Anna Dewdney

Anna Dewdney

Dewdney at a book signing in 2014.
Website
www.annadewdney.com

Anna Dewdney (born December 25, 1965) is an award-winning, best-selling American author and illustrator of children's books. The first book she wrote and illustrated, Llama Llama Red Pajama, received critical acclaim in 2005. She has written other books in the Llama Llama series, which have all been New York Times bestsellers. Her work has been adapted into stage plays, dance performances and musicals. Many states and non-profits use her books for literacy campaigns and programs including the Library of Congress.

Biography

Anna Dewdney (born Anna Elizabeth Luhrmann) spent her early childhood in Englewood, New Jersey, where she attended The Elisabeth Morrow School and Dwight-Englewood School, which she attended through the ninth grade. She continued her high-school studies at Philips Academy (Andover) and then transferred to The Putney School, graduating in 1983.[1] She earned a bachelor’s degree in Art from Wesleyan University in 1987. Before her work became well known, Dewdney supported herself by working as a waitress, a rural postal carrier, and as a remedial-language, art, and history teacher at a junior boarding school for dyslexic boys.[2] She has lived in Vermont with her several dogs since the late 1980s. She has two children.[3]

Career

Dewdney began her career illustrating a variety of books for both children and adults. She gained critical acclaim in 2005 for Llama Llama Red Pajama, the first book she both wrote and illustrated. Her work is known for its emotive content,[4] signature characters, family relationships, and how it addresses the everyday issues of young children. The text of her work is often written in verse; because of this use of rhyming language, and because of Dewdney’s reading-advocacy work, her books are often used to promote reading and literacy.[5][6] The Llama Llama series is highly popular among parents, teachers, and booksellers; in 2011, a Miami, Florida bookseller actually got the Llama Llama character tattooed on her arm for a bookstore event.[7] Dewdney’s books have been translated into eight languages: Chinese, Hebrew, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Polish, Spanish, and Russian. Partial proceeds from some of her works go toward environmental awareness and conservation efforts, most notably pangolin conservation in southeast Asia.[8][9] As of 2013, she has written fourteen children's books.

Influences

Dewdney cites Tasha Tudor, the early work of Maurice Sendak, Russell Hoban, Garth Williams, Barbara Cooney, Elizabeth Goudge, Frances Hodgson Burnett, William Steig, E. B. White, Munro Leaf, and Robert Lawson as creative influences.[10]

Awards and honors

Dewdney’s Llama Llama books have all been New York Times bestsellers, and several titles have reached #1 on the list. Her books regularly make the Publisher’s Weekly and IndieBooks bestsellers lists and have hit buzzworthy sales figures.[11] Llama Llama Red Pajama was chosen as Jumpstart’s Read for the Record book in 2011, setting the world’s record for most readings of a particular book on one day.[12] This event was recorded on the Today show on October 6, 2011, where her work was read live to the national television audience. Her work has been adapted into stage plays, dance performances, and musicals, most notably by Dolly Parton at Dollywood.[13][14] The Dolly Parton Foundation has also chosen her Llama Llama series for The Imagination Library, a not-for-profit organization serving young children through book donations. Many states and not-for-profit organizations use her books for literacy campaigns and programs, including the Library of Congress, which featured her work --- and a live reading by Anna --- in its 2012 National Book Festival.[15][16] Dewdney’s work is highly acclaimed by critics and is often recommended on booklists by national reviewers.[17]

Other awards

Selected works

References

  1. ↑ "Alumni Authors" (PDF). Putney Post. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  2. ↑ "We Love Llama Llama". Decaturbookfestival.com. 2010-09-05. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  3. ↑ "Anna Dewdney". Bostonbookfest.org. 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  4. ↑ "Llama Llama Author ‘Lloves’ Kids". Sent-trib.com. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  5. ↑ ""Five Questions for Anna Dewdney", The Horn Book, Roger Sutton, 4/12/2013". Hbook.com. 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  6. ↑ "Bestselling author of ‘Llama Llama" books visits kids’ literacy day". Bgsu.edu. 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  7. ↑ Maughan, Shannon (2011-09-28). "Characters, Ink: A Children’s Bookseller’s Tattoos". Publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  8. ↑ http://www.wwct.org.uk/userfiles/pagefiles/conservation-research/vietnam/carnivore-pangolin/Newsletter%202011%20Aug%20-%20CPCP.pdf
  9. ↑ "Books Etc". Savepangolins.org. 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  10. ↑ Emmons, Sasha (2011-10-06). "Q&A With Children’s Author Anna Dewdney: The Author of Llama Llama Red Pajama Shares the Story Behind the Book". Parenting.com. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  11. ↑ Maughan, Shannon (2010-11-18). "Llama Llama Sales-O-Rama". Publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  12. ↑ "Llama Llama Red Pajama Selected as Official 2011 Campaign Book for Jumpstart’s Read for the Record". Pearsonfoundation.org. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  13. ↑ ”Dollywood Penguin Players Bring Kids’ Book to Life”</ref
  14. ↑ "Llama Llama Red Pajama: World Premiere! What Will Baby Llama Do Next?". Stagestheatre.org. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  15. ↑ "Anna Dewdney, Library of Congress National Book Festival, ‘Meet the Authors’ section". Loc.gov. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  16. ↑ "Anna Dewdney: 2012 National Book Festival". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  17. ↑ Bowles, Paula. "Llama Llama Mad at Mama". Kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 2013-07-20.

External links

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