Reading Rocket’s exclusive interview with author and illustrator Henry Cole — creator of Celeste, The Worrywarts, Katy Duck, and many other beloved characters — talks about his early career as a science teacher (who always drew for his students!), why it takes patience to draw what you really see, how he gets those comical animal faces to look just right, and why he loved using a plain Number 2 pencil to create the evocative illustrations for his book A Nest for Celeste.
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver are the co-authors of the very popular Hank Zipzer series about a young boy with learning differences who is funny, resourceful, and smart. Henry and Lin have also created a new series for younger kids called Here’s Hank, chronicling Hank’s life as a second grader. In 2019, Henry and Lin launched the first book in a new series, Alien Superstar, a science fiction story that takes a humorous look at what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land (in this scenario, a Hollywood backlot!).
In this exclusive interview, Henry and Lin talk about how they create a safe, fun space for collaboration, being funny … with a heart, Henry’s tough childhood growing up with (undiagnosed) dyslexia, the joy of school visits, why it’s so important to really listen to kids, and more.
The lovable, literal-minded Amelia Bedelia has been irresistible since she first arrived on our bookshelves fifty years ago. Amelia Bedelia really knows how to “dress” a chicken (in tiny clothes that fit just right). And when Amelia Bedelia is out driving, don’t ask her to look for “a fork in the road!” Herman Parish has been writing fresh Amelia Bedelia stories since 1995, inventing new adventures for the beloved character his aunt, Peggy Parish, created all those years ago.
