Helen Roney Sattler

Helen Roney Sattler
Born Helen Elizabeth Roney
(1921-03-02)March 2, 1921
Newton, Iowa, United States
Died June 2, 1992(1992-06-02) (aged 71)
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States
Occupation Writer
Education Southwest Missouri State College
Genre Children's literature
Subject Natural history, science and technology, arts and crafts, picture books, cookbooks
Notable awards Golden Kite Award
1984 The Illustrated Dinosaur Dictionary
Years active 1970–1992
Spouse Robert Edward Sattler
Children 2

Helen Roney Sattler (March 2, 1921 – June 2, 1992) was an American children's author most famous for her award-winning books about dinosaurs.

Sattler was born in Newton, Iowa and grew up on a farm in the Missouri Ozarks. She received a bachelor of science degree in education from Southwest Missouri State College in 1946.[1] Sattler worked as an elementary school teacher and a children's librarian for eight years before pursuing a full-time writing career.[2] The subject of Sattler's first books was arts and crafts; she also wrote several books of Bible puzzles and numerous articles in Christian children's magazines.[2][3] She began to focus on natural history after receiving a request from her grandson to write a dinosaur book "that didn't have any mistakes in it."[2] Her efforts culminated in Dinosaurs of North America (1981), the first of several acclaimed books about dinosaurs.

Sattler's dinosaur books were diligently researched: she utilized more than 150 references per book and consulted more than a dozen paleontologists.[4][5] Dinosaurs of North America was followed by Sattler's most ambitious work, The Illustrated Dinosaur Dictionary, which took her nearly five years to research and write.[4] In his foreword to this exhaustive reference work, John H. Ostrom called it "the most comprehensive book on dinosaurs for the nonscientist" to date.[5] A fully revised and expanded edition was published in 1990 as The New Illustrated Dinosaur Dictionary. The Dinosaur Society, a nonprofit organization founded by Don Lessem in 1991, established the Sattler Award for "best juvenile dinosaur book." The first winner of this award was Dougal Dixon for his 1993 book Dougal Dixon's Dinosaurs.[6]

Sattler married Robert Edward Sattler on September 30, 1956 in Springfield, Massachusetts, with whom she had two children. She was a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the American Association of University Women. She died on June 2, 1992 and is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.[7]

Selected bibliography

Dinosaur books (all published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard):

Other subjects (published by Lothrop unless otherwise specified):

References

  1. ↑ Scott, Sammy (March 31, 1972). "If Junior Can't Eat Eggs, New Book May Help Chef". The Kansas City Star. p. 8. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Hendrickson, Linnea (2006), "Sattler, Helen Roney", in Zipes, Jack, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature 3, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195146561, retrieved 8 July 2014
  3. ↑ Helen Roney Sattler Collection (PDF), Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries, retrieved 8 July 2014
  4. 1 2 3 Ponder, Rebecca (February 14, 1986). "Child's Inquiry Inspired Work Dinosaurs Fuel Woman's Books". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  5. 1 2 Sattler, Helen Roney (1990). The New Illustrated Dinosaur Dictionary. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. p. 11. ISBN 9780688084622.
  6. ↑ "Dinosaur Society Names Best Juvenile Dinosaur Book; 'Dougal Dixon's Dinosaurs' Captures Sattler Award". PR Newswire. April 13, 1994. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  7. ↑ Joe Todd (January 4, 2011). "Helen Elizabeth Roney Sattler". Find a Grave. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards". The Horn Book. The Horn Book, Inc. 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Oklahoma Book Award Winners". Oklahoma Department of Libraries. 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.

Further reading

  • Telgen, Diane, ed. (1993). Something About the Author 74. Detroit: Gale Research. ISBN 9780810322844. 
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