Laurie Keller Explained

Laurie Keller
Birth Place:Muskegon, Michigan, USA
Occupation:Illustrator, writer
Alma Mater:Kendall College of Art and Design
Genre:Children's non-fiction, picture books

Laurie Keller is an American children's writer and illustrator. She has written and illustrated books for Henry Holt & Co. Books for Young Readers, and produced illustrations for others.

Life

Keller grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. After graduating high school, she took education classes at a local community college and studied dance until a friend brought her to see a show at the Kendall College of Art and Design, which re-sparked her interest, causing her to enroll and receive a degree from the college in illustration.

Following graduation, Keller worked for seven years for Hallmark Cards as a greeting card artist. While there, she was allowed to design entire cards, which caused her to consider writing and illustrating books. Starting in 1997, she made illustrations for Nickelodeon, and later in 1998, she directed 6 network ID's for the channel with Pitch Productions, using pipe-cleaners and cel animation.

Keller has written and illustrated six books for Henry Holt Books for Young Readers: The Scrambled States of America, an American geography book; Open Wide: Tooth School Inside, a dental book about tooth care; Arnie the Doughnut, about an anthropomorphic doughnut; Grandpa Gazillion's Number Yard, a number book, Do Unto Otters, a book about manners; and The Scrambled States of America Talent Show, the follow-up to her 1998 debut.

Books

As writer and illustrator

The Scrambled States of America

Nocat Wdimage:yes
The Scrambled States of America
Italic Title:no
Author:Laurie Keller
Country:United States
Subject:Geography
Genre:Fiction
Comedy
Pub Date:1998
Media Type:Hardback
Pages:32
Isbn:0-8050-5802-8
Dewey:[E] 21
Congress:PZ7.K281346 Sc 1998
Exclude Cover:yes
Oclc:38150163

Keller's first book, The Scrambled States of America, was released by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers in 1998. Uncle Sam tells the story about the Kansas, one of the 50 states of America becoming bored of where he is and organizing a party with Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, where the states meet each other and decide to trade places. The states enjoy their new locations (Nevada and Mississippi fall in love as a result.) But soon they become uncomfortable and want to move back to where they were before.

Publishers Weekly gave the book a positive review, noting that "hits hard to imagine a more engaging (or comical) way to learn the 50 states and their locations."[1]

Open Wide: Tooth School Inside

Nocat Wdimage:yes
Open Wide: Tooth School Inside
Italic Title:no
Author:Laurie Keller
Country:United States
Genre:Fiction
Pub Date:2000
Media Type:Hardback
Pages:40
Isbn:0-8050-6192-4
Dewey:617.6 21
Congress:RK63 .K44 2000
Oclc:41256282

Open Wide: Tooth School Inside was Keller's second book and was released by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers in 2000. It tells the story of a day in a tooth school, with all 32 tooth students present. The book reviews the biology of teeth, tooth care, and teeth in history.

Arnie the Doughnut

Nocat Wdimage:yes
Arnie the Doughnut
Italic Title:no
Author:Laurie Keller
Cover Artist:keller
Country:United States
Genre:Fiction
Pub Date:2003
Media Type:Hardback
Pages:40
Isbn:0-8050-6283-1
Dewey:[E] 21
Congress:PZ7.K281346 Ar 2003
Oclc:49525694

Arnie the Doughnut was Keller's third book. Released in April of 2003 by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, it is the story of an anthropomorphic chocolate frosted sprinkle doughnut named Arnie, who changes his fate after being purchased by Mr. Bing.

The story was also released on DVD in 2005, narrated by Michael McKean.[5]

Other Arnie the Doughnut books include:

Grandpa Gazillion's Number Yard

Nocat Wdimage:yes
Grandpa Gazillion's Number Yard
Italic Title:no
Author:Laurie Keller
Country:United States
Subject:Mathematics, Numbers
Genre:Fiction
Pub Date:2005
Media Type:Hardback
Pages:32
Isbn:0-8050-6282-3
Dewey:[E] 22
Congress:PZ8.3.K294 Gr 2005
Oclc:56755961

Grandpa Gazillion's Number Yard is the fourth children's book by Keller. Released in 2005 by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, it tells, in rhyme, about the numbers 1 through 20 using the character of Grandpa Gazillion, who runs a junkyard full of numbers.

Do Unto Otters: A Book about Manners

Nocat Wdimage:yes
Do Unto Otters
Italic Title:no
Author:Laurie Keller
Country:United States
Release Date:2007
Media Type:Hardback
Pages:40
Isbn:0-8050-7996-3
Dewey:[E] 22
Congress:PZ7.K281346 Do 2007
Oclc:76133475

Do Unto Otters: A Book about Manners was released in 2007 by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Keller brings the "Golden Rule" to life in the form of Mr. Rabbit and his new neighbors, the Otters, who show kids that a simple "please" or "thank you" goes a long way in making friends, while animating every page with their well-behaved hijinks.

This book was a Junior Library Guild selection.[10]

Weston Woods distributes a fully animated version of this book on DVD under the same name.[11]

Kirkus Reviews stated "While kids may well have encountered the Golden Rule elsewhere, this explanation and elaboration nicely unifies what might otherwise seem like a dreary list of manners. This lively book is anything but."[12]

Birdy's Smile Book (2010)

Kirkus Reviews found that "The collaged illustrations are bold and textured and occupy white space in Keller's characteristically exuberant style." but "The narrative voice and illustrative feel ... are at odds with much of the content, which requires the sense of humor and irony of an older child. Whether they will embrace the presentation and Birdy's exhaustive salute remains open to question."[13]

Potato Pants! (2018)

Potato Pants! was Keller's seventh book and was released by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers in 2018. It tells the story of Potato and his eggplant nemesis, who struggle to find the perfect pants. The Weston Woods adaptation, released in 2019 and narrated by a full cast, was directed by Galen Fott.

As illustrator only

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Scrambled States of America . Publishers Weekly . PWxyz LLC . June 22, 2015.
  2. Web site: The Scrambled States of America™ Game . gamewright.com . Gamewright . June 21, 2015 .
  3. Web site: The Scrambled States of America. May 20, 2010. kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Media LLC. June 14, 2015.
  4. Web site: The scrambled states of America talent show. willistonndlibrary.org. Williston Community Library. June 22, 2015.
  5. Web site: Arnie the Doughnut (2005) . IMDb . June 21, 2015 .
  6. Web site: Bowling Alley Bandit. March 17, 2013. kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Media LLC. June 18, 2015.
  7. Web site: Bowling Alley Bandit. Publishers Weekly. PWxyz LLC. June 18, 2015.
  8. Web site: Review of Bowling Alley Bandit. June 25, 2013. darienlibrary.org. Darien Library. June 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150618154011/http://www.darienlibrary.org/kids/children/booklists/review-bowling-alley-bandit. June 18, 2015. dead.
  9. Web site: Read May 2014. ci.broomfield.co.us. Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library. June 18, 2015.
  10. Web site: New Books – December, 2009 New books for the week of December 7, 2009 Juvenile Collection . sils.unc.edu . University of North Carolina . June 22, 2015 .
  11. Web site: Do Unto Otters (2008) . IMDb . June 22, 2015 .
  12. Web site: Do Unto Otters A Book of Manners . kirkusreviews.com . May 20, 2010 . Kirkus Media LLC . June 14, 2015 .
  13. Web site: Birdy's Smile Book . kirkusreviews.com . July 15, 2010 . Kirkus Media LLC . June 14, 2015 .