Rader, Laura

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Rader, Laura

Personal

Female. Education: Attended Pratt Institute.

Addresses

Home—Los Angeles, CA.

Career

Writer and illustrator.

Writings

A Child's Story of Thanksgiving, illustrated by Mary Ann Utt, Ideals Children's Books (Nashville, TN), 1998.

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

The Pudgy Where Is Your Nose? Book, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1989.

The Best Smelling Mother Goose Book Ever!, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1996.

The Best Smelling Christmas Book Ever!, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1997.

(Reteller) Chicken Little, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998, published as Chicken Licken, illustrated by Thomas Sperling, Abrams (Waterbury, CT), 2005.

Santa's New Suit, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

These Little Piggies, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2001.

Tea for Me, Tea for You, HarperCollins(New York, NY), 2003.

Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight?, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Grow Little Turnip, Grow Big, Sterling (New York, NY), 2006.

When Santa Lost His Ho! Ho! Ho!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR

Jane Yolen, The Mermaid's Three Wisdoms, Collins (New York, NY), 1978.

Edward Bartholic, Cricket and Sparrow: Four Stories, Collins (New York, NY), 1979.

Margo Mason, Winter Coats, Bantam (New York, NY), 1989.

Harriet Ziefert, The Big Birthday Box, Random House (New York, NY), 1989.

Harriet Ziefert, In My Kitchen, Random House (New York, NY), 1989.

Harriet Ziefert, Penny Goes to the Movies, Viking (New York, NY), 1990.

Harriet Ziefert, Follow Me!, Puffin (New York, NY), 1990.

Harriet Ziefert, Getting Ready for New Baby, Harper & Row (New York, NY), 1990.

Harriet Ziefert, Bigger than a Baby, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

Harriet Ziefert, Dancing, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

Harriet Ziefert, Goody New Shoes, Viking (New York, NY), 1991.

Harriet Ziefert, I Hate Boots!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

Harriet Ziefert, Move Over, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991, republished, Sterling (New York, NY), 2005.

Harriet Ziefert, My Apple Tree, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

Mother Hubbard's Cupboard: A Mother Goose Surprise Book, Tambourine (New York, NY), 1993.

Beverly McLoughland, A Hippo's Heap and Other Animal Poems, Boyd Mills (New York, NY), 1993.

Harriet Ziefert, My Camera, Ziefert Inc., 1993.

Harriet Ziefert, My Cassette Player, Ziefert Inc., 1993.

Harriet Ziefert, My Telephone, Ziefert Inc., 1993.

Harriet Ziefert, My Television, Ziefert Inc., 1993.

My First Christmas Carols (song book), Troll (Mahwah, NJ), 1994.

Janet Palazzo-Craig, A Letter to Santa, Troll (Mahwah, NJ), 1994.

Harriet Ziefert, reteller, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Tambourine (New York, NY), 1994.

Harriet Ziefert, Pete's Chicken, Tambourine (New York, NY), 1994.

Harriet Ziefert, reteller, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Tambourine (New York, NY), 1994.

Paul Fehlner, No Way!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1995.

Kirsten Hall, A Bad, Bad Day, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1995.

Kirsten Hall, Duck, Duck, Goose!, Childrens Press (Chicago, IL), 1995.

Harriet Ziefert, The Best-smelling Alphabet Book Ever, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1995.

Harriet Ziefert, reteller, The Teeny-Tiny Woman, Viking (New York, NY), 1995.

Harriet Ziefert, reteller, The Three Little Pigs, Viking (New York, NY), 1995.

Christmas Angel, Publications International (Lincolnwood, IL), 1996.

Christmas Snowman, Publications International (Lincolnwood, IL), 1996.

Kirsten Hall, At the Carnival, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Harriet Ziefert, reteller, The Turnip, Viking (New York, NY), 1996.

Christmas Snowman, Publications International (Lincolnwood, IL), 1997.

Harriet Ziefert, Sleepy-O!, Houghton-Mifflin (New York, NY), 1997.

Harriet Ziefert, The Funny Red Christmas Stocking, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1998.

Jeff Kindley, Scamper's Year, Gareth Stevens (Milwaukee, WI), 1999.

Mary Packard, When I Am Big, Reader's Digest Children's Books (Pleasantville, NY), 1999.

Dave Ross, A Book of Friends, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Dave Ross, A Book of Hugs, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Harriet Ziefert, I Need an Easter Egg!: A Lift-the-Flap Story, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1999.

H.M. Ehrlich, Dr. Duck, Orchard (New York, NY), 2000.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect at Bedtime, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2000.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When Mommy's Having a Baby, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2000.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When the Babysitter Comes, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2000.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When You Go to the Doctor, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2000.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When You Go to the Potty, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2000.

Dave Ross, A Book of Kisses, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

Harriet Ziefert, Presents for Santa, Viking (New York, NY), 2000.

H.M. Ehrlich, Dancing Class, Orchard (New York, NY), 2001.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect at a Play Date, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2001.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect at Preschool, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2001.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When the New Baby Comes Home, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2001.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When You Go to Kindergarten, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2002.

Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When You Go to the Dentist, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2002.

Julie Markes, I Can't Talk Yet, but When I Do—, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Where Is Humpty Dumpty?, Sterling (New York, NY), 2004.

Karma Wilson, Dinos on the Go!, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2004.

Harriet Ziefert, What Happened to Jack and Jill?, Sterling (New York, NY), 2004.

H.M. Ehrlich, Dr. Duck and the New Babies, Blue Apple (Maplewood, NJ), 2005.

Karma Wilson, Dinos in the Snow!, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2005.

Corrine Demas, Yuck! Stuck in the Muck, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2006.

Diane Mayr, Run, Turkey Run!, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2007.

Sidelights

Educated at the Pratt Institute in New York City and now based in Los Angeles, California, Laura Rader has been illustrating children's books since 1978. In addition to her own children's books, Rader has illustrated dozens of books by other authors, among them Harriet Ziefert, Karma Wilson, and Dave Ross.

Rader's self-illustrated works include both concept books and holiday stories. Tea for Me, Tea for You, a counting book about an overworked waiter and a tea party for ten pigs, features characters that were described as "sport[ing] a variety of spiffy outfits" and

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"drawn in bright crayon colors and strong black outlines" by a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Santa's New Suit, a picture book detailing Santa's attempts at changing his look, was described by a Publishers Weekly critic as "a snappily paced story" with "kicky watercolors brimming with comic detail." In the sequel Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight?, all of Santa's reindeer are sick and can only be cured with a cup of hot chocolate, for which a recipe is provided. While a Publishers Weekly contributor commented that Rader's "follow-up isn't as kicky or clever as its predecessor," Carolyn Phelan noted in Booklist that in her artwork Rader "set the stage and warmed up her audience for laughs, not logic."

Rader's art is a potent part of the books she has illustrated. In her Booklist review of Ross's A Book of Hugs, Ilene Cooper commented that the picture book "gets most of its humor from the engaging pictures." For the sequel, titled A Book of Kisses, Booklist reviewer Helen Rosenberg commented on Rader's "delightful watercolor illustrations," and a Publishers Weekly critic noted that the "gently humorous, brightly colored cartoon drawings are guaranteed child-pleasers." For Rader's work on Wilson's Dinos on the Go!, Tana Elias predicted in School Library Journal that "children will appreciate the action and energy in the acrylic-and-ink illustrations and fire rhyming text."

Rader worked with writer Heidi Murkoff on the "What to Expect Kids" series. Covering everything from potty training to babysitters, Rader's artwork helps to reassure and educate the series' fans. Discussing What to Expect When the New Baby Comes Home, School Library Journal reviewer Martha Topol cited Rader's "full-colored cartoon drawings of family scenes," but cautioned that the book's "intended audience will be hard-pressed to sit still long enough to appreciate all of [Murkoff's] … lengthy yet well-intentioned advice."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 15, 1999, Ilene Cooper, review of A Book of Hugs, p. 1334; February 15, 2000, Helen Rosenberg, review of A Book of Kisses, p. 1120; December 1, 2000, Carolyn Phelan, review of Presents for Santa, p. 727; July, 2001, Kathy Broderick, review of What to Expect When the New Baby Comes Home, p. 2020; November 15, 2001, Helen Rosenberg, review of What to Expect at Preschool, p. 578; June 1, 2002, Kathy Broderick, review of What to Expect When You Go to the Dentist, p. 1727; September 1, 2003, Carolyn Phelan, review of Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight?, p. 135; September 15, 2007, Julie Cummins, review of Run, Turkey, Run!, p. 69.

Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2003, review of I Can't Talk Yet, but When I Do—, p. 537; May 15, 2003, review of Tea for Me, Tea for You, p. 755; November 1, 2003, review of Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight?, p. 1320; August 1, 2004, review of Dinos on the Go!, p. 751; October 1, 2005, review of Dinos in the Snow!, p. 1092; September 1, 2007, review of Run, Turkey, Run!, p. 125.

Publishers Weekly, June 27, 1994, review of Pete's Chicken, p. 78; January 3, 2000, review of A Book of Kisses, p. 75; February 28, 2000, review of Dr. Duck, p. 79; September 25, 2000, Elizabeth Devereaux, review of Santa's New Suit, p. 69; March 4, 2003, review of I Can't Talk Yet, but When I Do—, p. 75; May 26, 2003, review of Tea for Me, Tea for You, p. 69; September 22, 2003, review of Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight?, p. 70; October 11, 2004, review of Dinos on the Go!, p. 78.

School Library Journal, May, 2000, Tana Elias, review of Dr. Duck, p. 140; October, 2000, review of Santa's New Suit, p. 62, and review of Presents for Santa, p. 64; June, 2001, Martha Topol, review of What to Expect When the New Baby Comes Home, p. 140; December, 2001, Karen J. Tannenbaum, review of What to Expect at Preschool, p. 126; May, 2003, Sandra Kitain, review of I Can't Talk Yet, but When I Do—, p. 125; November, 2003, Kristin de Lacoste, review of Tea for Me, Tea for You, p. 113; September, 2004, Tana Elias, review of Dinos on the Go!, p. 182; August, 2005, Kathleen Simonetta, review of Dr. Duck and the New Babies, p. 93; December, 2005, Lisa Gangemi Kropp, review of Dinos in the Snow!, p. 122.