Kid-lit insiders

An overheard conversation, family pets, thin air, and procrastinating have sparked great ideas for children's books, according to Skidmore alumni who are kids' book creators. A few of them discuss the inspiration and perspiration of their work:

Eileen Kirwin Cameron '65
Government major
Titles: Rupert's Parchment: The Story of the Magna Carta, G is for Garden State, Canyon
Her website
Video interview

 

Penny Chisholm '69
Biology-chemistry major
Titles: Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth, Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas, Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life
Sunlight series
Radio interview
Comments from her

 

Michelle Sinclair Colman '94
Sociology major
Titles: Not That Tutu, Urban Babies Wear Black, Country Babies Wear Plaid, etc.
Author profile
Babies series
Comments from her

 

Barbara Fitzsimmons '82
Art major
Creative director, HarperCollins Children's Books
Interview with her

 

Seneca Clark Francione '99
English major
Titles: Lily + the Imaginary Zoo, The Yellowest Yellow Lab, Frankie Goes to Fenway: The Tale of the Faithful, Red Sox-Loving Mouse
Her books and press

 

Tad Hills '85
Art history major
Titles: How Rocket Learned to Read, Rocket Writes a Story, etc.; Duck & Goose, Duck & Goose Go to the Beach, etc.; My Fuzzy Friends , My Fuzzy Farm Babies, etc.
His studio site
Interview with him

 

Alexis O'Neill '71
Education major
Titles: Loud Emily, The Recess Queen, The Worst Best Friend, Estela's Swap, The Kite that Bridged Two Nations, Three Irish Tales
Her website
Interview with her

 

Beth Rose Stanton '75
Art history and business major
Titles: Henny, Peddles
Her studio site
Interview with her

 

Danny Tieger '08
Theater major
Title: I Am Your Songwriting Journal
About the book

 

Lee Wade '81
English major
Co-founder, Schwartz & Wade Books (Random House)
Profile
Interview with her