Wheedle on the Needle

I was born and raised in the Northwest. After graduating from Borah High School in Boise, Idaho, I received one of the first male scholarships to Stephen’s College for Women in Columbia, Missouri. During that time I discovered a passion for writing and storytelling, but never held any hope that a career would ensue. In fact, I was politely asked to withdraw from the only creative writing class that I ever attended. In 1973, while working as a vice-president of an investment company, I went to a bookstore to buy a book for his three-year-old daughter. I was looking for a fun-to-read story that contained a subtle message, but instead found very little of the content that I wanted. Consequently, I decided to write my own story. Influenced by his childhood love of Aesop’s Fables, Cosgrove’s first story and all the books that followed reflect a sense of value in the plot and their natural positive resolutions. Teaming with Seattle illustrator Robin James, I went on to create four titles that became the foundation of the Serendipity series (over 85 million copies sold). Years later I merged my thriving publishing company with Penguin/Putnam and focused my efforts on writing and the creation of multi-media events for children. I have written more than 350 books, some under my own name and others using pseudonyms; my work ranging from picture books to young adult thrillers and fantasy. I currently resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife Celia.

Stephen Cosgrove and Robin James collaborated on the 60-plus titles that comprise the Serendipity Books series, including such classics as Serendipity, Flutterby, Morgan and Me, and Leo the Lop.