Foley, Greg E. 1969–

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Foley, Greg E. 1969–

Personal

Born 1969; father a professor and anthropologist, mother a psychologist and teacher. Education: Rhode Island School of Design, graduate; studied writing at New School University, beginning 2000.

Addresses

Home and office—New York, NY.

Career

Designer, creative director, and author and illustrator of children's books. Visionaire magazine, creative director, beginning 2001; design director of V and Vman magazines. Parsons School for Design, instructor. Director of music videos.

Awards, Honors

Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding picture book, 2008, for Thank You Bear.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Thank You Bear, Viking (New York, NY), 2007.

Don't Worry Bear, Viking (New York, NY), 2008.

Sidelights

Although New York-based magazine director Greg E. Foley is considered something of an icon to Manhattan's hip, fashion-conscious crowd, he has also won legions of fans through his picture books. His first self-illustrated book for children, Thank You Bear, features simple line drawings and muted color washes that give the book a nostalgic retro feel. A simple story that follows Bear's efforts to give friend Mouse a wonderful gift despite the comments of various naysayers, Thank You Bear engages toddlers through the same simplicity Foley shows in his artwork. According to a Kirkus Reviews writer, the book employs "smooth union of words and art to illustrate an important message" in a work that School Library Journal critic Kara Schaff dubbed "absolutely charming." "In an age of visual glitz," Thank You Bear "speaks in a refreshingly unpretentious way," concluded Booklist contributor Carolyn Phelan.

Bear returns in Don't Worry Bear, as the furry creature finds a new friend in hard-working Caterpillar. With his cocoon finished, Caterpillar overwinters inside, reassuring a worried Bear that he will soon emerge during Bear's frequent visits throughout the long cold winter. Finally, spring comes and the two friends are reunited in magical ink and pastel illustrations. "With a few strokes, Foley depicts Bear's ever-changing moods," observed School Library Journal writer Marianne Saccardi: "from amusement to pondering, worry, dejection, and, finally, exuberance." Praising it as an "uncomplicated" tale that evokes the true meaning of friendship, Randall Enos suggested in Booklist that Don't Worry Bear functions as an "early introduction to metamorphosis and [can] spark a discussion on human emotion" between parent and child, while a Kirkus Reviews writer predicted that the story will reassure toddlers "who face a prolonged absence from a beloved friend or relative."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 2007, Carolyn Phelan, review of Thank You Bear, p. 48; January 1, 2008, Randall Enos, review of Don't Worry Bear, p. 92.

Publishers Weekly, January 29, 2007, review of Thank You Bear, p. 71.

School Library Journal, March, 2007, Kara Schaff, review of Thank You Bear, p. 160; February, 2008, Marianne Saccardi, review of Don't Worry Bear, p. 90; March, 2008, Rick Margolis, "Bear Necessities: How Did a Hipster like Greg Foley Create Such Sweet Books?," p. 37.