Amy Krouse Rosenthal - Children's Author
by potterbee
Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a popular author, filmmaker and speaker died on Monday, March 13, 2017. She is best known for her memoir Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, her children's picture books, and the film project The Beckoning of Lovely. She was a prolific writer, publishing more than 30 books between 2005 and her death in 2017. She was a contributor to Chicago's NPR affiliate WBEZ, and to the TED conference.
Her first success was with the book Little Pea, about a pod denied his favorite dessert (spinach) until he finished all his candy (which he detested). She is the only author to have three children's books make the Best Children's Books for Family Literacy list in the same year for the titles Spoon (2009), Yes Day!, and Duck! Rabbit!, a clever take on the age-old optical illusion: Is it a duck or a rabbit? There's also a subtle lesson for kids who don't know when to let go of an argument. A smart, simple story that will make readers of all ages eager to take a side, Duck! Rabbit! makes it easy to agree on one thing, reading it again!
The follow up to her alphabetized memoir Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (published in 2005), Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, is full of her distinct blend of nonlinear narrative, wistful reflections, and insightful wit. It sheds light on all the ordinary and extraordinary ways we are connected. A testament to the notion that books and technology don't have to be at odds, this part memoir, part art installation offers a series of vignettes (personal anecdotes, observations, drawings, and photographs) divided into different subjects reminiscent of a high school "textbook."
Her final contribution was published on March 3, 2017 in the New York Times, You May Want to Marry My Husband. In the piece, Rosenthal announced her illness, celebrated her family and sought a new partner for her husband, Jason. She finished the essay on Valentine's Day, and said, "the most genuine, non-vase-oriented gift I can hope for is that the right person reads this, finds Jason, and another love story begins."
Blog Post