Langdo, Bryan 1973-

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LANGDO, Bryan 1973-

PERSONAL: Born January 7, 1973, in Denville, NJ; son of Steven (an engineer) and Barbara (a homemaker; maiden name, Kesselman) Langdo. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Attended Art Student's League of New York, 1992-95; Rutgers University, B.A. (cum laude), 1998. Hobbies and other interests: Hiking, camping, reading, watching movies, museums.

ADDRESSES: Home—819 Bloomfield Ave., Apt. 4, Montclair, NJ 07042. E-mail—tasteesub@earthlink. net.

CAREER: Mount Olive Child Care and Learning Center, Flanders, NJ, head teacher, 1998-99, 2000-01; Children's Institute, Verona, NJ, teacher's assistant, 2001—; Tusk Entertainment, Califon, NJ, production assistant, 2001.

WRITINGS:

(And illustrator) The Dog Who Loved the Good Life, Holt (New York, NY), 2001.

(Illustrator) Marianne Mitchell, Joe Cinders (picture book), Holt (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Bryan Langdo's The Dog Who Loved the Good Life is about a dog named Jake who expects to be treated just like a pampered human being. He wants to eat at the dinner table, sit on the furniture, and use the television remote control. Jake's owner, Mr. Hibble, is not pleased with the situation, but does not know what to do to control his pet, so he tries to get rid of him, first by putting Jake on a bus and then sending him into outer space. But Jake keeps coming back, until Mr. Hibble finally comes up with the solution of giving the dog to his niece. Some critics were disturbed by Mr. Hibble's efforts to rid himself of the dog, while others felt that Langdo's illustrations conveyed that the situations should be taken tongue-in-cheek. Lucinda Synder Whitehurst commented in School Library Journal that the "narrative is supposed to be funny, but children who see themselves in Jake and animal-rights activists may be disturbed." On the other hand, a Kirkus Reviews contributor said that while the book "ought to give lawless kiddos a pause . . . [it] is softened considerably by Langdo's meltingly affectionate artwork."

Langdo told CA: "I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. It has always been the one area of my life where I have total focus. Growing up, I most often would draw from comic books and fantasy art. I also loved Dr. Seuss as a young kid, just like everyone else. My favorite book was The Sailor Dog, though, by Margaret Wise Brown. I've always loved big adventures, and I think that book does a great job capturing the feel of a big adventure in a small book.

"I never considered doing picture books until I met Robert J. Blake, from whom I took lessons all through middle and high school. Watching his books develop and come to completion week by week firsthand was an invaluable experience alone, not to mention all he taught me about composition, drawing, and painting. After high school, I studied at the Art Student's League of New York, doing life drawing and life painting—very academic.

"How I got into writing was just the next logical step. In order to practice illustrating and to develop a personal style, I began making up scenarios and/or stories to make pictures about. I sent out stories and illustrations constantly for a year, hoping to get published. A big part of me assumed it would never happen, but I stuck with it anyway. The day I found out The Dog Who Loved the Good Life was going to be published was possibly the best day of my life. I remember it like it was yesterday, and I'm still having trouble believing it.

"I write sporadically at best. If and when an idea comes, I try to develop it and work when inspired. I draw every day and usually am working on an illustration, even if it's not for something being published. I just can't stop myself from working on art. My main goal in making a book is to entertain kids, make them laugh out loud if possible. Hopefully, their parents will laugh, too."