Schindler, S.D. 1952–

(Steven D. Schindler)

Personal

Born September 27, 1952, in Kenosha, WI; son of Edwin C. and Bettie L. (Pfefferkorn) Schindler; married. Education: University of Pennsylvania, degree (biology). Politics: "Green." Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Playing the piano, recorder, and harpsichord, tennis, squash, and gardening. Also an amateur naturalist who enjoys wildflower propagation and creating ponds to attract amphibians like frogs and toads.

Addresses

Home—Philadelphia, PA. Agent—Publishers' Graphics Inc., 251 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT 06801.

Career

Illustrator.

Awards, Honors

Parents' Choice Award for Illustration, Parents' Choice Foundation, 1982, for The First Tulips in Holland; Best Book selection, School Library Journal, 1985, for Every Living Thing, and 1995, for If You Should Hear a Honey Guide; Smithsonian Award for outstanding natural history title, 1995, for If You Should Hear a Honey Guide; California Young Reader Medal, 1996–97, for Don't Fidget a Feather!; Best Children's Book of the Year, Age Five to Eight category, Bank Street College, 1998, for Creepy Riddles; Notable Children's Book designation, American Library Association, 1999, for How Santa Got His Job; Notable Wisconsin Children's Author designation, Wisconsin Library Association, 2005.

Writings

(Self-illustrated) My First Bird Book, Random House (New York, NY), 1989.

ILLUSTRATOR

G.C. Skipper, The Ghost in the Church, Children's Press, 1976.

Susan Saunders, Fish Fry, Viking (New York, NY), 1982.

Phyllis Krasilovsky, The First Tulips in Holland, Double-day (New York, NY), 1982.

Morrell Gipson, reteller, Favorite Nursery Tales, Double-day (New York, NY), 1983.

Leon Garfield, Fair's Fair, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1983.

Deborah Perlberg, Wembley Fraggle Gets the Story, Holt (New York, NY), 1984.

Cynthia Rylant, Every Living Thing, Bradbury Press (New York, NY), 1985.

Elizabeth Bolton, The Tree House Detective Club, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1985.

Laurence Santrey, Moon, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1985.

Virginia Haviland, reteller, Favorite Fairy Tales Told around the World, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1985.

Eric Suben, editor, The Golden Goose and Other Tales of Good Fortune, Golden Books, 1986.

Cynthia Rylant, Children of Christmas: Stories for the Season, Orchard (New York, NY), 1987.

Ursula K. Le Guin, Catwings, Orchard (New York, NY), 1988.

Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit, adapted by David Eastman, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1988.

Ursula K. Le Guin, Catwings Return, Orchard (New York, NY), 1988.

Steven Kroll, Oh, What a Thanksgiving!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1988.

Bobbi Katz, The Creepy, Crawly Book, Random House, 1989.

Deborah Hautzig, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Random House (New York, NY), 1989.

Melvin Berger, As Old as the Hills, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1989.

Morgan Matthews, The Big Race, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1989.

William H. Hooks, The Three Little Pigs and the Fox, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1989.

Mary Blount Christian, Penrod's Party, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper, retold by Raymond James, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1990.

Carollyn James, Digging up the Past: The Story of an Archaeological Adventure, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1990.

Joanne Oppenheim, Could It Be?, Bantam (New York, NY), 1990.

Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, retold by Raymond James, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1990.

Megan McDonald, Is This a House for Hermit Crab?, Orchard (New York, NY), 1990.

Janet Craig, Wonders of the Rain Forest, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1990.

Betsy Rossen Elliot and J. Stephen Lang, The Illustrated Book of Bible Trivia, Tyndale, 1991.

Evan Levine, Not the Piano, Mrs. Medley!, Orchard (New York, NY), 1991.

Joanne Oppenheim, Eency Weency Spider, Bantam (New York, NY), 1991.

Mary Blount Christian, Penrod's Picture, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1991.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, music copying and calligraphy by Christina Davidson, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

Megan McDonald, Whoo-oo Is It?, Orchard (New York, NY), 1992.

Erica Silverman, Big Pumpkin, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

Susanne Santoro Whayne, Night Creatures, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1992.

Elizabeth Jaykus, editor, For Dad, Peter Pauper, 1992.

Christina Anello, editor, For Grandma, Peter Pauper, 1992.

Jennifer Habel, editor, For Mom, Peter Pauper, 1992.

Rita Freedman, editor, For My Daughter, Peter Pauper, 1992.

Walter Retan, compiler, Piggies, Piggies, Piggies, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1992.

Dawn Langley Simmons, The Great White Owl of Sissing-hurst, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1993.

Noah Lukas, The Stinky Book, Random House (New York, NY), 1993.

Constance C. Greene, Odds on Oliver, Viking (New York, NY), 1993.

Noah Lukas, Tiny Trolls' 1,2,3, Random House (New York, NY), 1993.

Noah Lukas, Tiny Trolls' A,B,C, Random House (New York, NY), 1993.

Leah Komaido, Great Aunt Ida and Her Great Dane, Doc, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1994.

Joanne Oppenheim, Floratorium, Bantam (New York, NY), 1994.

William Kennedy, Charlie Marlarkie and the Singing Moose, Viking (New York, NY), 1994.

Erica Silverman, Don't Fidget a Feather!, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

Tres Seymour, I Love My Buzzard, Orchard (New York, NY), 1994.

Rose Wyler, Spooky Tricks, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994.

Patricia Brennan Demuth, Those Amazing Ants, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

Ursula K. Le Guin, Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings, Orchard (New York, NY), 1994.

Jeff Sheppard, Full Moon Birthday, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1995.

April Pulley Sayre, If You Should Hear a Honey Guide, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1995.

Mary DeBall Kwitz, Little Vampire and the Midnight Bear, Dial (New York, NY), 1995.

Tres Seymour, The Smash-Up Crash-Up Derby, Orchard (New York, NY), 1995.

Tony Johnston, The Ghost of Nicholas Greebe, Dial (New York, NY), 1996.

Lucille Recht Penna, Landing at Plymouth, David McKay, 1996.

Candace Fleming, Madame LaGrande and Her So High, to the Sky, Uproarious Pompadour, Knopf (New York, NY), 1996.

Lucille Recht Penner, The Pilgrims at Plymouth, Random House (New York, NY), 1996.

Crescent Dragonwagon, Bat in the Dining Room, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1997.

Stuart J.Murphy, Betcha!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

Arthur Dorros, A Tree Is Growing, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1997.

Megan McDonald, Tundra Mouse: A Storyknife Tale, Orchard (New York, NY), 1997.

Carolyn White, Whuppity Stoorie: A Scottish Folktale, Putnam (New York, NY), 1997.

Janet Craig, Wonders of the Rain Forest, Troll Associates (Metuchen, NJ), 1997.

Cynthia DeFelice, Clever Crow, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1998.

Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg, Creepy Riddles, Dial (New York, NY), 1998.

Caron Lee Cohen, How Many Fish?, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Stephen Krensky, How Santa Got His Job, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Virginia Walters, Are We There Yet, Daddy?, Viking (New York, NY), 1999.

Candace Fleming, A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar, Dorling Kinders-ley (New York, NY), 1999.

Harriet Ziefert, First Night, Putnam (New York, NY), 1999.

Verla Kay, Gold Fever, Putnam (New York, NY), 1999.

Ursula K.Le Guin, Jane on Her Own: A Catwings Tale, Orchard (New York, NY), 1999.

Marilyn Singer, Josie to the Rescue, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1999.

David Greenberg, Whatever Happened to Humpty Dumpty?, and Other Surprising Sequels to Mother Goose Rhymes, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2000.

Verla Kay, Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails, Putnam (New York, NY), 2000.

M.C. Helldorfer, Hog Music, Viking (New York, NY), 2000.

Nancy Antle, Sam's Wild West Christmas, Dial (New York, NY), 2000.

Kenneth Oppel, Sunwing, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2000.

Irma Joyce, Never Talk to Strangers, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Rosemary Benét and Stephen Vincent Benét, Johnny Appleseed, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2001.

Patricia Rae Wolff, Cackle Cook's Monster Stew, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Mark Kurlansky, The Cod's Tale, Putnam's (New York, NY), 2001.

Stephen Krensky, How Santa Lost His Job, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2001.

Kenneth C. Davis, Don't Know Much about the Pilgrims, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Kenneth C. Davis, Don't Know Much about the Kings and Queens of England, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Margery Cuyler, Skeleton Hiccups, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Eileen Spinelli, Three Pebbles and a Song, Dial (New York, NY), 2003.

Kevin Lewis, The Runaway Pumpkin, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Laura Leuck, One Witch, Walker (New York, NY), 2003.

Melvin Berger, Spinning Spiders, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Douglas Rees, Grandy Thaxter's Helper, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2004.

Jon Koons, A Confused Hanukkah: An Original Story of Chelm, Dutton Children's (New York, NY), 2004.

Anne Rockwell, Honey in a Hive, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2005.

Kathleen V. Kudlinski, Boy, Were We Wrong about Dinosaurs!, Dutton Children's (New York, NY), 2005.

Kenneth C.Davis, Don't Know Much about Mummies, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2005.

Alan Armstrong, Whittington, Random House (New York, NY), 2005.

Deborah O'Neal and Angela Westengard, The Trouble with Henry, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2006.

Carol Otis Hurst, Terrible Storm, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2006.

Louise Borden, Off to First Grade, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR; "EINSTEIN ANDERSON, SCIENCE DETECTIVE" SERIES

Seymour Simon, Einstein Anderson Science Sleuth, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1980, published as The Howling Dog and Other Cases, Morrow (New York, NY), 1997.

Seymour Simon, Einstein Anderson Shocks His Friends, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1980, published as The Halloween Horror and Other Cases, Morrow (New York, NY), 1997.

Seymour Simon, Einstein Anderson Tells a Comet's Tale, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1981, published as The Time Machine and Other Cases, Morrow (New York, NY), 1997.

Seymour Simon, Einstein Anderson Makes up for Lost Time, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1981, published as The Gigantic Ants and Other Cases, Morrow (New York, NY), 1997.

Seymour Simon, Einstein Anderson Lights up the Sky, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1982, published as The Mysterious Lights and Other Cases, Morrow (New York, NY), 1998.

Seymour Simon, Einstein Anderson Goes to Bat, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1982, published as Wings of Darkness and Other Cases, Morrow (New York, NY), 1998.

Seymour Simon, Einstein Anderson Sees through the Invisible Man, Viking Penguin (New York, NY), 1982, published as The Invisible Man and Other Cases, Morrow (New York, NY), 1998.

Seymour Simon, The On-Line Spaceman and Other Cases, Morrow, 1997.

ILLUSTRATOR; "LOTTERY LUCK" SERIES

Judy Delton, Winning Ticket, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Judy Delton, Prize-winning Private Eyes, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Judy Delton, Ten's a Crowd, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Judy Delton, Moving Up, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Judy Delton, Ship Ahoy!, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Judy Delton, Next Stop, the White House!, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Judy Delton, Royal Escapade, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Judy Delton, Cabin Surprise, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1995.

Work in Progress

Illustrating Margery Cuyler's Monster Mess! for Margaret K. McElderry Books, due 2008.

Sidelights

Accomplished in many media and diverse styles, S.D. Schindler has illustrated over one hundred books since beginning his career in 1976. His whimsical pen-and-ink drawings, which have drawn comparison to the work of noted illustrator Edward Gorey, often appear decked out with gouache and watercolor tones, while other projects feature colored pencil drawings or acrylic paintings. Praising Schindler's work for Stephen Kren-sky's 2001 picture book How Santa Lost His Job, a Kirkus Reviews writer noted that his "drawings are mas-terworks of detail," while in School Library Journal a critic dubbed the ink and gouache illustrations "wonderfully energetic and detailed." The authors whose texts have benefited from Schindler's talents reads like a who's who of modern children's literature, and includes Melvin Berger, Judy Delton, Arthur Dorros, Cynthia Rylant, Margery Cuyler, Kenneth Oppel, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Virginia Haviland.

As Schindler once recalled to SATA: "I began drawing and coloring at an early age. My first award was when I was four; I won a red wagon at a coloring contest at a
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summer playground program. My favorite kinds of pictures were of animals. I had a total fascination with animals and their habitats. I loved going out looking for animals to bring home as pets as much as I loved drawing. I would bring home rabbits, snakes, polliwogs, rats, mice, and even a bat once. I have an older brother and we would do coloring or drawing together. He was more advanced and was certainly a stimulus. We continued to draw together until he was in junior high school, then he stopped drawing."

Schindler is self-taught and never took art courses; like other young children, he liked to copy cartoons and characters, especially from Mad magazine and Disney films. In school he was known as the class artist, and his teachers put him in charge of class bulletin boards and posters in grade school. His parents acknowledged his talent, but ultimately encouraged Schindler to pursue a technical degree because of the difficulty of making a living in the art field. During junior high school, he began giving his drawings as presents; then in high school, he decided to set up at a local outdoor art exhibit to sell his botanical drawings. The teen was so successful that he continued to set up booths at art exhibits as a way to earn money for college. Although he entered the University of Pennsylvania as a pre-med major, he admitted to SATA: "The first two years I goofed off and did a lot of drawing. I didn't really care too much for the biology courses, which was a surprise." During his junior year in college he realized that he wanted to make art his life, and although he majored in biology, after graduation he went to New York City in search of a job in the art field. When no jobs developed, he returned to selling his artwork at outdoor exhibits. An agent visiting an exhibit noticed some pieces of Schindler's work that related to children and got him involved in textbook illustration. Eventually he was approached by someone about illustrating a children's story, thus launching his career as a children's book illustrator.

Schindler has built a reputation as an accomplished illustrator who works in a variety of styles and media. He typically works on five to six projects at a time, jumping from one style to the next without carrying over the previous style of work. As Schindler once explained to SATA, the style of art called for in any book "depends on the feel of the story," which, he noted, he determines by reading "the text over and over until I'm sure of its tone, then the pictures appear." Schindler often finds that after he draws a story's characters, he encounters them in real life. He related, for example, that while working on Not the Piano, Mrs. Medley!, he went to the New Jersey shore to take photographs for his research on the book and, while there, found a woman that matched the image of the character, Mrs. Medley.

Schindler's work is also known for its whimsy and humor. As the artist explained: "Visual humor is so easy; I never have to think of ways to achieve it." The amount of detail in his drawings is inspired by "the appeal of diversity. I've always enjoyed observing the details and what they mean. And in drawing or painting them I enjoy combining them to achieve a whole." When asked how long it takes to complete a particular book, Schindler explained that it depends on how detailed the characters and background are and the type of medium he uses. On the average, he requires four weeks of work, working eight to ten hours per day, to complete a picture book.

One of Schindler's early projects, illustrations for The First Tulips in Holland, received the Parents' Choice Award for Illustration from the Parents' Choice Foundation. Written by Phyllis Krasilovsky, The First Tulips in Holland retells the story of how tulips, originally a Middle Eastern flower, first came to Holland in the seventeenth century. Krasilovsky imagines a Dutch merchant who, after visiting Persia, returns with some flower bulbs for his daughter, Katrina. Katrina plants the flower bulbs in a pot in her window. When the tulips bloom, they receive much public attention and the merchant is offered huge sums of money for the tulips. He refuses the offers, instead giving the flower bulbs to Katrina as a dowry when she marries a young florist. The florist eventually builds them into a Holland trademark for everyone to enjoy. "Brilliantly colored illustrations that echo Dutch paintings spill out to the edges of nearly every page," hailed Joyce Maynard in a New York Times Book Review of Schindler's artwork for the story. Citing the illustrations as "reminiscent of the Dutch masters," School Library Journal reviewer Eva Elisabeth Von Ancken also praised the artist's eye for telling details. A contributor to Booklist described Schin-dler's work as a "visual feast," while a Publishers Weekly critic called the artist's renderings "marvelous paintings." Commenting on the accurate detail given to elements of architecture, costume, and botany in the book, a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books contributor claimed that The First Tulips in Holland "is lovely to look at."

Another early project was illustrating Cynthia Rylant's Every Living Thing. This collection of short stories by one of Schindler's favorite writers expresses the positive influence animals have on people. One story shows how getting a hermit crab as a pet helps a young orphaned child relate to the elderly aunt who has become his new caretaker. Another story demonstrates how a turtle assists a learning-impaired child develop a friendship. Schindler's artwork is represented as "decorations" because small pen-and-ink renderings of the featured animal of each story are the book's only illustrations. His skill is nonetheless evident, a Publishers Weekly contributor noting that the drawings "adorn as well as illustrate" the tales in Rylant's book. Praising the "finely detailed" drawings, School Library Journal critic Ruth S. Vose, added that the drawings beginning each short story "express its tone" as well.

Schindler has illustrated several books by noted science-fiction novelist Ursula K. Le Guin. Catwings follows four winged kittens who are encouraged by their mother to flee the dangerous city for the safety of the countryside. Writing in the New York Times Book Review, Crescent Dragonwagon pointed out that Le Guin's story and Schindler's "marvelous ink and watercolor illustrations, especially the kitten closeups: personable, enchanting, believable," captivate the reader. "Fine illustrations show the delightfully furry and winged cats to perfection," asserted Ann A. Flowers in her Horn Book review, the critic adding that "Every cat lover will wish for one of his or her own." Schindler has also illustratd several sequels to Le Guin's book, among them Catwings Return, Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings, and Jane on Her Own: A Catwings Tale.

I Love My Buzzard ranks as one of Schindler's favorite picture-book project, as he told SATA. In the book Tres
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Seymour tells a rhyming story of a young boy who brings home unusual pets, including a buzzard, warthog, squid, and even slugs. When his mother cannot take the surprises anymore and leaves, the boy realizes he must find new homes for his pets. "Schindler adds considerably to the merriment with artfully detailed depictions of the irrepressible collector, his righteously indignant mom, and the realistic yet delightfully expressive creatures he's harboring," noted a contributor to Kirkus Reviews. His contribution to April Pulley Sayre's If You Should Hear a Honey Guide, a 1995 Smithsonian Award winner, also earned praise from critics. According to Booklist reviewer Julie Corsaro, "the realistically detailed mixed-media paintings are executed in earth tones that suggest the almost colorless terrain of the region." Schindler has also been complimented for his work on many other volumes, including Candace Fleming's Madame LaGrande and Her So High, to the Sky, Uproarious Pompadour. Booklist reviewer Kay Weisman noted that the artist's "fanciful illustrations match the delightful silliness of the text." Praising Schindler's work for Eileen Spinelli's Three Pebbles and a Song as containing "some of his most striking work to date," a Publishers Weekly critic also noted Spinelli's "wonderful story" about a family of mice preparing for winter, while in School Library Journal Robyn Walker wrote that "Schindler's painterly artwork captures perfectly the chill of the coming winter and the warmth of a happy home."

Although many critics maintain that some of Schin-dler's best work can be found bringing to life animal-centered stories, the versatile artist also demonstrates his knack for grotesquely amusing monsters in several picture books. Reviewing his pictures for Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg's Creepy Riddles, a Horn Book contributor wrote that Schindler's "detailed color illustrations … are spooky enough to produce a shiver, yet amusing enough to scare up a smile." Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler also benefits from the illustrator's eye for the amusingly horrific, as his bold, inky pictures "make the most out of every situation, instilling humor in every scene," according to Piper L. Nyman in School Library Journal. In Cuyler's rhyming story, Skeleton spends an entire day trying to rid himself of the jarring need to issue a rattling "hic-hic-hiccup" until Ghost implements a time-tested solution. Described by a Kirkus Reviews writer as a "witch's brew of ABC's," Cackle Cook's Monster Stew by Patricia Rae Wolff also brings out Schindler's playful side; in following a witch's efforts to put together the most disgusting stew ever, the illustrator colors his drawings "with just the right bilious colors, and his population of witches and ogres are comfortably spooky," the Kirkus Reviews writer added. School Library Journal critic Gay Lynn Van Vleck agreed, writing that in the artist's watercolor-and-gouache rendering of Igor the ogre's trip to his local witch-friendly grocery story, "bins of 'furry odds and ends' and iguana toes are not for the squeamish."

In a similar fashion, Schindler's work on How Santa Got His Job brings out the whimsical, understated quality of Krensky's story. "Schindler knows exactly how to make his artwork play off the humor," wrote Ilene Cooper in Booklist. Also notable are his illustrations for A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar, a story by Candace Fleming that is based on an incident that occurred during Thomas Jefferson's U.S. presidency. Calling the book "as pleasing to look at as it is delightful to read," a Horn Book critic paid compliment to Schindler's "droll, elegantly limned pen, ink and watercolor illustrations." The artist also shows his expertise in bringing historical themes to life with Gold Fever, a tale of California mining country penned by Verla Kay, and several volumes in Kenneth C. Davis's "Don't Know Much About …" non-fiction series for elementary graders. A Horn Book contributor noted that in Gold Fever "Schindler's colored-pencil drawings on rough textured paper aptly convey" the landscape and the arduous and dirty work of searching for gold, while in Don't Know Much about the Pilgrims the illustrator's "precise and lively ink drawings … put a very human (and often amusing) face on the past," according to Booklist reviewer Carolyn Phelan.

For all his successes, Schindler acknowledges that illustrating is not an easy career to establish. He points out that, although his style has not changed since his graduation from college, when he first went to New York City, no one was interested in his work until he found an agent to represent him. "Art directors do not have to look for illustrators for children's books," he once explained to SATA. "It is easier to get work once you have been published." Based on his own experiences, he advises aspiring illustrators to "be sure of yourself" and "draw, draw, draw."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 15, 1982, review of The First Tulips in Holland, p. 1258; November 15, 1994, Linda Ward-Callaghan, review of Don't Fidget a Feather!; September 1, 1995, Julie Corsaro, review of If You Should Hear a Honey Guide; July 19, 1996, Kay Weisman, review of Madame LaGrande and Her So High, to the Sky, Uproarious Pompadour; January 1, 1998, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Tundra Mouse: A Storyknife Tale; September 1, 1998, Ilene Cooper, review of How Santa Got His Job; June 1, 2001, Denise Wilms, review of Johnny Appleseed, p. 1885; August, 2002, Carolyn Phelan, review of Don't Know Much about the Pilgrims, p. 1952; September 15, 2002, John Peters, review of Skeleton Hiccups, p. 245.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June, 1982, review of The First Tulips in Holland, pp. 190-191.

Horn Book, November-December, 1988, Ann A. Flowers, review of Catwings, p. 781; March-April, 1989, pp. 205-206; September, 1999, Mary M. Burns, review of A Big Cheese for the White House, p. 594; January, 2001, Mary A. Burns, review of Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails, p. 84; November-December, 2001, Betty Carter, review of The Cod's Tale, p. 773; September-October, 2002, Joanna Rudge Long, review of Skeleton Hiccups, p. 549.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 1994, review of I Love My Buzzard; August 1, 1997, review of Tundra Mouse; August 15, 2001, review of Cackle Cook's Monster Stew, p. 1224; September 15, 2001, review of How Santa Lost His Job, p. 1360; August 1, 2002, review of Skeleton Hiccups, p. 1125; April 15, 2003, review of Spinning Spiders, p. 604; July 1, 2003, review of Three Pebbles and a Song, p. 916.

New York Times Book Review, April 25, 1982, Joyce May-nard, review of The First Tulips in Holland, p. 38; November 13, 1988, Crescent Dragonwagon, review of Catwings; November 12, 1989, p. 27.

Publishers Weekly, April 23, 1982, review of The First Tulips in Holland; July 5, 1985, p. 67; September 20, 1985, review of Every Living Thing, p. 108; October 9, 2000, review of Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails, p. 87; June 25, 2001, review of Johnny Appleseed, p. 72; September 3, 2001, review of The Cod's Tale, p. 88; August 25, 2003, review of Three Pebbles and a Song, p. 63.

School Library Journal, March, 1982, Eva Elisabeth Von Ancken, review of The First Tulips in Holland, p. 136; December, 1985, Ruth S. Vose, review of Every Living Thing, p. 106; October, 1991, p. 22; May, 2000, Lee Bock, review of Hog Music, p. 142; November, 2000, Catherine T. Quattlebaum, review of Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails, p. 125; August, 2001, Wendy Lukehart, review of Johnny Appleseed, p. 166; October, 2001, review of How Santa Lost His Job, p. 67; November, 2001, Gay Lynn Van Vleck, review of Cackle Cook's Monster Stew, p. 139; July, 2002, Barbara Buckley, review of Don't Know Much about the Kings and Queens of England, p. 133; October, 2002, Piper L. Nyman, review of Skeleton Hiccups, p. 100; August, 2003, James K. Irwin, review of One Witch, p. 136; September, 2003, Robyn Walker, review of Three Pebbles and a Song, p. 192.