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I have been drawing as long as I can remember. In school I
drew pictures for my book reports, on math assignments, on anything I could
find. (This did not go over well with my teachers.) I am the youngest of three
children, and my sister and brother were very smart. I did not do as well as
they did in math or reading, but I was the best at drawing. My parents called me
"the artist."
So began my young career. I created posters, yearbook covers,
and anything that needed art. I studied art at the University of Colorado and
worked in Hawaiian fabric design in Honolulu during the summers.
After
graduation I had piles of art and no job. I had pictures of bears in sneakers,
rhinos in ties, and walruses in Hawaiian shirts. I was told that my work looked
like it belonged in a children's book. What a fine idea!
So I went off to
visit book publishers in 1978 and was offered my first book contract. Creating
children's books was a perfect fit.
Now I make books full-time. The world of
children's books gives me an outlet for my zany pictures, a supportive family of
editors and staff to help me, and a way to reach children and excite them about
reading.
I enjoy illustrating stories by other authors as well as writing my
own stories and retelling old tales in a contemporary way. When I receive a
manuscript, like The
Gates of the Wind, by Kathryn Lasky, I get a glimpse into the author's
world. I then have the responsibility to add pictures to the words. I decide
what the characters look like, what their houses look like, and what everything
else looks like. The book is a marriage of two personalities, the author's and
mine.
When I am both the author and illustrator, I create my own vision. I
run wild with ideas and have total freedom with the words and the pictures. My
editor is much like your teacher; she helps and guides me through the
process.
In the end what you see is my view of the tale. When I
draw characters, I like to exaggerate their personalities - notice the very
sleepy bear and the very energetic hare in Tops
& Bottoms. I include the things I love to draw: wing tip shoes,
funny clothes, and the furniture in my own house.
My books have changed
since the birth of my two children. Lindsay and Blake are good critics and help
me make decisions about my books. It is important for me to remember that these
books are for children. My own kids help me keep that in perspective.
Each
book is an opportunity and a challenge. A new book offers me a chance to expand
and try something new. The process is both difficult and exciting - sometimes a
struggle, sometimes fun. Most important is to create books that children want to
read. This is the real joy of bookmaking.
Janet Stevens was born in Texas and grew up in such exciting
places as Italy and Hawaii. She received her bachelor of fine arts degree from
the University of Colorado and began her career designing fabric for Hawaiian
shirts. She is the author and illustrator of Tops
& Bottoms (Harcourt Brace, 1995), which was named a Caldecott
Honor Book and an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists. It also received
the National Parenting Publications Gold Award and a Parents' Choice
Honor Award and was named a Booklist Editors' Choice. Tops
& Bottoms received the 1996 Colorado Book Award presented by the
Colorado Center for the Book for the best books written by Colorado authors. Tops
& Bottoms has been translated into four languages. The most
recent book Janet Stevens illustrated, The
Gates of the Wind by Kathryn Lasky (Harcourt Brace, 1995), was also
named an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists. Ms. Stevens's How
the Manx Cat Lost Its Tail (Harcourt Brace 1990) was named an
American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, and The
Three Billy Goats Gruff (Harcourt Brace, 1987) was an NCSS-CBC
Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies and received a
Parents' Choice Award. Her books have won many state awards voted on by young
readers. Janet Stevens lives with her husband and two children in Boulder, Colorado.
copyright Harcourt Brace &
Company, photo credit Ted
Habermann
Have
you ever seen a rhino in a tie?
What about a bear in sneakers? Surely you've seen walruses in Hawaiian
shirts. If any of these images seem weird or out of the ordinary to you, maybe
you should pick up a book by Janet Stevens. She loves to draw! And drawing
animals in human situations is one of her favorite things to do.
Janet
Stevens has always loved to draw.
As a matter of fact, she's been drawing for as long as she can remember. Janet
is the youngest of three children and while her brother and sister both excelled
in reading and math when they were in school, she was always the best at
drawing. In school, she drew pictures for book reports, on math assignments, and
on anything else she could find. Her parents called her "The Artist."
Janet
went on to study art
at the University of Colorado. During the summers, she worked in Hawaiian fabric
design in Honolulu. After she graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree she
found herself with lots and lots of art, but no job.
No
problem.
Someone
told Janet
that her pictures of animals in their crazy clothes looked like they belonged in
a children's book. So, in 1978 she went to visit book publishers and was offered
her first book contract. Now she makes books full-time.
When
Janet gets a story
from another author, she gets a peek into that person's world. After that, it's
up to her to add the pictures that make the story jump off the pages. Every book
that she illustrates is a marriage of two personalities - the author's and her
own. Janet enjoys illustrating stories by other authors, but she also likes
illustrating her own stories or telling old stories in a new and exciting way.
When she gets to both write and illustrate a book she gets to run wild with her
ideas. She has total freedom with words and pictures. When you pick up a book
that's all her own, you'd better hold onto your hat, because you're in for a
magical ride.
Illustrating
children's books gives Janet
the perfect outlet for all her zany pictures. But, more importantly, it gives
her a great way to excite children about reading. She likes to take the
characters in her stories and exaggerate their personalities. A lot of times,
she'll also include the things she loves to draw: wing-tip shoes, funny clothes,
even the furniture in her own home. Sometimes she'll even include pictures of
her family and friends.
Janet's
family is very important to her.
Her two children are her best critics. They help her out when she's working on a
book. She works very hard to make sure that every book she makes is a book that
her children would want to read. But, mainly they help remind her that her books
open up new worlds to children everywhere. And that's the best reason in the
world to make books. Especially when it's a world where rhinos get to wear ties.
Janet other books:-
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Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel "Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!" crows Big Brown Rooster. "Let's get cooking!" So Rooster and his eager assistants - Turtle, Iguana, and Potbellied Pig - set out to make the most wonderful, magnificent strawberry shortcake in the whole wide world. Rooster is glad to have help, but there's one big problem - none of his friends know how to cook! The team bravely forges ahead, and with Rooster's help they learn howe to measure flour (not with a ruler) and how to beat an egg (not with a baseball bat). But will they be able to keep Pig from gobbling up all the ingredients! Take an old family recipe, add four funny friends, and mix in some cooking confusion - the result is sure to bring on belly laughs from beginning bakers and gourmet chefs alike! |
My Big Dogby Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel"My name is Merl, and I am a cat, a very special cat." Welcome to Merl's purr-r-r-r-fect house where everything is HIS -- his dish, his sofa, his chair, his toy mouse. It's the perfect place for a cat nap until CRASH, THUD, WOOF, a wiggly, noisy, slurpy,clumsy, puppy arrives, and the puppy is growing every day! Merl tries everything to get rid of the newcomer -- even running away from home. Will Merl find a new place to live -- or can a cat and dog finally learn to be friends? |
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by Anne Miranda |
Awards for Janet Stevens
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To
Market to Market 1998 ALA Notable Book 1998 Golden Kite Honor 1998 ABBY Finalist Tops and Bottoms1996 Caldecott Honor Book Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Book of the Month Club Selection 1996 Colorado Book Award American Bookseller Pick of the Lists Parenting Publications Gold Award Parent's Choice Honor Award Booklist Editor's Choice Maryland Children's Book Award Coyote Steals the BlanketColorado Children's Book Award Montana Treasure State Award |
The
Dog Who Had Kittens Colorado Children's Book Award Washington State Children's Choice Award Indiana Young Readers Award Nevada Young Readers Award Three Billy Goats GruffParents Choice Award Anansi and the Talking
MelonInternational Reading Association Children's Choice Utah Children's Book Award Anansi Goes FishingInternational Reading Association Children's Choice Anansi and the Moss Covered
RockAssociation of Booksellers for Children Ten Best Books of the year, 1989 |
FIND MORE AT www.friend.ly.net/scoop/biographies/stevensjanet/