Audrey Wood
Encyclopedia
Audrey Wood is a children's author. She currently resides in Santa Barbara
, California
, where her father was employed by Ringling Brothers Circus
, commissioned to repaint the big top and sideshow murals. As Audrey became friends with the characters of the circus, she heard stories about them from the family of "little people" who lived next door to her family.
Audrey was the first of three girls. As the oldest, she began her gift of storytelling with her younger sisters. She would use her parents' art books and make up stories about the paintings. By the time she was in fourth grade, her ambition was to become an author/illustrator.
Audrey uses the medium of children's literature
to practice the disciplines of art, music, drama, dance, and writing. Her unique work creates a sense of imagination and excitement. Audrey loves step-and-repeat stories for the “music of language”. An example of this would be her famous book, The Napping House.
Audrey's husband, Don Wood, is the illustrator of many of her books. They began collaborating on children’s literature seven years after their marriage, their first book together entitled Moonflute. Since the publication of Moonflute, Don has illustrated nearly 20 of Audrey’s books. Her son, Bruce, is also an author, which makes art a fifth-generation tradition in Audrey's family. More can be learned about the lives of Audrey, Don and Bruce on Audrey's homepage.
In an interview conducted by Harcott Books, Audrey was congratulated on her success in publishing children's literature. Her book "Napping House" was being celebrated for its twentieth year in publication. Being asked how writing evolved her relationship with her husband she responded, "I read him a children's book during our honeymoon." She also said that even though always interested in children's books is wasn't until her son Bruce was born that she was pushed into action. Her husband did not care for the illustrations in her first book when it was published in England, and he did the illustrations in her book "Moonflute" when it was published in the United States. He has been hooked on illustrating children's books ever since.
For a list of awards by book, see Audrey Wood's website.
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Biography
Audrey Wood's first memories of storytelling were in Sarasota, FloridaSarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
, where her father was employed by Ringling Brothers Circus
Ringling Brothers Circus
The Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling Brothers: Albert , August , Otto , Alfred T. , Charles , John , and Henry...
, commissioned to repaint the big top and sideshow murals. As Audrey became friends with the characters of the circus, she heard stories about them from the family of "little people" who lived next door to her family.
Audrey was the first of three girls. As the oldest, she began her gift of storytelling with her younger sisters. She would use her parents' art books and make up stories about the paintings. By the time she was in fourth grade, her ambition was to become an author/illustrator.
Audrey uses the medium of children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
to practice the disciplines of art, music, drama, dance, and writing. Her unique work creates a sense of imagination and excitement. Audrey loves step-and-repeat stories for the “music of language”. An example of this would be her famous book, The Napping House.
Audrey's husband, Don Wood, is the illustrator of many of her books. They began collaborating on children’s literature seven years after their marriage, their first book together entitled Moonflute. Since the publication of Moonflute, Don has illustrated nearly 20 of Audrey’s books. Her son, Bruce, is also an author, which makes art a fifth-generation tradition in Audrey's family. More can be learned about the lives of Audrey, Don and Bruce on Audrey's homepage.
In an interview conducted by Harcott Books, Audrey was congratulated on her success in publishing children's literature. Her book "Napping House" was being celebrated for its twentieth year in publication. Being asked how writing evolved her relationship with her husband she responded, "I read him a children's book during our honeymoon." She also said that even though always interested in children's books is wasn't until her son Bruce was born that she was pushed into action. Her husband did not care for the illustrations in her first book when it was published in England, and he did the illustrations in her book "Moonflute" when it was published in the United States. He has been hooked on illustrating children's books ever since.
Audrey's Work
- Oh My Baby Bear
- Elbert's Bad Word
- Rude Giants
- Silly Sally
- Little Penguin's Tale
- Tugford Wanted To Be Bad
- The Red Racer
- Weird Parents
- Alphabet Adventure (Illustrated by Rhianna Piper)
- Alphabet Mystery
- Alphabet Rescue
- Balloonia
- The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear (co-authored by Don Wood)
- Birdsong
- A Book for Honey Bear: Reading Keeps the Sighs Away
- A Dog Needs a Bone!
- Bright and Early Thursday Evening: A Tangled Tale
- The Bunyans
- The Deep Blue Sea
- Detective Valentine
- The Flying Dragon Room
- Heckedy Peg
- Into the Napping House (pop-up book)
- Jubal's Wish
- King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
- Little Mouse and the Big Red Strawberry
- Magic Shoelaces
- The Napping House
- Orlando's Little While Friends (co-authored by Don Wood)
- Piggie Pie-Po
- Presto Change-o
- The Princess and the Dragon
- Quick as a Cricket
- The Rainbow Bridge
- Scaredy Cats
- Sweet Dream Pie
- Ten Little Fish
- Three Sisters
- Tickle-Octupus
- The Tooth Fairy
- Twenty-Four Robbers
- When the Root Children Wake Up
Holiday Books
- The Christmas Adventure of Space Elf Sam
- A Cowboy Christmas: The Miracle at Lone Pine Ridge
- The Horrible Holidays
- Merry Christmas: Big Hungry Bear
Awards
- Caldecott MedalCaldecott MedalThe Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children , a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. The award was named in honor of nineteenth-century English...
: King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
For a list of awards by book, see Audrey Wood's website.