PFEFFER, Wendy 1929-

PERSONAL: Surname is pronounced Pef-er; born August 27, 1929, in Upper Darby, PA; daughter of Wendell (a high school principal and college professor) and Margaret (a homemaker; maiden name, Nelson) Sooy; married Thomas Pfeffer (a naval aeronautical engineer), March 17, 1951; children: Steven T., Diane Kianka. Education: Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), B.S., 1950. Hobbies and other interests: Sailing, playing bridge, traveling, reading, collecting antiques, cross country skiing, walking.

ADDRESSES: Home—3 Timberlane Dr., Pennington, NJ 08534.

CAREER: First grade teacher in Pitman, NJ, 1950-53; Pennington Presbyterian Nursery School, cofounder, director, and early childhood specialist, 1961-91; freelance writer, 1981—. Jointure for Community Adult Education, workshop teacher for writing children's books, 1986; member of focus group for Mercer County libraries, 1993; speaker and instructor at creative writing workshops.

MEMBER: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Garden State Writers, Authors of Bucks County, Authors Guild, Savy Marketeers.

AWARDS, HONORS: Best Books for Elementary Schools, Booklist and School Library Journal, 1994, for Popcorn Park Zoo: A Haven with a Heart; Best Children's Science Books, Science Books and Films, 1994, and Pick of the List, American Booksellers Association (ABA), 1996, both for From Tadpole to Frog; Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, National Science Teachers Association/Children's Book Council (NSTA/CBC), and inclusion in "Children's Books Mean Business" exhibit, ABA and CBC, both 1996, both for Marta's Magnets; Pick of the List, ABA, 1996, and Children's Books of the Year list, Bank Street College of Education, 1997, both for What's It Like to Be a Fish?; Junior Library Guild selection, Pick of the List, ABA, John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers, all 1997, Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, NSTA/CBC, 1998, and Giverny Award for Best Children's Science Picture Book, Louisiana State University, 2000, all for A Log's Life; Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, NSTA/CBC, for Mute Swans; Best Children's Books of the Year selection, Bank Street College of Education, for The Big Flood.

WRITINGS:

Writing Children's Books: A Home Study Course (with audio cassette) Fruition Publications (Blawenburg, NJ), 1985, Drew Publications (New York, NY), 2002.

Starting a Child Care Business, a Rewarding Career: A Home Study Course, Fruition Publications (Blawenburg, NJ), 1989, reprinted as Starting a Child Care Business in Your Home, a Rewarding Career: A Home Study Course, 1992.

The Gooney War, illustrated by Mari Goering, Shoe Tree Press (White Hall, VA), 1990.

All about Me: Developing Self-Image and Self-Esteem with Hands-On Learning Activities, First Teacher (Bridgeport, CT), 1990.

The World of Nature: Exploring Nature with Hands-On Learning Activities, First Teacher (Bridgeport, CT), 1990.

(Coauthor) The Sandbox, Child's Play, 1991.

Popcorn Park Zoo: A Haven with a Heart, photographs by J. Gerard Smith, Messner (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1992.

Marta's Magnets, illustrated by Gail Piazza, Silver Burdett Press (Parsippany, NJ), 1995.

A Log's Life, illustrated by Robin Brickman, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997.

The Big Flood, illustrated by Vanessa Lubach, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2001.

Mallard Duck at Mountain View Pond, illustrated by Taylor Oughton, Smithsonian/Soundprints (Norwalk, CT), 2001.

Puppy Power, Celebration Press (Parsippany, NJ), 2001.

Thunder and Lightning, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice, illustrated by Jesse Reisch, Dutton (New York, NY), 2003.

Firefly at Stony Brook Farm, illustrated by Larry Mikec, Smithsonian/Soundprints (Norwalk, CT), 2004.

Life on a Coral Reef, HarperCollins (New York, NY), in press.

Contributor to Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women, 1990. Also author of numerous stories and articles for periodicals, including Grade Teacher, Friend, Children's Digest, Instructor, National Association of Young Writers News, and First Teacher.

"CREATURES IN WHITE" SERIES

Mute Swans, Silver Burdett Press (Parsippany, NJ), 1996.

Polar Bears, Silver Burdett Press (Parsippany, NJ), 1996.

Arctic Wolves, Silver Burdett Press (Parsippany, NJ), 1997.

Snowy Owls, Silver Burdett Press (Parsippany, NJ), 1997.

"LIVING ON THE EDGE" SERIES

Deep Oceans, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Arctic Frozen Reaches, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Antarctic Icy Waters, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Hot Deserts, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2002.

High Mountains, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2002.

"LET'S-READ-AND-FIND-OUT SCIENCE" SERIES

From Tadpole to Frog, illustrated by Holly Keller, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994.

What's It Like to Be a Fish?, illustrated by Holly Keller, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

Sounds All Around, illustrated by Holly Keller, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Dolphin Talk: Whistles, Clicks, and Clapping Jaws, illustrated by Helen Davie, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

From Seed to Pumpkin, illustrated by James Graham Hale, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

Wiggling Worms, illustrated by Steve Jenkins, Harper-Collins (New York, NY), 2004.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A picture book, Light So Bright, for HarperCollins, publication expected in 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: In addition to several books for adults, Wendy Pfeffer is the award-winning author of twentysix picture books for young readers that are mainly introductions to the sciences. Combining clear and simple language with bright and bold illustrations, Pfeffer produces works, according to reviewers, which take beginning readers into the life cycle of the frog, or which describe the cycle of nature in the decay of a fallen log. Working in several series, she introduces hardy animals that adapt and survive in the harshest environments in her "Living on the Edge" series as well as those that are colored white in the "Creatures in White" series. Subjects from an explication of thunder and lightning to a description of sound production have all found their way into Pfeffer's books. In addition to her writing, Pfeffer is a frequent visitor at elementary schools, leading writing workshops and giving interactive presentations.

Pfeffer once told CA: "I grew up in a household of mathematics and language. My father, a professor of mathematics, was in demand as a speaker on 'Magical Mathematics' as well as 'The Origin of Words and Phrases.' Two brief examples of his thousands are: 'COP' being short for 'Constabulary of Police,' and 'TIP' which stood for 'To Insure Promptness.' I was also introduced to the Latin derivatives of words at a very early age.

"Despite all this introduction into the world of words, my love of language probably came from my grandfather who was a medical doctor but had a great desire to write as well as practice medicine. He did find time to pen one novel and spent many pleasant hours dramatizing stories for his spellbound grandchildren." Pfeffer also formed an early love of writing, as she once told CA: "From the time I was very young I wanted to write. When I learned to print, the first thing I did was to compose a story like Hansel and Gretel. In fact, it was Hansel and Gretel. When I was a little older, I kept a diary, then was editor of both the high school newspaper and yearbook. Years later, as I read and dramatized books while teaching young children, I felt that gnawing urge to write again. In fact, I knew I had to write."

After attending Glassboro State College and earning a bachelor's degree in 1950, Pfeffer began a career as an elementary school teacher, nursery school director, and early childhood specialist. Since 1981, she has been a freelance writer. "I have always loved to read and dramatize stories for young children," Pfeffer once told CA. Even though not all of my publications are specifically for children, they all deal with children directly or indirectly. Working with children has helped me to write for children, but just working with children doesn't provide all the insight necessary to know what makes a good children's book. A fine writing teacher once told me, 'To write for children, you must find the child in you.'

After contributing stories and articles for several years to magazines such as Children's Digest and Grade Teacher, attending writers' conferences, and taking writing courses, Pfeffer published her first book, a home study course on how to write for children, Writing Children's Books: A Home Study Course. First published in 1985, this how-to volume appeared in a new edition in 2002. Over the years, Pfeffer has conducted numerous workshops that take participants through the process of creating a children's book, from getting ideas to submitting the finished manuscript. Her first picture book for children, The Gooney War, appeared in 1990, and since that time, she has brought out one or more titles a year. "The majority of my work is nonfiction," Pfeffer once told CA, "which, in order to be successful, must be as compelling as fiction. Research is basic to nonfiction and interests me because I learn so much from it. Besides, as I research one topic, I always have a file going to add ideas for other topics."

Such research is evident, say critics, in her award-winning From Tadpole to Frog, part of the "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science" series of books. In this title, Pfeffer explores the metamorphosis from tadpole to frog, encouraging young children to read and look at full-color pictures of the process. Geared to preschool and kindergarten children, the book shows the life cycle of the frog, beginning with the frogs hibernating in the mud of a pond, and then progressing to the laying and hatching of eggs, and the slow growth of the tadpole until it matures into a full-grown frog. Reviewers responded warmly to this title. Booklist's Carolyn Phelan found it to be an "attractive" choice for young readers, while Sandra Welzenbach, writing in School Library Journal, noted that most books on the topic were for older readers, a fact which made this title a "good starting point for beginning readers" looking to learn more about nature.

Further titles in the same series include What's It Like to Be a Fish? and Sounds All Around. The first title answers such questions as how a fish can live in water and not drown, and other queries that young children have about marine life. The text explains how the fish's body is perfectly adapted for its environment, just as the human body is adapted for life on land. Using the basic story of a boy buying some fish in a pet store and setting up a fish bowl, Pfeffer then introduces basic topics such as fish respiration and movement in this "lively" title, as Booklist's Hazel Rochman described What's It Like to Be a Fish? Included in this interactive book are instructions for setting up a child's own goldfish bowl. Horn Book's Margaret A. Bush called the same book "a sharply focused presentation for beginning readers," and Virginia Opocensky, writing in School Library Journal, found it to be a "useful addition to a subject area that has a paucity of material" for younger readers. Sounds All Around focuses on acoustics, explaining both sound production and hearing. Pfeffer uses snaps, claps, and whistles to illustrate how sound travels in waves through the air, ultimately making tiny bones in the ear vibrate upon contact. Additionally, she describes how other animals, such as bats and whales, "hear." A critic for Kirkus Reviews found this an "appealing . . . title" that "provides a simple explanation" of sounds and hearing. Jackie Hechtkopf, reviewing the title in School Library Journal, praised the "many interesting tidbits about animals" included in Pfeffer's book, while Booklist's Carolyn Phelan lauded the "clear and simple" text and illustrations.

Writing in Silver Burdett's "Creatures in White" series, Pfeffer penned a quartet of books, including Mute Swans, Arctic Wolves, Snowy Owls, and Polar Bears. The last-named title follows the life of these animals for two years, from the time the mother polar bear is about to give birth to the point where the young bears are about to go out on their own. Booklist's Phelan felt this title was "lively enough to be read aloud to a primary-grade class." Accompanied by full-color photographs, the brief text supplies basic information on growth, eating habits, and physiology of the polar bear. Susan Oliver, writing in School Library Journal, predicted "the story-like quality of the narration will appeal to new or reluctant readers." Similarly, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books contributor Susan S. Verner dubbed the same title a "sunny tribute to the world's largest land-dwelling carnivore."

Mute Swans follows a similar pattern, detailing the life cycle of swans by focusing on one pair as they build a nest in the spring, lay and protect eggs, hatch the young cygnets, and rear them in time to migrate south once the cold weather sets in. Once again combining basic text with color photographs, Pfeffer creates an "attractive volume," according to Kathleen Odean, writing in School Library Journal.

Pfeffer's non-series titles, including Popcorn Park Zoo: A Haven with a Heart and Marta's Magnets, have also been popular. Her 1992 Popcorn Park Zoo tells the story of a federally licensed New Jersey zoo that caters specifically to elderly, sick, abandoned, handicapped, and unwanted animals. Pfeffer personalizes her tale by telling how many of the animals arrived at the zoo, such as the story of an abandoned pet pig that had outgrown its small apartment. Marta's Magnets features a young girl with a penchant for collecting magnets. Though Marta's sister, Rosa, calls the collection junk, it comes in handy when the family moves to a new home and she is able to find a lost key for Rosa's new friend. In addition to the story at the heart of the book, Pfeffer also uses the tale to relate some basic science facts about magnets and also gives directions for making a refrigerator magnet. Reviewing this picture book in School Library Journal, Eunice Weech described the book as a "story about fitting in," though she did note that Marta's Magnets would also be appropriate "to introduce a unit on magnetism." Lolly Robinson, writing in Horn Book Guide, also praised "the ethnically diverse" cast of characters in the book.

With A Log's Life, Pfeffer explains what happens after an oak tree falls in the forest. Thereafter, it provides a new home for a host of other creatures such as porcupines, ants, salamanders, and even mushrooms. Finally, the oak rots into a mound of black earth. This award-winning volume was highly praised by reviewers. Booklist's Phelan thought that "teachers . . . will welcome Pfeffer's simply explained depiction of the tree's cycle," and Patricia Manning, writing in School Library Journal, likewise called this book "an attractive introduction to the life, death, and decay of an oak tree."

From fallen trees, Pfeffer moves to rushing waters in The Big Flood, a picture book about the flood in the Midwest of the United States in 1993. Pfeffer tells this story through the experiences of one young survivor of the flood, Patti Brandon, who lives on a soybean farm near the Mississippi River. As the river swells and begins to flood the fields, Patti and her family realize they must pitch in together to try to stop the flooding, piling sandbags on the banks of the river. Patti helps out on the ham radio, as well, calling in a helicopter to rescue a man caught on the river. After the flood finally recedes and things return to normal, Patti has developed "a new respect for the mighty river," according to Anne Chapman Callaghan, writing in School Library Journal. Callaghan also felt that this "realistic story is softened" by the artwork. Christie Sarrazin, writing in Horn Book Guide, found Pfeffer's narrative to be a "heart-thumping story."

With her 2002 title Mallard Duck at Meadow View Pond, Pfeffer returns to series books, adding a title to the "Smithsonian Backyard" series. Here, she traces the first season of a newly-born mallard duck, looking at his first swim on the pond, the food he eats, and his encounters with other animals. Losing his first feathers in the summer, he prepares for the long migration flight as fall comes on. Writing in School Library Journal, Emily Herman praised this "realistic" tale which would put young readers "in touch with the natural world of mallard ducks and the wildlife that surrounds them." Booklist's Gillian Engberg also called this book a "well-balanced read."

Concluding her remarks to CA, Pfeffer wrote: "I enjoy working with children of all ages, leading creative writing workshops and speaking to school groups on writing, mine and theirs. My presentations vary depending on the ages and interests of the children. Even though I stopped teaching to have more time to write, now I feel I have the best of both worlds, working with children and writing. As I said before, I must write—so I do. For me, writing is a challenge and a joy."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Asbury Park Press, July 1, 1992.

Booklist, September 1, 1990, p. 62; June 1, 1992, p. 1760; August, 1994, Carolyn Phelan, review of From Tadpole to Frog, p. 2047; March 15, 1996, Hazel Rochman, review of What's It Like to Be a Fish?, pp. 1266-1267; August, 1996, Carolyn Phelan, review of Polar Bears, p. 1903; September 15, 1997, Carolyn Phelan, review of A Log's Life, p. 238; March 1, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of Sounds All Around, p. 1217; June 1, 2001, Lauren Peterson, review of The Big Flood, p. 1886; February 1, 2002, Gillian Engberg, review of Mallard Duck at Meadow View Pond, p. 946.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October, 1996, Susan S. Verner, review of Polar Bears, p. 72.

Horn Book, July-August, 1994, Margaret A. Bush, review of From Tadpole to Frog, p. 474; July-August, 1996, Margaret A. Bush, review of What's It Like to Be a Fish?, p. 482.

Horn Book Guide, spring, 1996, Lolly Robinson, review of Marta's Magnets, p. 41; spring, 1997, Daniel Brabander, review of Mute Swans, p. 125; fall, 2001, Christie Sarrazin, review of The Big Flood, p. 270.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 1992, review of Popcorn Park Zoo: A Haven with a Heart, p. 783; October 15, 1996, review of Mute Swans, p. 1605; December 1, 1998, review of Sounds All Around, p. 1738;

Library Talk, September-October, 1992.

NJEA Review, October, 1992, p. 50.

Reading Teacher, December, 1998, review of A Log's Life, p. 386.

Retirement Life, May, 1992, p. 38.

School Library Journal, November, 1990, p. 98; July, 1992, p. 87; November, 1994, Sandra Welzenbach, review of From Tadpole to Frog, p. 100; March, 1996, Eunice Weech, review of Marta's Magnets, p. 180; April, 1996, Virginia Opocensky, review of What's It Like to Be a Fish?, p. 127; September, 1996, Susan Oliver, review of Polar Bears, pp. 199-200; February, 1997, Kathleen Odean, review of Mute Swans, p. 95; September, 1997, Patricia Manning, review of A Log's Life, p. 207; January, 1999, Jackie Hechtkopf, review of Sounds All Around, p. 115; October, 2001, Anne Chapman, review of The Big Flood, pp. 144-145; April, 2002, Emily Herman, review of Mallard Duck at Meadow View Pond, p. 90; June, 2002, Lynda Ritterman, review of Hot Deserts, p. 131.

Science Books and Films, October, 1992.

ONLINE

Author/Illustrator Source,http://www.author-illustrsource.com/ (June 29, 2003).