed away in 2004.

Ruth started her career by designing fun things. She made wrapping paper, greeting cards, and coloring books. In 1981, she began writing and drawing for kids' books. It took her six years to find a publisher for her first book. This book was called Chickens Aren't the Only Ones. Her books often used rhyming words. They were like the fun poems by Dr. Seuss.

About Ruth Heller's Life

Ruth Heller studied Fine Arts at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her degree in 1946. Ruth paid for her schooling by working as a secretary. She continued working as a secretary after she graduated.

In the early 1950s, Ruth married Henry Heller. They had two sons, Paul and Philip. Ruth also studied design at the California College of Arts and Crafts. In the early 1960s, she got her first art job. She designed napkins, matchboxes, and gift wrap for a store called Cost Plus.

Henry passed away in 1965. After that, Ruth focused even more on her art career. She started illustrating puzzle books and coloring books. These books were for both kids and adults.

In 1980, Ruth visited a special place for artists called Yaddo. After her visit, she decided to start a new career as a writer. In 1985, she married Richard Gross. He was very supportive of her work. Richard passed away in 2002. Most of Ruth Heller's books were published by Grosset & Dunlap. She also wrote a short book about her own life. It was called Fine Lines and came out in 1996.

Ruth Heller's Coloring Books

Ruth Heller created many coloring books. They had designs on different topics. These books were fun for both children and adults.

• Color and Puzzle (1968)
• The Oriental Rug Coloring Book (1973)
• Designs for Coloring
  • Designs for Coloring (1976?)
  • Designs for Coloring: More Designs (1976)
  • Designs for Coloring: 3 (1977)
  • Designs for Coloring: 4 (1977)
  • Designs for Coloring: Jumbo (1980)
  • Creative Coloring Activity: Designs by Ruth Heller (1981)
  • Designs for Coloring: Stitch (1984)
  • Designs for Coloring: Owls (1985)
  • Designs for Coloring: Geometrics (1990)
  • Designs for Coloring: Butterflies (1990)
  • Designs for Coloring: Cats (1990)
  • Designs for Coloring: Birds (1990)
  • Designs for Coloring: Flowers (1990)
  • Designs for Coloring: Snowflakes (1990)
  • Designs for Coloring: The Hebrew Alphabet (1991)
  • Designs for Coloring: Optical Art (1992)
  • Designs for Coloring: Seashells (1992)
  • Designs for Coloring: Tropical Fish (1997)
  • Designs for Coloring: The Far East (1997)
  • Designs for Coloring: Ancient Egypt (1999)
  • Designs for Coloring: More Flowers (1999)
  • Designs for Coloring: Prisms (2000)
  • Designs for Coloring: Insects and Spiders (2000)
• Stained Glass Designs for Coloring
  • Stained Glass Designs for Coloring: Geometrics (1998)
  • Stained Glass Designs for Coloring: Snowflakes (1998)
  • Stained Glass Designs for Coloring: More Geometrics (2000)

Ruth Heller's Children's Books

Ruth Heller wrote many non-fiction picture books for children. These books were often used in schools. They were very popular in ESL programs too.

• World of Nature series (books about animals and plants)
  • Chickens Aren't the Only Ones (about animals that lay eggs, 1981)
  • Animals Born Alive And Well (about mammals, 1982)
  • The Reason For A Flower (about plants with seeds and flowers, 1983)
  • Plants That Never Ever Bloom (about plants that don't flower, 1984)
• How to Hide - a series on camouflage (how animals blend in)
  • How to Hide a Whip-poor-will and Other Birds (1986)
  • How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects (1992)
  • How to Hide an Octopus and Other Sea Creatures (1992)
  • How to Hide a Polar Bear and Other Mammals (1994)
  • How to Hide a Crocodile and Other Reptiles (1994)
  • How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians (1995)
  • How to Hide a Parakeet and Other Birds (1995)
• World of Language - a series on parts of speech (how words work)
  • A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns (1987)
  • Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs (1988)
  • Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives (1989)
  • Merry-Go- Round: A Book About Nouns (1990)
  • Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs (1991)
  • Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions (1995)
  • Mine, All Mine: A Book about Pronouns (1997)
  • Fantastic! Wow! And Unreal! A Book about Interjections and Conjunctions (1998)
• Color (a guide to how art is printed, 1999)
• A Sea within a Sea: Secrets of the Sargasso (2000)
• Galapagos Means Tortoises (2003)

Books Illustrated by Ruth Heller

Ruth Heller also drew pictures for books written by other authors. She even illustrated a dictionary for young children.

• The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo (1991)
• King of the Birds by Shirley Climo (1991)
• King Solomon and the Bee by Dalia Hardof Renberg (1994)
• The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo (1996)
• Blue Potatoes, Orange Tomatoes by Rosalind Creasy (2000)
• Merriam-Webster's Primary Dictionary (2005)
• Merriam-Webster's Alphabet Book (2005)

• "Talking with Ruth Heller", by Beth W. Leistensnider, Book Links, May 2003

See also

In Spanish: Ruth Heller para niños