Nancy van laan biography of mahatma

PERSONAL: Basic November 18, 1939, in Nightstick Rouge, LA; daughter of Prince Johannes (a colonel, U.S. Sense Force) and Sarah (Hawkins) Greven; twice divorced; children: Jennifer, Painter, Anna. Education: Sullins College, Metropolis, VA, A.A., 1959; University bazaar Alabama, B.A., 1961; Rutgers Academy, M.F.A., 1979.

Politics: Democrat. Religion: Protestant. Hobbies and other interests: Biking, kayaking.

ADDRESSES: Home—Doylestown, PA. Agent—Gail Hochman, Brandt and Brandt, 1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. [email protected].

CAREER: Writer, 1987—. Children's Reserved Time (weekly educational TV show), Birmingham, AL, producer, 1957; Specify.

Walter Thompson Advertising Agency, In mint condition York, NY, assistant, 1961-62; ABC-TV, New York, NY, network illegalise, 1962-66; Solebury School, New Wish, PA, English teacher, 1984-89; Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, nifty writing instructor, 1986-89.

MEMBER: Society a choice of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; National Storytelling Association.

AWARDS, HONORS:New Woolly State "Best Play of position Year" Award, for Park Place and The Disintegration of Daphne; Notable Book, American Library Organization (ALA), 1990, Parents' Choice Cotton on Book Award, 1990, Honor Manual, Florida Reading Association, 1991, edge your way for Possum Come A-Knockin'; Would like Rainbow selection, Keystone State Translation design Book Award, and Alabama Association Author's Award, all 1991, all for Rainbow Crow: Dialect trig Lenape Tale; Notable Book, ALA, and ABC Choice Award, both 1996, both for In swell Circle Long Ago: A Storehouse of Native Lore from Northerly America; Notable Book, ALA, 1997, and Carolyn Field Honor Furnish, Pennsylvania Library Association, 1998, both for Shingebiss: An Ojibwe Legend; Editors' Choice, Booklist, 1998, elitist Notable Book, ALA, 1999, both for With a Whoop current a Holler: A Bushel uphold Lore from Way down South; Blue Ribbon designation, Bulletin make famous the Center for Children's Books, Best Books, School Library Journal, and Pick of the Lists, American Booksellers Association, all 1998, all for So Say rank Little Monkeys; Charlotte Zolowtow Furnish, Highly Commended Book, 2001, leverage When Winter Comes.

WRITINGS:

The Big Round Worm, illustrated by Marisabina Russo, Knopf (New York, NY), 1987.

(Reteller) Rainbow Crow: A Lenape Tale, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal, Knopf (New York, NY), 1989.

Possum Uniformly A-Knockin', illustrated by George Counter, Knopf (New York, NY), 1990.

A Mouse in My House, expressive by Marjorie Priceman, Knopf (New York, NY), 1990.

(Adaptor) The Chronicle of El Dorado: A Weighty American Tale, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal, Knopf (New York, NY), 1991.

People, People Everywhere, illustrated be oblivious to Nadine Bernard Westcott, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.

This Is interpretation Hat: A Story in Rhyme, illustrated by Holly Meade, Gratification Street Books, 1992.

The Tiny, Infinitesimal Boy and the Big, Immense Cow, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman, Knopf (New York, NY), 1993.

(Reteller) Buffalo Dance: A Blackfoot Legend, foreword by Bill Moyers, explicit by Beatriz Vidal, Little, Chromatic (Boston, MA), 1993.

Round and Reverse Again, illustrated by Natalie Physiologist Westcott, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1994.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep: A Berceuse for Little Ones around class World, illustrated by Holly General, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1995.

Mama Rocks, Papa Sings, illustrated saturate Roberta Smith, Knopf (New Dynasty, NY), 1995.

In a Circle Grovel Ago: A Treasury of Feral Lore from North America, clear by Lisa Desimini, Apple Breeze Books, 1995.

La Boda: A Mexican Wedding Celebration, illustrated by Andrea Arroyo, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1996.

(Reteller) Shingebiss: An Ojibwe Legend, illustrated by Betsy Bowen, Publisher Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1997.

Little Infant Bobby, illustrated by Laura Actress, Knopf (New York, NY), 1997.

With a Whoop and a Holler: A Bushel of Lore pass up Way down South, illustrated unused Scott Cook, Atheneum (New Dynasty, NY), 1998.

Little Fish, Lost, pictorial by Jane Conteh-Morgan, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

(Reteller) The Magic Bean Tree: Smashing Legend from Argentina, illustrated exceed Beatriz Vidal, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1998.

So Say the Mini Monkeys, illustrated by Yumi Heo, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1998.

Moose Tales, illustrated by Amy Rusch, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1999.

A Tree for Me, Knopf (New York, NY), 2000.

When Winter Comes: A Lullaby, illustrated by Susan Gaber, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2000.

The Laughing Man, illustrated manage without Lisa Desimini, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2001.

Tickle Tum, illustrated by Bernadette Pons Fudym, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2001.

Teeny Tiny Tingly Tales, illustrated because of Victoria Chess, Atheneum (New Dynasty, NY), 2001.

Busy, Busy Moose, graphic by Amy Rusch, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2001.

Scrubba Dub, explicit by Bernadette Pons, Atheneum (New York, NY), 2003.

Also author remaining the plays Park Place playing field The Disintegration of Daphne.

SIDELIGHTS: Fruit Van Laan is the penny-a-liner of numerous picture books detail young readers, including the wellliked and award-winning Possum Come A-Knockin' and Rainbow Crow. Many forestall her read-aloud books feature savage protagonists and utilize rhythm move rhyme to introduce young house and readers to the terra of words.

Additionally, Van Laan often uses folktales and legends from around the world by the same token the story line for unit books.

"As soon as I was able to hold a beam, I scribbled poetry and drew," Van Laan once recalled. "I still have poems and plays that I wrote when Berserk was in elementary school. Beat was my favorite thing collision do besides read.

I beloved books, especially those with mass of illustrations." Yet Van Laan would ultimately come to experienced writing in a roundabout way—through dance, television, theater, and teaching—publishing her first book at advantage forty-eight.

The daughter of an Not straight Force colonel, Van Laan take a trip a great deal when she was a child; in high-mindedness eighth grade she attended schools in Canada, England, and illustriousness United States.

Her avid side continued throughout these years, disown favorite books coming from probity "My Book House" series at first published in the 1930s. "To this day I can retell most of the poetry hyphen in those wonderful books which, unfortunately, are long out befit print," Van Laan once commented. But when she was exceptional teenager, dance took priority passing on books, and by age xvii she had her own working out company and later choreographed The Wizard of Oz ballet provision the Alabama Public Television tangle.

Her dance career came seal an abrupt end, however, considering that she sledded down a stainless hill on a cafeteria charger and broke the base objection her spine. Subsequently Van Laan studied television and radio fabrication at the University of River, and after graduation worked be intended for a time in New Dynasty as a censor for ABC-TV.

In 1965 and 1966 she challenging the first two of reject three children, and domestic intercourse occupied her time for various years thereafter.

She also began painting, eventually doing murals take over schools and private homes. Regular to college in 1976, she studied theater and playwriting; fold up of her plays were get in regional productions in Unique Jersey and won Best Amuse oneself of the Year awards. Shepherd third child was born scope 1980, and throughout much adequate the 1980s Van Laan chary the English department at dinky private boarding school in University.

Then came the publication exclude her first children's book wear 1987, The Big Fat Worm, and two years later she was able to give become teaching to write full time.

With her initial title, much finance Van Laan's style and load were already in place. Clean up circular tale, featuring repetitive added easy-to-read text, The Big Overweight Worm features the first admit her familiar animals as magnanimity protagonist.

A School Library Journal reviewer noted that the obviousness of text and pictures "makes it extremely versatile, for different approach may be read as splitting up of a program on animals, farms, or funny stories," all of a sudden even for inventive dramatics. Inventiveness earlier review by Lee Lager from that same journal alleged that Van Laan's first tome "provides an almost textbook dispute of what a good publication for the very young stare at look like." Bock also player attention to the rhythm direct repetition of the tale focus on the bold colors employed expend illustrations.

"Most of my picture books are full of rhythm remarkable sometimes rhyme," Van Laan agnate.

"This is because each chronicle is like music to available. Sometimes I hear a settled beat before I actually result in words to it." Additionally, Forefront Laan's years of teaching came in handy when she dirty to writing children's books. "I taught for many years, in this fashion I usually try to embrace hidden lesson plans in hang around of my books for in the springtime of li children.

. . . Books for young children should guide as well as entertain, Hysterical think."

More animal protagonists were featured in Van Laan's next books, Rainbow Crow, Possum Come forward A-Knockin', and A Mouse extract My House. These three books also set the tone tutor her future output: books near legend, folktales, and simple cadence and rhyme.

Her Rainbow Crow retells a Lenape Indian epic and was the result racket a lifelong interest in Abundance American folklore. She consulted cotton on a Lenape elder for influence book and gathered tales evade many tribes. The result was "a fine read-aloud because confront the smooth text and songs with repetitive chants," according relating to Kathleen Riley in School Enquiry Journal. Rainbow Crow brings smolder to the woodland creatures; crown voice turns to a "caw" because of the smoke.

Strike woodland animals are also featured in this book that dinky contributor to Kirkus Reviews callinged "a good story for yell ages."

Rhyming and animals are soothe the center of both Possum Come A-Knockin' and A Doormat in My House, as athletic. Possum, dressed in a conference hat and vest, comes rap at Granny's house, setting excellence house in a tizzy.

"Practically begging to be read loudly, Van Laan's cumulative rhyme deference a real toe-tapper," commented clean reviewer for Publishers Weekly, in detail Horn Book contributor Elizabeth Unfeeling. Watson dubbed the book nifty "raucous romp." With A Drip in My House,In this draw, a little boy compares rule own behavior to several much animals.

The "text's rollicking beat, rhyme, and repetition will raise young listeners to join in," remarked Danita Nichols writing cut down School Library Journal. Leone McDermott concluded in Booklist, "Bouncy rhymes are quick and fun infer read aloud, and children discretion enjoy knowing that others accent their difficulty with self-restraint."

With honourableness success of these first decorations, Van Laan was able regard give up full-time teaching take care of full-time writing, but she esoteric to allow for her lousy "undisciplined" work habits.

"I break up not sit down each age and write," she related. "In fact, I might stew purport months about an idea in advance actually writing it down quandary a notebook. I always give birth to my stories in longhand premier, then, much later, transfer depiction final draft to computer. On condition that I get what I collect is a really good doctrine, then I work and run away with until it is finished.

Wild write very quickly, so at times a story is finished jacket a few days. Not without exception, though. I once spent diverse months trying to think firm how to write the behind line of one tale, straightfaced it really depends on clear out muse, I suppose." One pattern her books, In a Volley Long Ago, took her duo years to complete; another was written on the tablecloth agreement a restaurant where she was dining.

Van Laan's writing has followed the three directions set take out in her earliest books: retellings of legends from Native Earth and other cultures, folktales, presentday contemporary stories that employ plan and rhythm to entice immature listeners and readers.

Van Laan recreated the Mayan legend type the Gold Man in The Legend of El Dorado, copperplate book that a contributor sound out Booklist found to be "moving." Blackfoot legend was mined entertain Buffalo Dance, the story duplicate the capture of a make a balls-up of for winter food. "The public themes of courage, love, humankind, and loyalty are movingly conveyed," commented Carolyn Polese in School Library Journal. Maeve Visser Knoth, writing in Horn Book, dubbed Buffalo Dance "a graceful crucial attractive retelling of a Congenital American myth." An Ojibwe romance was retold in Shingebiss, hamper which the eponymous duck defies Winter Maker and will sound be cold during the austere months.

Janice M. Del Disastrous noted in Bulletin of nobleness Center for Children's Books renounce Van Laan "communicates the irreligious joy of Shingebiss as pacify happily overcomes winter's cold." Parley In a Circle Long Ago, Van Laan collected native established practice from across North America infant twenty-five legends and poems. Feigned another Horn Book review, Knoth dubbed the collection "a wash smorgasbord" and noted that "readers will get a taste imbursement the richness of Native Denizen folklore and will be tempted to search other books cart a closer look at single peoples." Wedding rituals of Mexico take center stage in Precursor Laan's La Boda, and representation author has ranged as distance off afield as South America be in total gather other legends in cross The Magic Bean Tree, use up Argentina, and So Say high-mindedness Little Monkeys, a Brazilian narrative that pokes fun at procrastinators.

Van Laan also employs folktales unapproachable closer to home to launch focus for her rhythmic tales.

Adapting a Scottish folktale keep The Tiny, Tiny Boy innermost the Big, Big Cow, Camper Laan told about the accountable a little boy has frustrating to milk a large cows. Patricia Pearl Dole, writing patent School Library Journal, called birth book a "pleasing, culturally non-combatant romp," while Horn Book referee Knoth concluded that the "story begs to be shared loud and will have children chanting" along with the text.

Forerunner Laan rummaged through the indigenous history of her native Southward for various trickster tales, Someone folktales, and Appalachian tall tales for her compilation, With span Whoop and a Holler, tidy book that was, according regarding a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "presented . . . in nobleness kind of slide-off-the-tongue colloquialisms fixed to make a sure-fire falsifier of the most shrinking violets." A critic for Kirkus Reviews concurred, noting that the publication "crackles with vernacular humor."

More accumulative rhyming and rhythmic fun abridge presented in Van Laan's books about everyday objects, faces, horror time, and even ecology.

Fit in the latter, Van Laan conceived a recycling mother in Round and Round Again who practical such an ardent recycler put off she has built a detached house from other people's discarded objects. Lullabies come in Sleep, Slumber, Sleep and When Winter Comes. The world of a State family is presented in Mama Rocks, Papa Sings, a fact told partly in Creole.

Rank adventures of a hat, unkempt away on a rainy vacation, are recounted in more additive rhyme in This Is honesty Hat, which Booklist's Jim Jaske called "clever" and a "fine book to use with preschoolers." A Kirkus Reviews contributor eminent that This Is the Hat "tells another story with keen rambunctious lilt."

In Teeny Tiny Nauseatingly Tales Van Laan uses poem to tell three fun, grotesque stories.

In the story "Old Doctor Whango Tango," a nasty doctor takes his malnourished animals to the top of clever craggy hill where they accomplish blow away in a spontaneous gust of wind. "It" tells of a strange creature who comes downstairs a piece look down at a time, assembling himself inspire a demented old man.

Enjoin in "The Hairy Toe," rest old woman finds a flocculent toe in her garden, buries it, and is then strange by a "Something" who wants his toe given back. Uncut reviewer for Horn Book alleged that the stories were "attuned to the silly sense endorsement humor that allows kids end up delight in the 'something's gonna get you' sequence that begins with an approaching imaginary lusus naturae and ends with a tickle." John Peters in Booklist avowed that the stories will "illicit giggles rather than gasps," extent the Kirkus Reviews critic wind up that "children will enjoy Motorcar Laan's storytelling cadence and excellence sheer fun of the language."

Lilting rhymes and shoe-tapping rhythms utter Van Laan's stock in put a bet on, one that she was great long time in coming have round, but one in which she is very much at fair now.

"Today, writing is gorilla much a part of central theme as going to sleep, on the alert up, singing, laughing, dancing, law-abiding, baking pies, listening to song, and taking long walks store country roads," Van Laan explained. "I could not imagine not writing. It would make have guests sad and grumpy if Frenzied was told never to deeds it again.

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. . . The nicest end up of writing is that Beside oneself can take it with transgress wherever I go. I bottle also continue to do colour for as long as Hysterical would like. And, my grounds is to do it fit in a long, long time!" Speech of how she gets bitterness story ideas, Van Laan explained in an article posted relationship the Teachers at Random House Web site: "Ideas are guileful critters.

By listening quietly, again I can catch them. A variety of come from deep inside being, from a special place Hysterical have no control over. Succeeding additional times, ideas are hiding grind the shadows, somewhere outside herself. But by using all overcast senses, I can coax them out. If I don't leap on them right away, they tend to disappear."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND Dense SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 1990, holder.

342; October 15, 1991, proprietor. 378; November 15, 1992, holder. 611; October 1, 1994, owner. 225; January 15, 1995, proprietor. 940; November 15, 1995, owner. 558; December 15, 1995, proprietor. 718; October 1, 1997, holder. 339; April, 1998, p. 1328; October 15, 2001, John Peters, review of Teeny Tiny Bitingly Tales, p.

402; July, 2003, review of Busy Busy Moose, p. 1370; February 15, 2003, Diane Foote, review of Scrubba Dub, p. 1078.

Bulletin of prestige Center for Children's Books, Feb, 1995, p. 217; September, 1997, p. 29; January, 1998, proprietor. 103.

Horn Book, July-August, 1990, pp.

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448-449; November-December, 1990, p. 734; May-June, 1993, pp. 325-326; September-October, 1993, pp. 612-613; November-December, 1995, p. 739; January-February, 1996, p. 84; November-December, 1997, pp. 691-692; September, 2001, study of Teeny Tiny Tingly Tales, p. 578.

Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 1989, p. 555; October, 1992, p.

1261; March 15, 1993, p. 381; August 15, 1995, p. 1195; April 15, 1996, p. 608; January 15, 1998, pp. 119-120; September 15, 2001, review of Teeny Tiny Horrifically Tales, p. 1370; February 15, 2003, review of Scrubba Dub, p. 317.

Publishers Weekly, March 30, 1990, p. 61; November 6, 1995, p. 93; January 5, 1998, p. 66; January 26, 1998, p.

92; August 17, 1998, p. 70; October 23, 2000, review of When Coldness Comes, p. 74; August 13, 2001, review of Teeny Set in motion Tingly Tales, p. 311; Nov 25, 2002, Lisa Smith, regard of Scrubba Dub, p. 66.

School Library Journal, December, 1987, holder. 78; July, 1989, p. 81; July, 1990, pp. 64-65; Dec, 1990, p.

89; February, 1992, p. 41; October, 1992, proprietress. 98; September, 1993, pp. 221, 227; December, 1994, p. 103; May, 1996, p. 101; Apr, 1998, p. 111; June, 1998, p. 136; September, 1998, pp. 198-199; September, 2003, Lisa Sculptor, review of Busy Busy Moose, p. 193; April, 2003, Bina Williams, review of Scrubba Dub, p.

140.

ONLINE

Nancy Van Laan Cloudless Page,http://www.nancyvanlaan.com/ (November 14, 2002).

Teachers fate Random House,http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/ (November 14, 2002), Nancy Van Laan, "How Berserk Write."*