Katz, Karen 1947-

Personal

Born September 16, 1947, in Newark, NJ; daughter of Alex (a furniture manufacturer) and Muriel (a homemaker) Katz; married Gary Richards (a writer), 1999; children: Lena. Education: Tyler School of Art, degree. 1969; Yale School of Art and Architecture, M.F.A., 1971.

Addresses

Home—New York, NY. E-mail—[email protected].

Career

Author and illustrator of children's books. Has also worked as a costume designer, quilt maker, fabric artist, graphic designer, and toy designer. Exhibitions: Work exhibited at Society of Illustrators Picture Book show, 1999, 2002, and Children's Museum of Arts, New York, NY, 1999.

Awards, Honors

Smithsonian, People, and Parent Guide magazines Best Books designation, all 1997, all for Over the Moon; Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award nomination, Florida

Reading Association Award nomination, and Child magazine Best Book designation, all 2000, all for The Colors of Us; National Parenting Publications Gold Award, and Child magazine Best Book designation, both 2001, and Bank Street School Books Committee Best Book designation, 2002, all for Counting Kisses; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award, 2002, for Counting Kisses and Twelve Hats for Lena; Dollywood Foundation Imagination Library Award, 2004, for I Can Share!; National Parenting Publications Award, 2005, for Ten Tiny Tickles; National Parenting Publications Award, 2005, for Daddy Hugs 1 2 3; National Parenting Publications Award, 2006, for Mommy Hugs.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale, Holt (New York, NY), 1997.

The Colors of Us, Holt (New York, NY), 1999.

Where Is Baby's Belly Button?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2000.

In Grandmother's Arms, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Counting Kisses, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2001.

Where Is Baby's Mommy?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2001.

Excuse Me!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2002.

Grandma and Me, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2002.

Twelve Hats for Lena: A Book of Months, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2002.

No Biting!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2002.

My First Kwanzaa, Holt (New York, NY), 2003.

Daddy and Me, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

Counting Christmas, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2003.

Grandpa and Me, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2004.

What Does Baby Say?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2004.

My First Chinese New Year, Holt (New York, NY), 2004.

No Hitting!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2004.

I Can Share!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2004.

Ten Tiny Tickles, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2005.

A Potty for Me!, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2005.

Daddy Hugs 1 2 3, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2005.

Mommy Hugs, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2006.

Best-ever Big Brother, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2006.

Can You Say Peace?, Holt (New York, NY), 2006.

Where Is Baby's Pumpkin?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2006.

Best-ever Big Sister, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2006.

Wiggle Your Toes, paper engineering by Gene Vosough, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2006.

My First Ramadan, Holt (New York, NY), 2007.

Peek-a-Baby, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2007.

Where Is Baby's Dreidel?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2007.

Ten Tiny Babies, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2008.

Princess Baby, Schwartz & Wade (New York, NY), 2008.

ILLUSTRATOR

Marion Dane Bauer, Toes, Ears, and Nose!, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2003.

Anastasia Suen, Subway, Viking (New York, NY), 2004.

Jayne C. Shelton, In Grandma's Arms, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2007.

Margaret Wise Brown, A Child's Good Morning Book, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2009.

Sidelights

Karen Katz has written and illustrated dozens of picture books and lift-the-flap books for young readers. Katz, a graduate of the Yale School of Art and Architecture, is the author of such works as Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale, Grandpa and Me, and Princess Baby. For her efforts, she has earned a number of National Parenting Publications Awards, as well as several other honors.

Published in 1997, Katz's debut picture book Over the Moon was inspired by events from her own life. As she stated on the Random House Web site, "After my husband and I adopted our daughter from Guatemala, I de- cided I wanted to illustrate children's books. I had been a graphic designer for many years. For nine months, I painted pictures of kids and anything that looked like it could be in a children's book. Then I put together a portfolio to show." Katz later met with Laura Godwin, a senior editor who encouraged her to write a book about adoption. "That was the beginning of my career," Katz noted. "I was very lucky to meet someone who had great vision and was willing to trust in my potential."

Marked by elements of fantasy, Over the Moon follows a couple's journey to a distant land to adopt the tiny baby they both had seen in their dreams. "Bold colors and lively patterns swirl across the pages," noted Booklist critic Stephanie Zvirin, and a Publishers Weekly reviewer praised the "contagious exuberance" of Katz's "playfully stylized collage, gouache and colored pencil illustrations, which display a vibrant palette and all the energy of a flamenco dance."

The Colors of Us is another picture-book tribute to Katz's daughter. In the work, a young girl wants to use brown paint for her self-portrait. The girl's mother, an artist, takes her daughter for a walk through their neighborhood, pointing out the many different shades of brown skin on the people they meet. In the words of Booklist contributor Hazel Rochman, Katz's illustrations "celebrate the delicious colors of the individual people, all brown, and each one different."

Counting Kisses, a "delightfully simple, interactive story," according to Childhood Education reviewer Susan A. Miller, appeared in 2001. In this book a fussy baby is coaxed to sleep by a series of kisses from her mother and father, her grandmother, her older sister, and even the family pets. "With buoyant cartoons rendered in a bouquet of vibrant pastel tones, Katz creates a book as irresistible as a baby's smile," observed a contributor in Publishers Weekly. In another family-centered work, Counting Christmas, a family prepares lights, presents, and cookies for their holiday celebration. "The collage, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations are cheery and have a nice textural feel," wrote Linda Israelson in School Library Journal.

A young girl creates a different style of headgear for each month of the year in Twelve Hats for Lena: A Book of Months. January's stocking cap is adorned with pictures of snowmen and sleds; March's hat is decorated with shamrocks. When December arrives, Lena cannot decide which holiday to emphasize, so she designs an oversized headpiece that includes symbols from Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. "Katz's mixed-media artwork, primarily a combination of gouache and collage, has a kicky brightness that refreshes such traditional subjects as valentines, a spring flower garden, [and] American flags," remarked a contributor in Publishers Weekly.

Katz looks at holiday celebrations in My First Kwanzaa and My First Chinese New Year. In the former, a preschooler discusses the seven underlying principles of Kwanzaa. Katz's text and illustrations "combine to convey the wider sense of community that is the essence of the holiday," stated Rochman. In the latter, a young girl makes an altar to honor her ancestors, enjoys a meal with her relatives, and attends a parade in Chinatown. Katz "introduces readers to the traditions and importance of this holiday," noted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly. A number of critics offered praise for Katz's collage and mixed-media illustrations; a contributor in Kirkus Reviews remarked that the pictures "capture the excitement that surrounds the celebration." In a later work, My First Ramadan, Katz looks at the traditional holiday through the eyes of a young Muslim boy. "Children will appreciate the warm, personal narrative," Rochman observed.

To celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace, Katz offered the self-illustrated title Can You Say Peace?, "a simple, buoyantly illustrated look at the wonderful variety of lifestyles across the globe and the similarities of children everywhere," remarked Shelley B. Sutherland in School Library Journal. The work depicts children from a host of nations, including India, France, and Mexico, who teach readers how to say "peace" in their native languages. While complimenting the "vibrantly colored patterns" and "soothing rhythmic lines" in Katz's illustrations, a Kirkus Reviews contributor stated that this "primer on nonviolence works in its simplicity." As Katz once remarked to SATA, "I am … fascinated by people from all over the world—what they look like, how they live, and the differences that make us all unique."

Katz once told SATA: "I am fascinated by babies and little kids. The simplest words and gestures can make them laugh. Sometimes while I'm standing in line at the supermarket and watching kids sitting in grocery carts, my best ideas are born." Daddy Hugs 1 2 3 focuses on the warm relationship between a father and his infant. Describing the collage, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations, School Library Journal reviewer Rachael Vilmar noted that the pictures "are made up of Katz's signature patterned objects and cutesy round-headed figures." In a companion volume, Mommy Hugs, Katz follows a baby and her mother through a busy day. "The sunny pictures capture familiar activities," remarked Linda Ludke in School Library Journal.

In the counting book Ten Tiny Tickles, a baby's caregivers, including her parents, siblings, and grandparents, gently touch and tickle the infant as they bathe, diaper, and dress her. Katz's "illustrations depict loving family members with round faces, happy smiles, and rosy cheeks," Maryann H. Owen stated in School Library Journal. A set of playful babies wriggle their toes, splash in the tub, and cuddle before bedtime in Ten Tiny Babies, a companion counting book that employs rhyming couplets to describe infants' boundless energy. In the words of a Publishers Weekly contributor, the work "is a solid addition to Katz's extensive oeuvre of ador- ableness." In Princess Baby, a toddler who has grown tired of such nicknames as "Cupcake" and "Giggly Goose" dons a shiny crown and fabulous jewels to firmly establish her identity. Here Katz's artwork "supports the book's messages about children's rich fantasy life and their desire to assert themselves," commented Abby Nolan in Booklist.

In addition to her self-illustrated titles, Katz has provided artwork for a number of books by other authors, including Subway by Anastasia Suen. A work told in verse, Subway depicts a young girl's trip uptown with her mother. "Katz creates a merry metropolis that is both multicolored and multicultural," remarked a critic in Publishers Weekly, and Booklist contributor Gillian Engberg noted that the "jelly-bean colors in the artwork extend the sense of sunny excitement."

Katz once told SATA: "I have always loved to paint and experiment with pattern, texture, collage, and color. I have always been interested in folk art from around the world, Indian miniatures, Mexican ceramics, fabrics, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, children's art, and primitive painting. My careers have included costume design, quilt making, fabric artistry, and graphic design. Looking back, I can see that all of these passions and career choices have had a part in influencing me to become a children's book author and illustrator.

"When an idea for a story pops into my head, I ask these questions: Will a child want to read this book? Will parents want to read this book with their children? Will this book make a child laugh? Will this book make a parent and child feel something? Is there something visual here that will hold a child's interest? Will a child see something in a different way after reading this book? If the answer to any of those questions is ‘yes,’ then I know I'm on the right track.

"I am very lucky to get to do what I do. Everyday I go into my studio and have fun. Don't get me wrong: some days are very frustrating. Sometimes the colors are all wrong and the words don't sound right, but after I work at it for a while … and try to do it a different way … and think … and change the words or colors … and try some more … suddenly, there it is—a great page of writing or a great illustration. And nothing is more satisfying than that."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 1997, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale, p. 133; September 15, 1999, Hazel Rochman, review of The Colors of Us, p. 268; February 1, 2001, Lauren Peterson, review of Counting Kisses, p. 1056; September 1, 2003, Hazel Rochman, review of My First Kwanzaa, p. 134; November 1, 2003, Hazel Rochman, review of Counting Christmas, p. 501; February 1, 2004, Gillian Engberg, review of Subway, p. 982; February 1, 2005, Linda Perkins, review of My First Chinese New Year, p. 965; July, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Ten Tiny Tickles, p. 1929; February 15, 2006, Ilene Cooper, review of Mommy Hugs, p. 102; May 15, 2006, Hazel Rochman, review of Can You Say Peace?, p. 50; June 1, 2007, Hazel Rochman, review of My First Ramadan, p. 83; January 1, 2008, Abby Nolan, review of Princess Baby, p. 95; July 1, 2008, Hazel Rochman, review of Ten Tiny Babies, p. 74.

Childhood Education, spring, 2002, review of Counting Kisses, p. 173.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2002, review of Twelve Hats for Lena: A Book of Months, p. 1134; November 1, 2003, review of My First Kwanzaa, p. 1317; November 15, 2004, review of My First Chinese New Year, p. 1090; June 1, 2006, review of Can You Say Peace?, p. 575.

Publishers Weekly, August 4, 1997, review of Over the Moon, p. 73; June 5, 2000, review of Where Is Baby's Belly Button?, p. 96; November 27, 2000, review of Counting Kisses, p. 75; April 29, 2002, review of Grandma and Me, p. 73; July 15, 2002, review of Twelve Hats for Lena, p. 72; September 22, 2003, review of Counting Christmas, p. 69; February 2, 2004, review of Subway, p. 75; December 20, 2004, review of My First Chinese New Year, p. 61; June 25, 2007, review of My First Ramadan, p. 63; December 17, 2007, review of Princess Baby, p. 50; June 23, 2008, review of Ten Tiny Babies, p. 53.

School Library Journal, February, 2001, Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, review of Counting Kisses, p. 102; October, 2002, Joy Fleishhacker, review of Twelve Hats for Lena, p. 114; October, 2003, Linda Israelson, review of Counting Christmas, p. 64, and Virginia Walter, review of My First Kwanzaa, p. 64; December, 2004, Rachel G. Payne, review of My First Chinese New Year, p. 112; February, 2004, Margaret R. Tassia, review of Subway, p. 124; June, 2005, Rachael Vilmar, review of Daddy Hugs 1 2 3, p. 118; July, 2005, Maryann H. Owen, review of Ten Tiny Tickles, p. 75; April, 2006, Linda Ludke, review of Mommy Hugs, p. 110; September, 2006, Shelley B. Sutherland, review of Can You Say Peace?, p. 174; August, 2007, Kristin Anderson, review of My First Ramadan, p. 82; March, 2008, Blair Christolon, review of Princess Baby, p. 168; September, 2008, Linda Ludke, review of Ten Tiny Babies, p. 151.

ONLINE

Karen Katz Home Page,http://www.karenkatz.com (December 1, 2008).

Random House Web site,http://www.randomhouse.com/ (December 1, 2008), "Author Spotlight: Karen Katz."

KATZ, Karen 1947-

Personal

Born September 16, 1947, in Newark, NJ; daughter of Alex (a furniture manufacturer) and Muriel (a homemaker) Katz; married Gary Richards (a writer), 1999; children: Lena. Education: Graduated from Tyler School of Art, 1969; Yale School of Art and Architecture, M.F.A., 1971.

Addresses

Home— New York, NY. Agent— c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. E-mail— [email protected].

Career

Author and illustrator of children's books. Has also worked as a costume designer, quilt maker, fabric artist, and graphic designer. Exhibitions: Work exhibited at Society of Illustrators Picture Book show, 1999, 2002, and Children's Museum of Arts, New York, NY, 1999.

Awards, Honors

Smithsonian, People, and Parent Guide magazines Best Books designation, all 1997, all for Over the Moon; Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award nomination, Florida Reading Association Award nomination, and Child magazine Best Book designation, all 2000, all for The Colors of Us; National Parenting Publications Gold Award, and Child magazine Best Book designation, both 2001, and Bank Street School Books Committee Best Book designation, 2002, all for Counting Kisses; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award, 2002, for Counting Kisses and Twelve Hats for Lena.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale, Holt (New York, NY), 1997.

The Colors of Us, Holt (New York, NY), 1999.

Where Is Baby's Belly Button?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2000.

In Grandmother's Arms, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Counting Kisses, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2001.

Where Is Baby's Mommy?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2001.

Excuse Me!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2002.

Grandma and Me, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2002.

Twelve Hats for Lena: A Book of Months, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2002.

No Biting!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2002.

My First Kwanzaa, Holt (New York, NY), 2003.

Daddy and Me, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

Counting Christmas, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2003.

Grandpa and Me, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2004.

What Does Baby Say?, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2004.

My First Chinese New Year, Holt (New York, NY), 2004.

No Hitting!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2004.

I Can Share!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2004.

Ten Tiny Tickles, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2005.

Daddy Hugs 1 2 3, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2005.

A Potty for Me!, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2005.

ILLUSTRATOR

Marion Dane Bauer, Toes, Ears, and Nose!, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2003.

Anastasia Suen, Subway, Viking (New York, NY), 2004.

Work in Progress

Mommy Hugs 1 2 3, for Margaret K. McElderry, expected 2006; Can You Say Peace?, for Holt, expected 2006; My First Ramadan, for Holt, expected 2007.

Sidelights

Illustrator and designer Karen Katz has published a number of picture books and lift-the-flap books for young readers. Katz, a graduate of the Yale School of Art and Architecture, is also the author of such works as Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale, Where Is Baby's Belly Button?, Grandpa and Me, and Twelve Hats for Lena: A Book of Months. In 2002, she received the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award for Counting Kisses, one of several honors Katz has earned for her work.

Published in 1997, Katz's debut picture book Over the Moon was inspired by events from her own life: she and her husband adopted their daughter, Lena, from Guatemala. Marked by elements of fantasy, Over the Moon follows a couple's journey to a distant land to adopt the tiny baby they both had seen in their dreams. "Bold colors and lively patterns swirl across the pages," noted Booklist critic Stephanie Zvirin, and a Publishers Weekly reviewer praised the "contagious exuberance" of Katz's "playfully stylized collage, gouache and colored pencil illustrations, which display a vibrant palette and all the energy of a flamenco dance."

The Colors of Us, a 1999 picture book, is another tribute to Katz's daughter. In the work, a young girl wants to use brown paint for her self-portrait. The girl's mother, an artist, takes her daughter for a walk through their neighborhood, pointing out the many different shades of brown skin on the people they meet. In the words of Booklist contributor Hazel Rochman, Katz's illustrations "celebrate the delicious colors of the individual people, all brown, and each one different."

Counting Kisses, a "delightfully simple, interactive story," according to Childhood Education reviewer Susan A. Miller, appeared in 2001. A fussy baby is coaxed to sleep by a series of kisses from her mother and father, her grandmother, her older sister, and even the family pets. "With buoyant cartoons rendered in a bouquet of vibrant pastel tones, Katz creates a book as irresistible as a baby's smile," observed a contributor in Publishers Weekly.

In Counting Christmas, a 2003 work, a family prepares lights, presents, and cookies for their holiday celebration. "The collage, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations are cheery and have a nice textural feel," wrote Linda Israelson in School Library Journal. A young girl creates a different style of headgear for each month of the year in Twelve Hats for Lena. January's stocking cap is adorned with pictures of snowmen and sleds; March's hat is decorated with shamrocks. When December arrives, Lena cannot decide which holiday to emphasize, so she designs an oversized headpiece that includes symbols from Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. "Katz's mixed-media artwork, primarily a combination of gouache and collage, has a kicky brightness that refreshes such traditional subjects as valentines, a spring flower garden, [and] American flags," remarked a contributor in Publishers Weekly.

Katz looks at holiday celebrations in the 2003 work My First Kwanzaa and the 2004 title My First Chinese New Year. In the former, a preschooler discusses the seven underlying principles of Kwanzaa. Katz's text and illustrations "combine to convey the wider sense of community that is the essence of the holiday," stated Booklist critic Hazel Rochman. In the latter, a young girl makes an altar to honor her ancestors, enjoys a meal with her relatives, and attends a parade in Chinatown. Katz "introduces readers to the traditions and importance of this holiday," noted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.

Katz told Something about the Author: "I have always loved to paint and experiment with pattern, texture, collage, and color. I have always been interested in folk art from around the world, Indian miniatures, Mexican ceramics, fabrics, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, children's art, and primitive painting. My careers have included costume design, quilt making, fabric artistry, and graphic design. Looking back, I can see that all of these passions and career choices have had a part in influencing me to become a children's book author and illustrator.

"I am fascinated by babies and little kids. The simplest words and gestures can make them laugh. Sometimes while I'm standing in line at the supermarket and watching kids sitting in grocery carts, my best ideas are born. I am also fascinated by people from all over the world—what they look like, how they live, and the differences that make us all unique.

"After my husband and I adopted our daughter from Guatemala, I was inspired to do a children's book for her. My first book, Over the Moon, was the story of that magical adoption experience. I painted, I drew, I collaged, and I wrote, and after working very hard, a beautiful book was born! More than twenty books later my daughter is still an inspiration to me (although she is a teenager now).

"When an idea for a story pops into my head, I ask these questions: Will a child want to read this book? Will parents want to read this book with their children? Will this book make a child laugh? Will this book make a parent and child feel something? Is there something visual here that will hold a child's interest? Will a child see something in a different way after reading this book? If the answer to any of those questions is 'yes,' then I know I'm on the right track.

"I am very lucky to get to do what I do. Everyday I go into my studio and have fun. Don't get me wrong: some days are very frustrating. Sometimes the colors are all wrong and the words don't sound right, but after I work at it for a while . . . and try to do it a different way . . . and think . . . and change the words or colors . . . and try some more . . . suddenly, there it is—a great page of writing or a great illustration. And nothing is more satisfying than that."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 1997, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale, p. 133; September 15, 1999, Hazel Rochman, review of The Colors of Us, p. 268; February 1, 2001, Lauren Peterson, review of Counting Kisses, p. 1056; September 1, 2003, Hazel Rochman, review of My First Kwanzaa, p. 134; November 1, 2003, Hazel Rochman, review of Counting Christmas, p. 501.

Childhood Education, spring, 2002, review of Counting Kisses, p. 173.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2002, review of Twelve Hats for Lena: A Book of Months, p. 1134; November 1, 2003, review of My First Kwanzaa, p. 1317.

Publishers Weekly, August 4, 1997, review of Over the Moon, p. 73; June 5, 2000, review of Where Is Baby's Belly Button?, p. 96; November 27, 2000, review of Counting Kisses, p. 75; April 29, 2002, review of Grandma and Me, p. 73; July 15, 2002, review of Twelve Hats for Lena, p. 72; September 22, 2003, review of Counting Christmas, p. 69; December 20, 2004, review of My First Chinese New Year, p. 61.

School Library Journal, February, 2001, Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, review of Counting Kisses, p. 102; October, 2002, Joy Fleishhacker, review of Twelve Hats for Lena, p. 114; October, 2003, Linda Israelson, review of Counting Christmas, p. 64, and Virginia Walter, review of My First Kwanzaa, p. 64; December, 2004, Rachel G. Payne, review of My First Chinese New Year, p. 112.

ONLINE

Karen Katz Web site, http://www.karenkatz.com (February 1, 2005).