Larson, Jean Russell 1930-

PERSONAL:

Born July 25, 1930, in Marshalltown, IA; daughter of Charles Reed and Myrtle Russell; married Richard Larson (deceased); married Harold Parks (deceased); children: (first marriage) M. Kathleen Larson McCord, Richard Jr., David, Rosemarie, William, Michael; (second marriage) Patrick, Daniel. Education: Attended Winthrop College, 1948-49; Buena Vista University, B.A.; Iowa State University, M.A. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Genealogy, classical music, activities related to the environment, animal welfare, protection of wildlife, and social justice.

ADDRESSES:

E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer. Former college instructor. American Red Cross, county secretary; member of Catholic Peace Movement; past member of state and county political committees and other local organizations.

AWARDS, HONORS:

"Notable book" designation, American Library Association; Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.

WRITINGS:

Palace in Bagdad: Seven Tales from Arabia, illustrated by Marianne Yamaguchi, Charles Scribner's Sons (New York, NY), 1966.

The Silkspinners, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz, Charles Scribner's Sons (New York, NY), 1967.

Jack Tar, illustrated by Mercer Mayer, Macrae Smith (Philadelphia, PA), 1970.

The Glass Mountain and Other Arabian Tales, illustrated by Donald E. Cooke, Macrae Smith (Philadelphia, PA), 1971.

(Reteller) The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales, illustrated by Michael Larson, Shoe String Press, 1999.

Contributor of dramatic scripts to local radio stations. Contributor of articles and poetry to magazines, including Scholastic News, Junior Great Books, Massachusetts Review, Michigan Quarterly, and Literary Review.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jean Russell Larson once explained: "When I stopped teaching, I decided to rewrite all the folk tales I grew up with. The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales is the first of these collections.

"People from many parts of the world passed through Iowa and many settled here. My own storytelling family included Norwegians, Irish, Dutch, and some of the first settlers of Connecticut. I believe the preservation of folk tales is important, because those stories are culture-bearing and values-laden."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 1, 1972, review of The Glass Mountain and Other Arabian Tales, p. 245; November 1, 2000, John Peters, review of The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales, p. 533.

Horn Book Magazine, November, 2000, Mary M. Burns, review of The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales, p. 765.

Kirkus Review, May 1, 1972, review of The Glass Mountain and Other Arabian Tales, p. 540; August 15, 2000, review of The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales, p. 1199.

Library Journal, May 15, 1972, review of The Glass Mountain and Other Arabian Tales, p. 1914.

School Library Journal, September, 2000, Ginny Gustin, review of The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales, p. 251.