Jane Yolen
Born February 11th, 1939
How Do Dinosaurs Get
Well Soon?
How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon asks the reader
all sorts of questions about whether or not dinosaurs
do different actions or say different words such as
throwing objects or screaming when they are sick or
not feeling well. The book answers the questions with
the word no in the middle of the book. The second
half of the
book are statements illustrating the behaviors
classified as appropriate such as getting rest, taking
medicine, and drinks many fluids.
Owl Moon
A young girl goes into the forest with her father at
night to go owling. At first the girl does not believe
she will see any owls. The father keeps calling for the
owl. Once they reach a clearing in the forest, they
hear an owl. The girl and her father search for a
minute until they come eye to eye with the owl. After
sustaining eye contact for a few minutes, the owl flew
away. The father and daughter walked back to their
home. She finally understood the real meaning of an
owl moon.
The Ballad of the Pirate
Queens
Two women pirates lead a ship being sought out by a
governor of land. The governors boat finds the
womens boat. There are men aboard the womens
boat but they are too busy down below partying. The
women and men on the ship are captured and jailed.
The men are hung for their crimes. The women are set
free by the judge on account of being pregnant. The
men that died supposedly haunt the nearby sea.
You Nest Here With Me
A mother is telling her child as she puts them to bed
about all the different places animals live at. The
mother is showing the child examples specifically of
where children sleep. After telling the children about
numerous animals home, she explains to them until
they grow up the child will nest with her (live in the
same home).
The Stranded Whale
A young girl along with her two brothers discovers a
beached whale on their path home from school. The
three young children fight desperately to save the
whale, calling for help and using their sweaters to
absorb ocean water to be rung out on the whales skin.
However, the whale did not live. The young girl and
her two brothers received medals of honor for their
Biography
Jane Yolen was born in New York City as the first child in her immediate family. Her parents
were both in the working class, her father as a caf journalist among other things and her
mother as a social worker until her birth. Yolen welcomed her little brother into the world at
the age of three and a half. Yolen in junior high started a newspaper for her apartment
complex with her brother. Yolen participated in many extracurriculars such as ballet, piano
lessons, choir, and basketball throughout high school. She attended Smith College where she
was actively writing, being published, and winning awards for her poetry. Upon graduation
Yolen moved back to New York working as an editor while writing during her free time. Her
first published childrens book was Pirates in Petticoats on her 22nd birthday! Jane Yolen
married David W. Stemple in 1962. Her husband passed away in 2006, making their marriage
a total of 44 years. Jane and David had three children and a total of six grandchildren. Jane
Yolen currently resides in Massachusetts eight months of the year and in Scotland the other
four months. Jane Yolen continues to write to this day.
http://janeyolen.com
Accomplishments
1968- Honor book for the Caldecott
Award, The Emperor and the Kite
1974- The Golden Kite, The Girl Who
Cried Flowers & Other Tales
1988- Caldecott Award, Owl Moon
1988-1997- Five Nebula Awards, The
Devils Arithmetic (1988), Sister Light
Sister Dark (1990), White Jenna (1991),
Sister Emilys Lightship (1997), and Lost
Girls (1998)
2002- National Outdoors Book Award,
Wild Wings
See more at
http://janeyolen.com/awards/
Authors Style
Yolens style is poetic. Her books are
split fairly half and half in terms of
length. However no matter the length of
the text there are almost always pictures
and rhymes. Jane Yolen uses in a majority
of her books simple vocabulary making
the books easy or easier reads for young
children.
/yolen