Rankin, Joan 1940-

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RANKIN, Joan 1940-

Personal

Born June 24, 1940, in Johannesburg, South Africa; daughter of Edward Baker (a surgeon) and Ada Lillie (a nurse) Trehair; married Anthony Mottram Rankin (a surgeon), November 25, 1961; children: Nicolette Rojas, Susan, Lorrain. Education: Attended Michaelis Art School, 1957-58. Politics: "Mandela supporter." Hobbies and other interests: Cats, dogs, birds, tropical fish, pottery.

Addresses

Home— 7 Saint Pauls Rd., Houghton, Johannesburg 2198, South Africa.

Career

Artist, children's book author, and illustrator. Puppeteer. Exhibitions: Participant in group exhibitions, including International Exhibitions of Children's Book Illustrations, Sarmede, Italy, 1987-93, 95-96; Twenty-third Exhibition of International Children's Books, Japan, 1988; International Exhibition of Children's Book Illustrations, Catalonia, Spain, 1990, 1992; Biennale of Illustrations, Bratislava, Slovakia, 1993, 1995; South African Children's Book Illustrations; Flemish Book Fair, Antwerp, Belgium, 1997. Seven one-woman art exhibitions in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, South Africa.

Member

Johannesburg Children's Book Forum, Union Internationale de la Marionette, Johannesburg Spinner and Weavers Guild.

Awards, Honors

First place, HAUM-Daan Retief competition for children's book illustrations, 1986, for The Far-Away Valley; Katrine Harries Children's Book Illustration Award.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Peter's Dulcie Duck, Anansi (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1995.

Come Quickly, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

Hurry! Hurry!, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

Scaredy Cat, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1996.

Sorry, I Lost the Baby, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

Fat Paws and Pit Wit, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

Wow! It's Great Being a Duck, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1998.

Let's Make a House, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1999.

You're Somebody Special, Walliwigs!, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1999.

First Day, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2002. Oh, Mum!, Red Fox (London, England), 2002.

ILLUSTRATOR

Moira Thatcher, Tselane, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1986.

M. Margoles and S. Hoffenberg, Mandu and the Forest Guardian, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1987.

Jenny Seed, The Far-Away Valley, translated by H. J. M. Retief, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1987.

Teddy Knoetze, The Samurai without a Sword, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1988.

P. Grobbelaar, The House with the Seven Doors, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1988.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1989.

Renee Deatlefs, Ask Patricia, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1989.

Ian Macdonald, The Dancing Elephant, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

Mitzi Margoles, Ten Are Too Many, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

Phyllis Savory, The Little Wise One: African Tales of the Hare, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

Diane Pitcher, Catch Me a River, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

Jenny Seed, The Wind's Song, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1991.

Dianne Hofmeyr, The Magical Mulberry Blanket, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1991.

Jay Heale, Storyland, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1991.

Kathleen Arnot, Five Zulu Tales, Anansi (Cape Town, South Africa), 1992.

Jenny Seed, Old Grandfather Mantis: Tales of the San, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1992.

Anne Clulow, Pepper Pig, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Pepper Pig and the Robber, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Pepper Pig and the Bad Rats, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Bubble Gum Mess, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Help!, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Judith Garratt, Titch and Mitch Go to France, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1993.

Judith Garratt, The Beautiful Chinese Balloon, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1993.

Judith Garratt, The Green Umbrella, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1993.

Dianne Hofmeyr, Hic Hic Hiccups, R.E.A.D. (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1993.

Lindi Mahlangu and Lungi Maseka, Scary Footsteps, R.E. A.D. (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1993.

Mitzi Margoles, King Fob, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1994.

Max Sed, Princess, setshameki sa dibaesekapo!, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1994.

John Mathibe, John and the Porcupine, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1994.

Julius Oelke, chronicler, From the Heart of the Fire: Folk Tales and Legends, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1995.

Elana Bregin, Bert the Crusher, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1995.

Nkululeko Lindi, Three Fat Cats, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1998.

Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2001.

Karma Wilson, A Frog in the Bog, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2003.

Sidelights

South African author and illustrator Joan Rankin was born and raised in the city of Johannesburg, where she still lives today. After studying painting, weaving, and pottery in college, she set out to become an illustrator, mostly geared toward adults. In 1986, however, she began illustrating books for children. One of her early works, The Far-Away Valley, won first place in the HAUM-Daan Retief competition for children's book illustrations. Rankin has illustrated her own books, as well as those of other authors. Her favorite mediums to work in are watercolor, crayons, and pencils, also using airbrushing, collage, and rubber stamps. Most of Rankin's books deal with young children and the real life situations that they face.

One of Rankin's first self-illustrated books was The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman, in which an old woman spends her day preparing a delicious meal for herself, ignoring the meows of her hungry little cat. The cat finally helps himself to some of the old woman's food and is thrown out into the rain as punishment. What happens next allows the cat to get sweet revenge. A Books for Keeps reviewer wrote, "This story has the feel of a cautionary tale, and could provide lots of interesting discussions." In Wow! It's Great Being a Duck, Lillee is a newborn duck who still has some shell stuck to her. Unfortunately, it is covering her eyes. Her mother warns her to stay away from the fox, but since Lillee cannot yet see, she allows the fox to befriend her without realizing who it is. In the nick of time, the shell falls off, and Lillee scampers and swims to safety. Booklist 's April Judge remarked that children will enjoy the tale "because they will realize the case of mistaken identity before the duckling does."

In You're Somebody Special, Walliwigs!, Walliwigs is a parrot who gets separated from his mother and ends up living with a group of chickens. One of the chickens, Martha, immediately adopts and loves Walliwigs. But the parrot gets a different welcome from the other chickens, who make fun of him. Much to the sadness of Martha, Walliwigs is taken away to the Institute of Ornithology, where it is discovered that he is rare and, in fact, an endangered species. When she finds this out, Martha rejoices to learn that Walliwigs will be taken care of properly. Booklist 's Shelle Rosenfeld commented that "This delightful, reassuring story celebrates the many meanings of family," while a Publishers Weekly reviewer called the book "endearing and uplifting."

Continuing with animal protagonists, First Day deals with Haybillybun and his first day at puppy school. He begins to imagine all kinds of problems that might crop up in his day: his name is too long, his fuzzy ears will keep him from hearing his teacher, or his "slip-slideyfluffy-feet" will stop him from being able to run and play. However, after none of his fears are realized, the young pup has great fun. Predicting that the title will appeal to parents and children preparing for the beginning of school, a Kirkus Reviews critic found it "difficult to resist the beautiful watercolor illustrations that give such personality to the worried puppies and his friends."

Rankin once told SATA: "I started as an abstract painter, then moved into weaving, making hand-woven puppets, and lastly children's book illustrating and writing. Being creative and using the imagination is a very important part of my life. It is something I wish to encourage in children. Through children's books and visiting schools, I hope to widen . . . children's horizons, by showing them book illustrations, drawing for them, and showing them shadow puppet theatre.

"Many of the books I have illustrated have been African folktales. These stories are of special value, I think. Through my writing, I try to address areas that are painful to small children. Often I use animals as the main characters. Humor and quality are essential ingredients."

Biographical and Critical Sources

BOOKS

Rankin, Joan, First Day, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2002.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 1998, April Judge, review of Wow! It's Great Being a Duck, p. 1781; July, 1999, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of You're Somebody Special, Walliwigs!, p. 1954; September 1, 2001, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats, p. 113; June 1, 2002, Hazel Rochman, review of First Day, p. 1743; November 1, 2003, Kay Weisman, review of A Frog in the Bog, p. 508.

Books for Keeps, January, 1999, Judith Sharman, review of Scaredy Cat, p. 18; September, 1999, review of The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman, p. 22.

Horn Book Guide, spring, 1997, Anne Deifendeifer, review of Scaredy Cat, p. 809; September, 1999, George Hunt, review of The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman, p. 22.

Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2002, review of First Day, p. 809.

New York Times Book Review, April 27, 1997, review of Scaredy Cat, p. 29.

Publishers Weekly, December 22, 1997, review of Wow! It's Great Being a Duck, p. 58; May 3, 1999, review of Scaredy Cat, p. 78; June 7, 1999, review of You're Somebody Special, Walliwigs!, p. 82; January 15, 2001, review of Wow! It's Great Being a Duck, p. 78; May 28, 2001, review of Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats, p. 87; May 27, 2002, review of First Day, p. 59.

School Library Journal, March, 1998, Patricia Pearl Dole, review of Wow! It's Great Being a Duck, p. 186; August, 1999, Alicia Eames, review of You're Somebody Special, Walliwigs!, p. 141; July, 2002, Lisa Gangemi Krapp, review of First Day, p. 97.