Audrey Wood
Audrey comes from a legacy of
artists. Her great-grandfather, grandfather and father
were all professional artists. She fell
in love with reading by age three. She
was trained in music, dance , painting and drama. In the first grade, she decided she wanted
to be an artist like her father. In the
fourth grade she decided she wanted to
be a children’s book author. Both of
her childhood desires have become reality.
She married Don Wood. They have a
son named Bruce. When Bruce was little
she realized she wanted to write books seriously. After seven years of marriage, Audrey and Don
teamed up together to create their first picture book together. Together they have created many picture
books. Audrey also has collaborated with
her son on several books. Bruce passed
away in 2007.
Don Wood
Don grew up on a farm in California. In the sixth grade Don had forty acres of
potatoes that he took care of on the farm.
It was also in the sixth grade that Don decided he wanted to be an artist. His father was worried about his career
choice. Luckily his brothers decided
they wanted to run the farm. Don was
able to pursue his dreams.
Don attended the University of California
at Santa Barbara. While doing graduate
work at the California College of Arts and Crafts, he met his wife Audrey. After six months, they were married. They have a son named Bruce. Don was illustrating magazines. Audrey began writing children’s picture
books. It seemed only natural for him to
illustrate one of her books. He has been illustrating children’s picture
books ever since.Author/ Illustrator Style
Don tells that almost every book he has
illustrated features a different style.
He feels he has to reinvent himself with each new book. “Each book seems
to demand its own voice from Audrey—and its own illustration style from
me. The “how” of deciding which style to
use remains an absolute mystery to me. It must be an unconscious process—or
more likely, a series of linked unconscious or intuitive processes.” Don Wood
Audrey says that she draws upon her
experiences as a child to write her books. She also uses experiences with her
son and her experiences as a grown-up.
She also writes about her dreams, daydreams and just about anything that
tickles her fancy!
Annotated Book List
*Wood, Audrey and Don. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
(Caldecott Honor Book)1985.
The king will not get out of the bathtub
and attend to his duties. The knight,
the Queen, the duke and others try to persuade him to get out of the tub.
*Wood, Audrey and Don. The
Napping House(1985). Naptime at Granny’s house begins with Granny
in the bed. She is joined one at a time
by a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, a slumbering mouse and a
wakeful flea. The flea bites the mouse
and everyone is awakened and the bed breaks.
Everyone is awake!
*Wood, Audrey and Don. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe
Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear(1984).
A
little mouse picks a red ripe strawberry.
The mouse really loves strawberries but so does the Big Hungry
Bear. The mouse tries to hide the
strawberry from the bear. The mouse
realizes the only way to be saved is to
share the strawberry with the bear.
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