BARBARA JEAN HICKS
CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR
HOME
Teacher/Parent Page
LINKS
My Illustrators:
Alexis Deacon
Lila Prap
Dan Santat
My Publishers:
Alfred
A. Knopf
Farrar
Straus & Giroux
Hutchinson
tiger
tales
My Booksellers:
Adventures for Kids
The Secret Garden
Powell's Books
Booksense
Independent Bookstores
Barnes
& Noble
Amazon
Cats, Cats, Cats!
BREAKING NEWS!
♥ MONSTERS DON'T EAT BROCCOLI!
What DO monsters eat?
To find out, you'll have to wait for my newest picture book from Alfred A. Knopf, Summer 2009.
You'll love the funny, cheerful, not-the-least-bit-scary monsters created by Sue Hendra for Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli. Sue lives in Brighton, England and has illustrated more than 70 children's books.♥ GROWNUPS DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING!
Did you know that mammoths, saber tooth tigers and brontosaurs
not only are alive and well but MAY BE LIVING IN YOUR HOUSE?!
(And causing every kind of mischief...) Impossible, you say?
Then you must be a grownup! To the grownup mind, that which is impossible simply doesn't exist. Children (and grownups with the hearts of children) know better. Nothing is impossible!Grownups Don't Know Everything is my latest picture book manuscript,
recently booted out into the cold, cruel world to find its way.
Wish for it successful journeys and stay tuned for news—
hopefully of MAMMOTH proportions!
WALTER KITTY IN THE NEWS
Amazon.com editors named The Secret Life of Walter Kitty their #2 Pick for Best Picture Books of 2007. My grin is as big as Fang's. Go, Walter!
The Society of Illustrators included Dan Santat's artwork for The Secret Life of Walter Kitty in their 2007 juried Original Art Show in New York City. No surprise to me. Go, Dan!
The Secret Life of Walter Kitty was nominated for a Cybil award. The Cybils are reader-nominated and kid-lit blogger-awarded. Go, bloggers!
FREE WALTER KITTY FUN STUFF
Dan has created a coloring page, a paper toy and a mask to make The Secret Life of Walter Kitty even more fun! To view and download his fun stuff FREE, follow the links below. Each item fits on 8.5" x 11" paper. For best results, use a color printer and matte photo paper for the toy and the mask, or print on typing paper and glue to construction paper before cutting out.
COLORING PAGEMASK
PAPER TOY
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS/ARTICLES
To read my most recent interviews, follow the links to Tales From the Rushmore Kid, the kid-lit blog of children's author Tina Nichols Coury, and California Readers, a fabulous organization of teachers, librarians, authors, and other people interested in reading and books. I was also interviewed for a feature article in the November 2007 issue of California's Central Coast Magazine.
Most recently, I have an article on writing posted on La Bloga. My friend René Colato Laínez and five other Latino writers co-author this impressive blog focused on Chicano literature. For one day René made me an honorary Chicana! "What's the Big Idea: Tracking Down Your So-What Factors" is the text of a talk I gave in October 2007 at the Ventura/Santa Barbara SCBWI Writers' Day Conference in Thousand Oaks, California, where René was also a speaker.
ARE YOU LISTENING, UNIVERSE?
A couple of years ago I started thinking how much fun it would be to illustrate one of my own picture books. I signed up for art classes at my local community college, have put together a portfolio, posted samples of my artwork, and am putting it out to the Universe that I really want to do this. (Look, leap and learn!) My local children's bookstore, Adventures for Kids, is even selling greeting cards featuring my work. To see samples, follow the link:
EDINBURGH UPDATE...
These Colours Productions acquired stage rights for Jitterbug Jam in 2007 for production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Unfortunately, they have been unable to procure the funding needed for development of the project for the 2008 Festival. Maybe next year?
GOOD NEWS
JITTERBUG JAM RECEIVES HONORS
New York Times Book Review:
Best Illustrated Books, 2005
Child Magazine:
Best Children’s Books, 2005
Nick Jr. Family Magazine:
Best Children’s Books, 2005
American Library Association:
2006 Notable Children’s Book
Banks Street College of Education:
2006 Book of Outstanding Merit
Children’s Literature Assembly:
2006 Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts
Department of Language Education, College of Education, University of Georgia:
Finalist, 2006-2007 Georgia Children’s Picture Book AwardAlexis Deacon's outstanding illustrations for Jitterbug Jam continue to garner accolades. Thanks, Alexis, for your wit, imagination and skill!
JITTERBUG JAM RELEASED IN AUDIO FORM
Jitterbug Jam is now available on compact disc. The Recorded Books CD, featuring page-turn signals so even the youngest kids can follow along, is performed by Norm Lee, a recent graduate of The Juilliard School who makes his home in New York City. Join Bobo, Boo-Dad, and the scary boy under Bobo's bed in a captivating interpretation of this children's favorite.
ALSO IN BOOKSTORES
I LIKE BLACK AND WHITE and I LIKE COLORS
by Barbara Jean Hicks
Illustrated by Lila Prap
| HOME | ABOUT THE AUTHOR | ABOUT THE CAT | BOOKS FOR KIDS | BOOKS FOR GROWNUPS |
| UPCOMING EVENTS | AUTHOR BOOKINGS | TEACHER/PARENT PAGE | LINKS | ART SAMPLES |
To leave this website for an Internet search:
All text and images on this website © Barbara Jean Hicks 2005-2007 unless otherwise identified. Text and images may be used for educational and other non-commercial purposes only if copyright and website information are clearly stated. Commercial use of all text and images is strictly forbidden.