Beginner Books Books

Robert Lopshire wrote and illustrated the Beginner Books Put Me in the Zoo, I Want to Be Somebody New!, and New Tracks I Can Do! He died in 2002.

THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL–aka Dr. Seuss–is one of the most beloved children’s book authors of all time. From The Cat in the Hat to Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, his iconic characters, stories, and art style have been a lasting influence on generations of children and adults. The books he wrote and illustrated under the name Dr. Seuss (and others that he wrote but did not illustrate, including some under the pseudonyms Theo. LeSieg and Rosetta Stone) have been translated into thirty languages. Hundreds of millions of copies have found their way into homes and hearts around the world. Dr. Seuss’s long list of awards includes Caldecott Honors for McElligot’s Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, and Bartholomew and the Oobleck, the Pulitzer Prize, and eight honorary doctorates. Works based on his original stories have won three Oscars, three Emmys, three Grammys, and a Peabody.

Joan Heilbroner is best known for her first book, Robert the Rose Horse, which was published in 1961. Acquired by Dr. Seuss when he was editor of Beginner Books, it has been in print for more than 50 years. Her inspiration to write A Pet Named Sneaker came from her grandchildren, Quentin and Katrina, and their talented pet snake, Plato. A graduate of Columbia University, Ms. Heilbroner worked as a school librarian until her retirement.

Marilyn Sadler has written more than 35 books and has won 12 awards. She received 1 Emmy nomination for her animated series, Handy Manny (which averaged around 2 million viewers a week!). She is the author of the P. J. Funnybunny books and the books about Alistair. Marilyn lives in Ohio with her cat, Alice, who’s shaped like a half sphere when she is sleeping and who acts like a princess when she’s awake. Marilyn is 1/2 of the team that created the world of Charlie Piechart. Visit her online at www.marilynsadler.net.

Katie Kath is the illustrator of many middle grade novels and several picture books. She lives in North Carolina.