Author Study: Steven Kellogg Born: Norwalk, Connecticut October 26, 1941 Current Residence: Stoney Brook, Connecticut Family: Wife, Helen 6 Stepchildren 8 Grandchildren Education: Rhode Island School of Design Major: Illustration Hobbies and Interests: Great Dane and cats as pets, fascination with books, drawing, tall tales Childhood : As a young boy, Kellogg was always excited for a chance to tell a story. The following is a quote of Steven explaining a storytelling game he would play with his sisters. “I used to dream up stories and illustrate them for my younger sisters, Patti and Martha. We called the activity: "Telling Stories on Paper." When it took place, I would sit between them with a stack of paper on my lap and a pencil in my hand, rattling off tales and scribbling illustrations to accompany them, and passing the pictures first to one of the girls and then to the other. I enjoyed these storytelling sessions enormously…” “Other formative memories center around a beautiful woodland that was near my house in Connecticut where I spent countless tranquil hours sketching birds, animals, and trees.” He loved animal stories as a child, and he made plans to make drawing a part of his career from an early age. Steven was positively impacted by the times adults read books to him. He immensely enjoyed peering closely at every illustration in the stories. Steven Kellogg as Author and Illustrator Quotes from Steven Kellogg: “I am fascinated by the breadth of opportunities for exploration that are available to the picturebooks artist. Essentially the illustrated book is a duet between words and images and I try to blend the visual and verbal voices so that they support and enhance each other.”
Transcript
Author Study: Steven Kellogg
Born: Norwalk, Connecticut October 26, 1941 Current Residence: Stoney Brook, Connecticut Family: Wife, Helen 6 Stepchildren 8 Grandchildren Education: Rhode Island School of Design Major: Illustration Hobbies and Interests: Great Dane and cats as pets, fascination with books, drawing, tall tales Childhood: As a young boy, Kellogg was always excited for a chance to tell a story. The following is a quote of Steven explaining a storytelling game he would play with his sisters. “I used to dream up stories and illustrate them for my younger sisters, Patti and Martha. We called the activity: "Telling Stories on Paper." When it took place, I would sit between them with a stack of paper on my lap and a pencil in my hand, rattling off tales and scribbling illustrations to accompany them, and passing the pictures first to one of the girls and then to the other. I enjoyed these storytelling sessions enormously…” “Other formative memories center around a beautiful woodland that was near my house in Connecticut where I spent countless tranquil hours sketching birds, animals, and trees.” He loved animal stories as a child, and he made plans to make drawing a part of his career from an early age. Steven was positively impacted by the times adults read books to him. He immensely enjoyed peering closely at every illustration in the stories.
Steven Kellogg as Author and Illustrator Quotes from Steven Kellogg: “I am fascinated by the breadth of opportunities for exploration that are available to the picture-‐books artist. Essentially the illustrated book is a duet between words and images and I try to blend the visual and verbal voices so that they support and enhance each other.”
“My principal concern in presenting the tall tales is to infuse them with the zaniness and high-‐spirited energy that, to me, is the essence of the genre.” “As a child, I loved the times when an adult would read a story to me. I remember being fascinated with the chance to study each illustration spread out before me, and how excited I got when the page turned and a new picture appeared.” Kellogg’s Ideas for books: The ideas for Steven’s books come from different sources, but they mostly develop from his childhood memories. In particular, Steven has written books about his pet Great Dane, Pinkerton. His favorite pet inspired the book, Pinkerton, Behave! The sequel, A Rose for Pinkerton, introduced his oldest cat, Secondhand Rose to the world. Genre: Traditional Literature (Tall Tales), Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Illustration style: Mostly made with ink and watercolor. Includes dialogue by using speech balloons. His illustrations are small and very detailed with lots of environment signs for young readers to enjoy. Themes across books: Kellogg views children books as a “synthesis of literature and the visual arts”. In his books, he makes the relationship between the words and the pictures known. He thinks that it is important for the pictures in his books to have movement, so it is similar to a theatrical performance. Steven believes reading a story creates music, and the pictures “suggest different forms of music”. Humor is also seen in many of Kellogg’s books. A major theme across books written or illustrated by Steven Kellogg is animals or pets. He is an animal lover at heart, and this is seen through many of his books. The illustrations by Steven Kellogg are very detailed and exciting for children to look at. The illustrations may spark ideas for students to write about. Response activities that could be used for any book by Steven Kellogg include:
• Give a writing prompt about the students’ favorite pet, stories about a pet, or what pet they wish they had.
• Make a list of details about a character from looking at the illustrations. This would be good practice for developing a character.
• Compare and contrast the illustrations of Steven Kellogg with another illustrator. • Discuss in whole group how the illustrations by Kellogg help the story come
alive. • Read 3 or 4 books by Kellogg and compare how they are similar and in what
ways are they different. • Show the class an illustration from one of Kellogg’s books and develop a
description about what is happening by only looking at the pictures. Themes within books:
Listed below are specific response activities that would correspond with different books written and/or illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Books by Steven Kellogg can be used across the disciplines like math, science and possibly social studies.
• Best Friends (1990): After reading the book, students could think about a special friend they have. Ask questions like, what does your friend look like? What do you like to do together? These prompts would be great for a descriptive paragraph about their friend. Then students could include an illustration of them with their friend!
• A-‐Hunting We Will Go! (1998): This book can be used to focus on action words with PreK-‐2 students. The book includes multiple action words, so as a class go through the book looking for the words displaying an action. Then write these words on a chart to display in the classroom. Have students select an action word and draw themselves doing the action.
• Is Your Mama a Llama? (1989): Within the discipline of Science, read the book to the class and have students write each animal they hear from the story onto a note card. Then have the students group the animals according to like characteristics (ex. birds, mammals…)
• The Missing Mitten Mystery (2002): The themes within this book are winter and outdoor activities. This book could be used to practice map and directional skills from social studies by having students look for a “missing mitten”. They would be given clues with directions telling where they should go next. A fun activity to use during the winter season.
• The Mysterious Tadpole (1992): Since this is a story about a tadpole, it could be a book used during a unit about the processing of changing tadpoles. Students could compare and contrast the stages of tadpoles and what happens to Alphonse in the story. Another activity could be predicting what will happen to Alphonse before finishing the book, or predicting what animal Alphonse is since he is not a frog.
Book Reviews:
• The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash (1980): by Trinka Hakes Noble, pictures by Steven Kellogg
o Readers are introduced to Jimmy and his pet boa in this tale about a class trip to the farm. The day would have been a slightly boring one, but one thing leads to another, and the farm animals go crazy. The students are not innocent, however, when they start an egg fight. Anticipation builds with each turn of the page, wondering what will happen next on the class trip to the farm.
• Paul Bunyan (1985): A tall tale retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg o Paul Bunyan and his companion the blue ox, Babe, travel across the
continental United States axing down trees to make room for the settlers. Paul, Babe and his crew run into trouble, but with the energy from flapjacks and syrup, they are able to push through till the Pacific Ocean.
• Jimmy’s Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash (1993): by Trinka Hakes Noble, pictures by Steven Kellogg
o Meggie tells her mother of the interesting and exciting adventures that occur at Jimmy’s birthday bash. The party takes place at Sea Land and involves a whale, sharks, seals, penguins, a gold fish, and of course, Jimmy’s boa. The illustrations pair wonderfully with the exaggerated tale of Jimmy’s birthday bash.
• Pecos Bill (1986): A tall tale retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg o This tall tale is about a boy Pecos Bill who was raised by coyotes and
becomes a lassoing, cattle roping cowboy. Pecos Bill overcomes mythical creatures and eventually gains a horse Lightning as his companion. The story ends happily ever after with the marriage of Slewfoot Sue to Pecos Bill.
• Best Friends (1990): Story and pictures by Steven Kellogg o Louise and Kathy are best friends that imagine many adventures
together. When Louise leaves for the summer, Kathy is upset and disappointed that Louise had met other friends. But, when Louise returns, their friendship is rekindled and becomes what it always had been.
• Mike Fink (1992): A tall tale retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg o As a young child, Mike Fink knew he would live a life full of action.
Joining a keelboatmen crew was his dream, and this was accomplished with his mighty strength and perseverance when others told him no. Once accepted, Mike became captain of a crew headed toward New Orleans. The title of King of the Keelboatmen remained Mike Finks forever.
• The Day the Goose got Loose (1990): by Reeve Lindbergh, pictures by Steven Kellogg
o The goose getting loose at the farm caused much chaos and commotion for all who were near. Being a story full of rhythm and rhyme draws the reader in to know what else happens that crazy day. The illustrations show the exact emotions of all the characters that are affected by the goose.
• The Three Sillies (1999): Story and pictures by Steven Kellogg
o A daughter of two silly parents begins to court a young gentleman. The family together makes up three silly people. The gentleman has never met anyone as silly as them, so he goes off in search of finding if there are three sillier sillies in the world. After finding sillier sillies on his travels, he agrees to marry the silly daughter. The story is full of alliterations and silly dialogue.
• Yankee Doodle (1996): Story and pictures by Steve Kellogg o A young boy and his dog travel from one scene to the next during the
Revolutionary War. Once the fighting ensues, he runs home to be in the comfort of his mother’s room. Both American and British soldiers are
depicted in this story through Kellogg’s childlike, and imaginative illustrations. The classic Yankee Doodle tune lyrics are strung throughout the book as well as the story being told in rhyme.
Awards Received:
• 1987 David McCord Citation • 1989 Regina Medal (for distinguished contribution to children’s literature) • 1996 New England Book Award (for body of work) • 1998 Jo Osborne Award for Humor in Children’s Literature • For the Book: How much is a Million?
o Boston Globe-‐Horn Book Honor Book for illustration o IRA-‐CBC Children’s Choice o Children’s Book of the Year, Child Study Children’s Book Committee o Utah Children’s, Informational, and Young Adults’ Book Awards Winner 1988
Information Book Award Utah • For the Book: Library Lil
o Buckeye Children’s Book Award, 2001; Ohio Book list: Author and Illustrator
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn A-‐Hunting We Will Go! And I Love You Aster Aardvark's Alphabet
Adventures Best Friends Big Bear Ball Can I Keep Him? Chicken Little The Christmas Witch Give the Dog a Bone I Was Born About 10,000 Years
Ago: A Tall Tale The Island of the Skog Jack and the Beanstalk Johnny Appleseed Mike Fink The Missing Mitten Mystery
More Than Anything Else Much Bigger Than Martin The Mysterious Tadpole The Mystery Beast of Ostergeest The Mystery of the Flying Orange
Pumpkin The Mystery of the Magic Green
Ball The Mystery of the Missing Red
Mitten The Mystery of the Stolen Blue
Paint Orchard Cat Paul Bunyan Pecos Bill A Penguin Pup for Pinkerton The Pied Piper Pinkerton & Friends
Pinkerton, Behave! Pollita Pequenita Prehistoric Pinkerton Ralph's Secret Weapon A Rose for Pinkerton Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind
Crockett Tallyho, Pinkerton! There Was an Old Woman The Three Little Pigs The Three Sillies The Wicked Kings of Bloon Won't Somebody Play with Me? Yankee Doodle
Illustrator Only
A, My Name Is Alice Abby Appelard and Liverwurst The Baby Beebee Bird Barney Bipple's Magic Dandelions A Beasty Story The Boy Who Was Followed Home Brave Johnny O'Hare Clorinda Clorinda Takes Flight Come Here, Cat The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash The Day the Goose Got Loose Engelbert the Elephant Frogs Jump: A Counting Book Granny and the Desperadoes The Great Christmas Kidnapping
Caper
The Great Quillow Grouchy Uncle Otto Gustav the Gourmet Giant Gwot! Horribly Funny Hairticklers Here Comes Tagalong How Much is a Million? How The Witch Got Alf If You Decide to Go to the Moon… If You Made a Million The Invisible Moose Is Your Mama a Llama? Iva Dunnit and the Big Wind Jill the Pill Jimmy's Boa & the Bungee Jump
Slam Dunk Jimmy's Boa and the Big Splash
Birthday Bash Jimmy's Boa Bounces Back Kisses and Fishes Leo, Zack, and Emmie Together
Again Library Lil Liverwurst is Missing Matilda Who Told Lies Millicent the Magnificent Millions to Measure Molly Moves Out The Most Delicious Camping Trip
Ever Once, Said Darlene Parents in the Pigpen, Pigs in the
Tub The Pickle Plan The Rattlebang Picnic
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town The Smartest Bear and His Brother
Oliver Snuffles and Snouts Steven Kellogg's Yankee Doodle
Ten-‐Alarm Camp-‐Out There's An Elephant in the Garage Uproar on Hollercat Hill The Wizard Next Door You Ought to See Herbert's House
