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I can't believe it, but I've been writing and illustrating children's books for about thirty years. In 1975, I had my first book published by Prentice-Hall. The title was Willy and His Wheel Wagon, and it was a Junior Library Guild selection. It was a combination of fiction and nonfiction. Around 1980, I became aware of how little exciting nonfiction for children was being published. It seemed like a natural for me to go into this area, because I've always been curious about things and love doing research. My first two books that were colorful nonfiction were Clocks and How They Go (HarperCollins 1979) and Tool Book (Holiday House 1982). Since then, I have focused only on nonfiction. So far, I've had about 147 books published.
When I choose a topic, it must be something that totally fascinates me. My ideas come from what is around me, from children, librarians, publishers, and my family and friends. Once I have the idea, I get into the research of the topic. I go to bookstores to buy books about what I want to write about; I check out books from libraries; I find an expert on the topic I'm writing about; and often I travel to places to learn as much as I can.
Once I have researched everything, I begin writing. I usually don't like what I write the first time, because I struggle to explain a complex topic in so few words. Then I work with my editors and rewrite the text until it sounds just right. Next, I make a book with blank pages and make rough sketches of what I think I would like on each page. I also do a rough sketch of the cover. Once the art director and my editors are happy with what I've sketched, I can begin the artwork. I usually use watercolors, black pen, and sometimes colored pencils. For some of my artwork, I've also used colored, handmade torn papers. When the artwork is completed, I give it to the publisher. Lots of people at the publishing house look over everything to make sure there aren't any errors. This is very important when writing and illustrating nonfiction, because everything must be perfectly accurate. I always give a thank you on the copyright page to the expert who looked over my text for accuracy. Then the finished book goes off to the printer, and, finally, I have another nonfiction children's book published.
I write about many different topics, because I'm curious about many different things. To write and illustrate a book titled Dinosaur Discoveries (Holiday House 2005) is very different than writing about Apples (Holiday House 2000). I'm curious about the world we live in.
I was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1944. I was fortunate enough to have two parents who were supportive of what I was doing as a child. I loved writing, drawing, and putting books together at a young age. I attended the University of Illinois, where I received a BFA degree. Upon graduation, I became a television graphic designer. First, I worked at a little CBS affiliate station in Champaign, Illinois. While there, I designed on-air graphics, sets, and animation. Then I worked at NBC in Chicago, doing videotape animation. Finally I ended up at NBC in New York where I did artwork for shows like Nightly News, The Today Show, and Saturday Night Live and then worked on a children's show called Take a Giant Step. While I was working on that show, kids asked me if I had ever done a children's book. That sparked an interest in being a published children's book author, and the rest is history.
Right now I live in Corinth, Vermont, in the middle of three hundred acres where my husband, Kent Ancliffe, designed and built a beautiful passive solar house. Kent also helps me with photographic and other research for my books and is active with the business part of my career. We also have an old farmhouse on an island off the coast of Maine called Matinicus Island. We have great fun with our dog, Wilson, and our two cats Miles and Davis. We have two grown up children named Rebecca and Eric. We have an adorable grandchild named Greta.
I love working with the people in the children's book industry, especially Holiday House, my main publisher. I hope to continue writing and illustrating nonfiction books for children for a long time. •
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About the Author:
"To me, putting a nonfiction book together is like watching the pieces of a puzzle finally fitting together. Bit by bit the book takes form."
Gail Gibbons grew up writing stories and drawing pictures to fit the words, and wishing she lived in the country. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a bachelor of fine arts degree, she became involved in television graphics. This led her to work on a children's TV show, where her desire to write and illustrate children's books was rekindled. Eventually Gail became a full-time writer and moved to rural Vermont, where she could have a garden and as many pets as she wanted. Gail has written close to 150 books and has made countless visits to schools. The feedback she gets from the children is invaluable and often inspires ideas for future projects.
Gail; her husband, Kent Ancliffe; her dog, Wilson; and her cats, Miles and Davis, live in Vermont in a passive solar house that Gail's husband built and on an island off the coast of Maine. You can visit her website at www.gailgibbons.com
Recent Titles:
• Ice Cream: The Full Scoop (Holiday House 2006)
• Valentine's Day Is . . . (Holiday House 2006)
• Dinosaur Discoveries (Holiday House 2005)
• Owls (Holiday House 2005)
• Thanksgiving Is . . . (Holiday House 2005)
To contact this author or illustrator, please use the information for his or her publisher provided on our list of CBC member publishers.
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