2. Chris Van Allsburg
Brian Selznick
Kate Banks
3. Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18th, 1949.
Began his career with a last minute decision to attend The
University of Michigan’s College of Architecture &
Design, where his love for sculpturing grew rapidly.
He began drawing in his spare time but never thought of it as
anything extraordinary until editor, Walter Lorraine, at
Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston, came across his work
and encouraged him to think of stories of his own to go with the
illustrations he had created.
Though still involved in making sculptures, Chris set aside
some time and created the story and pictures that became The
Garden of Abdul Gasazi, published in 1979.
Since then, Chris has written and illustrated 15 books and has
illustrated three others that were written by Mark Helprin.
In 1980, he was awarded the Caldecott Honor Medal for The
Garden of Abdul Gasazi.
4. Winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar
Express.
Recipient of the Boston Globe Horn Book Award for The
Garden of Abdul Gasazi.
Received the Boston Globe Honor for The Polar Express as
well as The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.
Awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in
children's literature.
In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it
was made into a popular feature film.
Chris now lives in Providence RI with his wife Lisa and two
daughter, Sophia and Anna, and works in his 3rd floor studio.
5. Brian was born and raised in New Jersey.
Developed a love for drawing and making things at a very young
age.
He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Art and Design.
Began working at Eeyore’s Children’s Bookstore, which became a
crash course in children's literature, and his first book was
published while he worked there.
Soon he left to pursue a full-time career in children's book
illustration.
His first book, The Houdini Box, was inspired by a fascination with
the famous magician and his secrets.
He has illustrated both novels and picture books for other
writers, including the Sibert Honor books, When Marian Sang by
Pam Munoz Ryan and Walt Whitman: Words for America by
Barbara Kerley.
6. In 2002, his illustrations for Barbara Kerley's The
Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins won a Caldecott
Honor Award.
In 2008, his groundbreaking and breathtaking The
Invention of Hugo Cabret was awarded the Caldecott
Medal.
His newest novel, Wonderstruck, debuted at #1 on
the New York Times bestseller list and has received
four starred reviews to date.
Brian currently divides his time between
Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.
7. Kate was born and grew up in Maine
As a child she and her two sisters and brother spent a lot
of time outdoors, which where she developed an early
love of reading.
Banks attended Wellesley College and received her
masters in history at Columbia University.
She has written many books for children, among them
Max’s Words, If the Moon Could Talk, and The Night
Worker.
8. Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award in 1998
for the book “And If The Moon Could Talk.”
Winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award in 2001 for the
book “The Night Worker.
Kate lived in Rome for eight years but now lives in the
South of France with her husband and two sons, Peter
Anton and Maximilian.
9. Books of Chris Van Allsburg’s include:
Band Day At Riverbend
Ben’s Dream
Jumangi
Just A Dream
Books of Brian Selznick’s include:
The Boy of a Thousand Faces
Wonder Struck
The Robot King
Books of Kate Bank’s include:
Walk Softly, Rachel
Max’s Dragon
Mama’s Coming Home
