Aston, Dianna Hutts 1964-

Personal

Born August 12, 1964, in Houston, TX; daughter of Garrett and Candy Hutts; married; husband's name David; children: James, Elizabeth. Education: University of Houston, B.A. (journalism).

Addresses

Home and office—Buda, TX.

Career

Writer. Has also worked as a journalist, candy-jar painter, and activity director.

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Loony Little, illustrated by Kelly Murphy, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2003.

Bless This Mouse, illustrated by John Butler, Handprint Books (Brooklyn, NY), 2004.

When You Were Born, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

An Egg Is Quiet, illustrated by Sylvia Long, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Mama Outside, Mama Inside, illustrated by Susan Gaber, Holt (New York, NY), 2006.

Mama's Wild Child/Papa's Wild Child, illustrated by Nora Hilb, Charlesbridge (Watertown, MA), 2006.

An Orange in January, illustrated by Julie Maren, Dial Books (New York, NY), 2007.

A Seed Is Sleepy, illustrated by Sylvia Long, Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Sidelights

Dianna Hutts Aston is the author of a number of critically acclaimed picture books, including When You Were Born and An Egg Is Quiet. A former journalist, Aston began writing for young people in 1996, while raising her children. "I hadn't read picture books since first or second grade, so it was a joy to rediscover picture books after my children were born," the writer told Cynthia Leitich Smith in a Cynsations online interview. "As an adult, I had a whole new appreciation for them, for the clear, evocative text and for the art, which brought the words to life. Reading picture books is a feast for the senses—seeing and listening, of course; but also the warmth that's shared between the reader and the listener."

In Aston's debut work, Loony Little, a variation of the classic story of Chicken Little, the title character feels a drop of water on her head and hastily concludes that

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the polar ice cap is melting. Loony Little heads off to warn the Polar Bear Queen, enlisting the aid of Dovekie Lovekie, Puffin Muffin, Harey Clarey, Sealy Sally, and Foxy Loxy. When Loony realizes that the wily fox is actually leading the group into a trap, she wises up and devises a clever plan to save her friends. Though School Library Journal reviewer Maryann H. Owen believed that "the threat of global warming and its impact will be of little concern" to young readers, a contributor in Kirkus Reviews wrote that Loony Little "artfully weaves an issue of contemporary concern into a favorite traditional tale."

A mother's love for her child is the subject of When You Were Born, "a reassuring and heart-warming reminder that each newborn is a rare gift to be treasured," observed a critic in Publishers Weekly. In the work, a mother warmly recalls the first time she held her newborn baby in her arms and describes the happiness felt by the infant's father, grandparents, and neighbors in welcoming the child to the world. "Aston's simple poetry captures the joy and wonder of birth," remarked Hazel Rochman in a review for Booklist. A Kirkus Reviews critic similarly noted that, "while Aston's prose poem is occasionally lush, it's also beautiful as she ties the newborn to the circle of family." According to Sally R. Dow, writing in School Library Journal, "this lovely book has a universality that gives it broad appeal."

In Mama Outside, Mama Inside a pregnant woman prepares a room for her baby while a bluebird outside the woman's house prepares a nest for her eggs. "This heartwarming look at families is irresistible," commented School Library Journal reviewer Andrea Tarr. The different ways animals care for their young is also the focus of Mama's Wild Child/Papa's Wild Child. "From the jungle and the ocean to Antarctica and the plains, the habitats and animals are widely varied," stated a critic in Kirkus Reviews.>

Aston examines the beauty of bird, insect, reptile, fish, and amphibian eggs in An Egg Is Quiet, "a delight for budding naturalists of all stripes, flecks, dots and textures," according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor. In describing the variety of sizes, shapes, and colors of eggs, "Aston's simple, readable text celebrates their marvelous diversity," noted School Library Journal critic Patricia Manning. "Like the subject matter it describes," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer, An Egg Is Quiet "packages with understated elegance the substantive matter found within it."

Aston finds inspiration from many sources, but most often from books. "Reading is inseparable from writing," she told Smith. "Whenever I feel blocked or uninspired, I go to the library and check out 20-40 picture books. Then I sit and read. This ALWAYS helps me get in touch with my creative energy."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of When You Were Born, p. 658; February 15, 2006, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of Mama Outside, Mama Inside, p. 101; April 15, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review of An Egg Is Quiet, p. 48.

Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2003, review of Loony Little, p. 1309; August 15, 2004, review of When You Were Born, p. 802; January 15, 2006, review of Mama's Wild Child/Papa's Wild Child, p. 81; March 1, 2006, review of Mama Outside, Mama Inside, p. 226; March 15, 2006, review of An Egg Is Quiet, p. 286.

Publishers Weekly, January 12, 2004, review of Loony Little, p. 1309; August 23, 2004, review of When You Were Born, p. 53; March 6, 2006, review of An Egg Is Quiet, p. 74.

School Library Journal, December, 2003, Maryann H. Owen, review of Loony Little, p. 102; December, 2004, Sally R. Dow, review of When You Were Born, p. 96; March, 2006, Andrea Tarr, review of Mama Outside, Mama Inside, p. 174, and Roxanne Burg, review of Mama's Wild Child/Papa's Wild Child, p. 206; June, 2006, Patricia Manning, review of An Egg Is Quiet, p. 104.

ONLINE

Charlesbridge Web site,http://www.charlesbridge.com/ (January 10, 2007), "Dianna Hutts Aston."

Chronicle Books Web site,http://www.charlesbridge.com/ (January 10, 2007), "Dianna Aston's Writer's Note for An Egg Is Quiet."

Cynthia Leitich Smith Web site,http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/ (January 10, 2007), interview with Aston.

Cynsations Web site,http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (May 10, 2006), "Author Dianna Hutts Aston and Illustrator Sylvia Long on An Egg Is Quiet."

Dianna Hutts Aston Web site,http://www.diannaaston.com (January 10, 2007).