DEGEN, Bruce 1945-

PERSONAL: Born June 14, 1945, in Brooklyn, NY; married Christine Bostard (a teacher and illustrator); children: Benjamin, Alexander. Education: Cooper Union, B.F.A., 1966; Pratt Institute, M.F.A., 1975.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

CAREER: Author and illustrator. Director of an artists' lithography studio in Ein Hod, Israel, beginning 1971. Teacher of "Writing and Illustrating Books for Children" course at School of Visual Arts, New York, NY; has also worked as an opera scenery painter, advertising designer, printmaker, and teacher of life-drawing, printmaking, and calligraphy to advanced high school students and adults. Exhibitions: Degen's illustrations have been exhibited in New York, NY, at the Master Eagle Gallery, the Hempstead Municipal Gallery, and at the Society of Illustrators' "Original Art" show.

MEMBER: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

AWARDS, HONORS: Children's Choice selection, International Reading Association and Children's Book Council, 1982, for Little Chick's Big Day, and 1985, for My Mother Didn't Kiss Me Good-Night; Garden State Children's Book Award (Easy-to-Read category), New Jersey Library Association, 1983, for Commander Toad in Space, 1992, for The Magic School Bus inside the Human Body, 1993, for The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System, 1995, for The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor, 1998, for The Magic School Bus inside a Hurricane, and 1999, for The Magic School Bus inside a Beehive; Editors' Choice, Booklist, 1983, for Jamberry; Children's Books of the Year, Child Study Association of America, 1985, for Jamberry, and 1987, for The Josefina Story Quilt; Boston Globe-Horn Book nonfiction honor, 1987, for The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks; National Parenting Publications Award, 1994, for The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs; Best Books of the Year, Parenting magazine, 1999, for The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses. Winner of many other child-selected awards.

WRITINGS:

for children; self-illustrated

Aunt Possum and the Pumpkin Man, Harper (New York, NY), 1977.

The Little Witch and the Riddle, Harper (New York, NY), 1980.

Jamberry, Harper (New York, NY), 1983.

Teddy Bear Towers, Harper Collins (New York, NY), 1991.

Sailaway Home, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Daddy Is a Doodlebug, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

illustrator

Malcolm Hall, Forecast, Coward (New York, NY), 1977.

Stephen Krensky, A Big Day for Scepters, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1977.

Malcolm Hall, Caricatures, Coward (New York, NY), 1978.

Carol Chapman, Ig Lives in a Cave, Dutton (New York, NY), 1979.

Judy Delton, Brimhall Turns to Magic, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1979.

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Mr. Jameson and Mr.Phillips, Harper (New York, NY), 1979.

Claudia Louise Lewis, Up and Down the River: BoatPoems, Harper (New York, NY), 1979.

Jane Yolen, Commander Toad in Space, Coward (New York, NY), 1980.

Charlotte Herman, My Mother Didn't Kiss Me Good-Night, Dutton (New York, NY), 1980.

Donald J. Sobol, Encyclopedia Brown's Second RecordBook of Weird and Wonderful Facts, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1981.

Mary DeBall Kwitz, Little Chick's Big Day, Harper (New York, NY), 1981.

Clyde Robert Bulla, Dandelion Hill, Dutton (New York, NY), 1982.

Jane Yolen, Commander Toad and the Planet of theGrapes, Coward (New York, NY), 1982.

Joel L. Schwartz, Upchuck Summer, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1982.

Malcolm Hall, Deadlines, Coward (New York, NY), 1982.

Mary DeBall Kwitz, Little Chick's Breakfast, Harper (New York, NY), 1983.

Jane Yolen, Commander Toad and the Big Black Hole, Coward (New York, NY), 1983.

Lyn Littlefield Hoopes, Daddy's Coming Home!, Harper (New York, NY), 1984.

Jane Yolen, Commander Toad and the Dis-Asteroid, Coward (New York, NY), 1985.

Joseph Slate, Lonely Lula Cat, Harper (New York, NY), 1985.

Bonnie Pryor, Grandpa Bear, Morrow (New York, NY), 1985.

Joel L. Schwartz, Best Friends Don't Come in Threes, Dell (New York, NY), 1985.

Eleanor Coerr, The Josefina Story Quilt, Harper (New York, NY), 1986.

Jane Yolen, Commander Toad and the IntergalacticSpy, Coward (New York, NY), 1986.

Diane Stanley, The Good-Luck Pencil, Four Winds (New York, NY), 1986.

Bonnie Pryor, Grandpa Bear's Christmas, Morrow (New York, NY), 1986.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Jesse Bear, What Will YouWear?, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1986.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1986.

(With wife, Chris Degen) Aileen Lucia Fisher, When ItComes to Bugs: Poems, Harper (New York, NY), 1986.

Larry Weinberg, The Forgetful Bears Meet Mr.Memory, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1987.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus inside the Earth, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1987.

Jane Yolen, Commander Toad and the Space Pirates, Putnam (New York, NY), 1987.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Better Not Get Wet, JesseBear, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1988.

Larry Weinberg, The Forgetful Bears Help Santa, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1988.

Joan Lowery Nixon, If You Were a Writer, Four Winds (New York, NY), 1988.

Mike Thaler, In the Middle of the Puddle, Harper (New York, NY), 1988.

Jan Wahl, Tim Kitten and the Red Cupboard, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1988.

Barbara Brenner and William H. Hooks, Lion andLamb, Bantam (New York, NY), 1989.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus inside the HumanBody, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1989.

Barbara Brenner and William H. Hooks, Lion andLamb Step Out, Bantam (New York, NY), 1990.

Nancy White Carlstrom, It's about Time, Jesse Bear, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

Joanna Cole, Dinosaur Dances, Putnam (New York, NY), 1990.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus Lost in the SolarSystem, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1990.

Barbara Brenner and William H. Hooks, Ups andDowns with Lion and Lamb, Bantam (New York, NY), 1991.

Tony Johnston, Goblin Walk, Putnam (New York, NY), 1991.

Nancy White Carlstrom, How Do You Say It Today,Jesse Bear?, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

Mary DeBall Kwitz, Little Chick's Friend, Duckling, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1992.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus on the OceanFloor, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1992.

Jane Yolen, Mouse's Birthday, Putnam (New York, NY), 1993.

John Archambault, A Beautiful Feast for a Big KingCat, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994.

Joan Lowery Nixon, Will You Give Me a Dream?, Four Winds (New York, NY), 1994.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1994.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Jesse Bear's Tra-La Tub, Aladdin Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Jesse Bear's Tum-Tum Tickle, Aladdin Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Jesse Bear's Yum-YumCrumble, Aladdin Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Jesse Bear's Wiggle-JiggleJump-Up, Aladdin Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Happy Birthday, Jesse Bear, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus inside a Hurricane, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1995.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Let's Count It Out, Jesse Bear, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1996.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus inside a Beehive, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Guess Who's Coming, JesseBear?, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997.

Jane Yolen, Commander Toad and the Voyage Home, Putnam (New York, NY), 1997.

Nancy White Carlstrom, I Love You, Mama, Any Time of the Year, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997.

Nancy White Carlstrom, I Love You, Papa, In AllKinds of Weather, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus and the ElectricField Trip, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1997.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Bizz Buzz Chug-A-Chug:Jesse Bear's Sounds, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1997.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Hooray for Me, Hooray forYou, Hooray for Blue: Jesse Bear's Colors, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1997.

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus Explores theSenses, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1999.

Nancy White Carlstrom, What a Scare, Jesse Bear!, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Where Is Christmas, JesseBear?, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2000.

Gregory Valiska, Shirley's Wonderful Baby, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

Joanna Cole, Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Joanna Cole, Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: MedievalCastle, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Valiska Gregory, Shirley's Wonderful Baby, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Nancy White Carlstrom, Climb the Family Tree, JesseBear!, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2002.

ADAPTATIONS: Jamberry was adapted as a cassette by Live Oak Media (Pine Plains, NY), 1986. Degen's illustrations for Joanna Cole's "Magic School Bus" series served as the basis for the PBS-TV animated series of the same title.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient China.

SIDELIGHTS: Award-winning illustrator Bruce Degen is best known for his work for the "Commander Toad" series by Jane Yolen, Joanna Cole's "Magic School Bus" books, and Nancy White Carlstrom's "Jesse Bear" titles. In addition to such collaborative work, Degen has also illustrated several popular titles of his own, including Jamberry, Sailaway Home, and Daddy Is a Doodlebug. Degen first discovered his talent as a young child, encouraged by his elementary school teacher to pursue his interest in drawing, which eventually led him to two degrees in the fine arts. After graduating from Cooper Union with a bachelor's degree, he worked as a director of an artists' lithography studio in Ein Hod, Israel. A number of other jobs followed, including work as a teacher. Two years after receiving his master's degree from the Pratt Institute, Degen published his first book for children.

Although not formally trained as an illustrator, Degen has had a fondness for books since he was a child growing up in New York City. "I have always loved books," he once told CA. "As a child I would love to go to the library. If it was a nice day I wouldn't wait until I got home to read my books. I had to stop in the little park and begin my books under a tree." So, as he also once related, Degen was irresistibly drawn to children's book illustration. "After doing many different things in the field of art, I decided to go back to the root of what made drawing fun for me as a child—children's books."

Degen prefers to illustrate with line drawings and watercolors. His trademark spreads, filled with details and sight gags that supplement the text, showcase the artist's whimsical sense of humor and love of children's books. His style is considered especially well suited for Joanna Cole's "Magic School Bus" series, which aims to teach children about scientific facts with the help of humor and fantasy. "Collaborating with Joanna Cole on the 'Magic School Bus' series, Degen epitomized visual silliness," according to Suzy Schmidt in Children's Books and Their Creators. Schmidt added: "The crowded pages are absorbing as they display action, text, bubble-dialogue, and school reports. The result is an endlessly entertaining set of books with a wide and loyal readership." Degen's illustrations for the series have been roundly praised by reviewers. "Degen's [drawings] . . . fill the pages with plenty of action and intriguing details," said Carolyn Phelan in a Booklist review of The Magic School Bus inside a Beehive. And Stephanie Zvirin, writing in another Booklist review, noted that Degen's illustrations help in "clarifying the concepts and adding comic relief" to Cole's text.

Each book of the "Magic School Bus" series features a topic in science, from a study of the ocean floor to dinosaurs to electricity. Such topics are presented in a light and breezy manner, supposedly written by a grade-school class whose teacher, Ms. Frizzle, wears very bizarre and also thematically relevant clothing. For example, she might sport a dress with a frog print on it that indicates an upcoming topic in the series. Ms. Frizzle, or "The Friz" as her students lovingly refer to her, is also a fan of unorthodox teaching methods. Her hands-on approach involves continual field trips in the school bus to bore through the Earth's surface or perhaps travel through the circulatory system, depending upon the topic of the current book.

The Degen and Cole collaborative effort on the "Magic School Bus" books is thorough and time consuming, as the illustrator and author explained on the Scholastic Web site. First, Cole researches the topic at hand, reading books, visiting museums, and talking with experts in the field. She then works this information into a "dummy," or a rough outline of each page of the story, complete with sketch ideas for Degen and with speech bubbles containing possible jokes for the text. When this dummy is reviewed for accuracy, it is handed to Degen. "'I take out the dummy Joanna has prepared, I look at all the research books, I look at all the notes, and then I have a cup of coffee,'" Degen quipped on the Scholastic Web site. He then prepares sketch designs that will let the author know how every page will look, and then the two meet to hammer out the details. As reported on the Scholastic Web site, "Degen's favorite part of illustrating the 'Magic School Bus' is making bold fashion statements with Ms. Frizzle's weird outfits."

According to a contributor for the Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, Degen's "artistic interpretations bring alive often challenging scientific concepts" in this series. The same writer also felt that scientific information presented in each book "is balanced through [Degen's] often humorous illustrations." This blend of text and humorous illustration presents "a remarkable achievement for a science series," according to Schmidt. With ten titles in the original series, scores of books in spin-off series, and numerous episodes of the television adaptation aired, the series continues to garner critical acclaim. Reviewing the 1999 title, The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses, Christine A. Moesch noted in School Library Journal that this was "another fun, fact-filled adventure in the series," and that Degen's artwork was "just as exciting and exacting as usual." Similarly, Booklist's Lauren Peterson noted of this same title that the "innovative series continues to educate youngsters in fun and creative ways."

In 2001, Degen and Cole decided to expand on their science series, and have the redoubtable Ms. Frzzle study world cultures and history. The result is the "Ms. Frizzle's Adventures" series, in which the school teacher discovers her own adventures while on vacation. Degen explained in an interview for Reading Rockets Online that it was decided also to change the size of the books as well as the style of painting. "All the original science books are in watercolor with a pen-and-ink line. Watercolor is a transparent, washy color. For the social studies series that we're doing, I'm using something called gouache. Gouache is like poster paint that you had in elementary school. . . . It's opaque. It's thick. It's very bright, flat color, and so it has a whole different look."

In Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt, the teacher is off to Cairo, but, parachuting from the plane, she enters a time warp and arrives in ancient Egypt instead. Here, she and her companions make their way through pyramids and other ancient buildings, introducing readers to all manner of historical fact. Betsy Barnett, writing in School Library Journal, had high praise for the book, noting that Ms. Frizzle "has entered the realm of social studies with the same flair and excitement she took to science." Barnett further commented that "Degen's cartoon artwork gives readers even more helpful information," and that this new series was "a stunning success." The timeline moves forward for the second title in the series, Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle. This time the teacher takes one of her students, Arnold, with her as she travels to the medieval past. "There's no denying the Frizzle magic," declared Anne Chapman Callaghan in a School Library Journal review.

Degen has also collaborated with other authors on series books with continuing characters, including the "Little Chick" stories by Mary DeBall Kwitz, the "Grandpa Bear" books by Bonnie Pryor, the "Lion and Lamb" books by Barbara Brenner and William H. Hooks, the "Forgetful Bears" by Larry Weinberg, the "Commander Toad" books by Jane Yolen, and the "Jesse Bear" series by Nancy White Carlstrom. Of these, the "Commander Toad" and "Jesse Bear" books have received the most attention. Yolen's books feature a very human-like toad who is commander of a space ship exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy. His crew drinks green tea and wolfs down "hop-corn" to keep healthy. Carlstrom's books, full of exuberant, creative rhymes, proved a perfect vehicle for some of Degen's best work. Schmidt has noted that Degen's strength is in his ability to collaborate well with authors: "[Degen's] work has contributed most to children's literature not by drawing attention to itself but by providing strong accompaniment to the texts."

In a review of Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?, School Library Journal contributor Liza Bliss asserted that text and illustrations "interplay beautifully, each enhancing the other's brightness." Degen displays his usual sense of humor in the "Jesse Bear" books, too. In Better Not Get Wet, Jesse Bear, for example, a portrait on the wall reacts in astonishment to Jesse Bear's watery mess. In Guess Who's Coming, Jesse Bear?, the bear is excited that someone is coming to dinner, until he finds out it is his older and bossy cousin, Sara. Jesse changes his opinion during the visit, however, and does not want her to go home. Reviewing Guess Who's Coming, Jesse Bear?, Rachel Fox commented in School Library Journal that the "Degen's bright . . . artwork [is] sure to entertain youngsters." Halloween is featured in What a Scare, Jesse Bear!, in which Degen's artwork once again received praise. Anne Parker, writing in School Library Journal, remarked that his "brightly colored" illustrations were packed with "happy faces, showing that Halloween is a time for fun, not fright." Booklist's Lauren Peterson also commended Degen's "animated watercolor illustrations" for this "fun-filled episode in a delightful series." Another holiday is featured in Where Is Christmas, Jesse Bear? New York Times Book Review critic Margaret Moorman, writing about Where Is Christmas, Jesse Bear?, characterized the books in the series as "happy, gentle, well-rounded books . . . perfect for their chosen audience." Moorman additionally described the series as presenting a "sunny world of daily rituals and seasonal celebrations enjoyed by a bear family of unwavering cub-centered love."

Degen tends to illustrate animal characters more frequently than humans, and some of his finest work, including his own Jamberry as well as the "Jesse Bear" books, has bears as featured characters. Jamberry features a boy and a bear who are happily lounging in a train-car full of berries and making up nonsense rhymes that go along with the names of each different berry. Janie and Richard Jarvis, reviewing the title in the Los Angeles Times Book Review, called it a "joyous rhyming romp."

"People often ask me why I use animals," Degen once told CA. "I think it is because they allow an easy fantasy identification, and the change of scale is cozy and attractive to children." Degen also does well creating pictures to accompany rhymes, including Yolen's Mouse's Birthday. As one Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote, "Degen's art is the ideal match for Yolen's jaunty rhyme." Other animals receive the Degen treatment, as do hippopotamuses in Valiska Gregory's Shirley's Wonderful Baby. When her mother brings home a new baby brother, big sister Shirley feels resentment toward the infant until a new baby-sitter helps change the young girl's perspective. Kristin de Lacoste, writing in School Library Journal, found that book "beautifully illustrated in primary colors." Lacoste also felt that "the pictures of this hippopotamus family will delight readers." A critic for Kirkus Reviews found that same artwork "eye-stopping."

Along with Jamberry, Degen has written and illustrated several of his own children's books. One of these, Sailaway Home, is a simple rhyming story in which a young pig imagines a number of adventures while remaining safely near home. Calling the illustrations and rhymes "sweetly cheerful," School Library Journal commentator Lisa Dennis observed that in any other writer/illustrator's hands, the result would be "an unappealingly saccharine picture book, but in Degen's accomplished hands, these ingredients are melded into a delightful story." Degen's year 2000 self-illustrated title, Daddy Is a Doodlebug, is a "sweet, rhyming story," according to Booklist's Marta Segal. Degen spotlights a little bug and its father spending a quiet day in each other's company. They enjoy drawing, which makes them "doodlebugs," but they also like sweets, which makes them "apple strudel bugs." Degen builds on this nonsense rhyme with a swing ride and car ride, playing on words to provide "plenty . . . to amuse older (adult) readers, too," as Segal further explained. Lisa Dennis, writing in School Library Journal, called the same work a "charming picture book full of clever wordplay and distinctive illustrations" that was an "ode to the loving connection between parent and child." And a contributor for Publishers Weekly concluded, "Degen's noodle has come up with some fittingly quirky visuals for this splendoodle rhymoodle."

Having now illustrated scores of books for children, Degen hopes to continue his career indefinitely. "I believe that good children's book art will delight the child, and this is the work of lasting interest," he once remarked. "Being able to read to children, I can see by the children's candid reactions which elements truly communicate. Since I began, this work has involved me totally, and I hope I will be doing it as long as I can hold a pencil." In his Reading Rockets Online interview, Degen expanded on the benefits of his chosen career of book illustration: "You can do a painting, and it might end up being on somebody's wall, but if you do a book, it goes out to the world. It goes out in multiple copies; it's printed. It's in libraries. It's in homes. Somebody can have it here and there and everywhere. . . . There's nothing like that. There's nothing like the fact that you've actually become part of somebody's family life."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

books

Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, Continuum Publishers (New York, NY), 2001, pp. 225-226.

Degen, Bruce, Daddy Is a Doodlebug, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

Schmidt, Suzy, "Bruce Degen," in Children's Books and Their Creators, edited by Anita Silvey, Houghton Mifflin (New York, NY), 1995, pp. 191-192.

periodicals

Booklist, January 15, 1993, p. 925; April 1, 1994, p. 1461; July, 1994, p. 1952; August, 1994, p. 2045; June 1-15, 1995, Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Magic School Bus inside a Hurricane, p. 776; September 1, 1996, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Magic School Bus inside a Beehive, p. 121; February 15, 1998, Lauren Peterson, review of Guess Who's Coming, Jesse Bear, p. 1018; February 15, 1999, Lauren Peterson, review of The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses, p. 1061; September 1, 1999, Lauren Peterson, review of What a Scare, Jesse Bear, p. 147; June 1, 2000, Marta Segal, review of Daddy Is a Doodlebug, p. 1906.

Horn Book, January-February, 1998, Elizabeth S. Watson, review of The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip, p. 90; July-August, 1999, Kathleen T. Horning, review of The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses, p. 480; November-December, 2001, Roger Sutton, review of Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt, pp. 769-770.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2002, review of Shirley'sWonderful Baby, p. 1224; July 1, 2003, review of Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle, p. 907.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, April 11, 1999, Janie and Richard Jarvis, review of Jamberry, p. 6.

New York Times Book Review, December 17, 2000, Margaret Moorman, review of Where Is Christmas, Jesse Bear?, p. 30.

Publishers Weekly, March 8, 1993, review of Mouse'sBirthday, p. 76; February 14, 2000, review of Happy Birthday, Jesse Bear!, p. 203; April 17, 2000, review of Daddy Is a Doodlebug, p. 78; November 5, 2001, review of Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt, p. 71; May 13, 2002, review of Daddy Is a Doodlebug, p. 72.

School Library Journal, April, 1986, Liza Bliss, review of Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?, pp. 68-69; March, 1996, Lisa Dennis, review of Sailaway Home, p. 167; April, 1998, Rachel Fox, review of Guess Who's Coming, Jesse Bear, p. 97; October, 1999, Anne Parker, review of What a Scare, Jesse Bear, p. 110; February, 1999, Christine A. Moesch, review of The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses, p. 96; April, 2000, Lisa Dennis, review of Daddy Is a Doodlebug, p. 97; September, 2001, Betsy Barnett, review of Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt, p. 212; November, 2002, Kristin de Lacoste, review of Shirley's Wonderful Baby, p. 124; July, 2003, Anne Chapman Callaghan, review of Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle, p. 112.

online

Reading Rockets Online,http://www.readingrockets.org/ (September 11, 2003), "Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen: Exclusive Interviews."

Scholastic Web Site,http://www.scholastic.com/ (September 11, 2003), "The Magic School Bus."