A native Californian, Robert D. San Souci was born in San Francisco and raised across the bay in Berkeley. Reading and writing have always been a part of his life—his earliest memories are ones of being read to.
"I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Before I knew how to read and write, I would listen carefully to stories that were read to me, then I would retell them to my younger sister and brothers. But I would add a new twist or leave outparts I didn't find interesting—so the storytelling impulse was already at work in me."
In elementary school, Mr. San Souci wrote for his school newspaper, and in high school, he enthusiastically worked on his school's yearbook. He was thrilled to have an essay of his printed in a book titled T.V. as Art. As a student at St. Mary's College, he took a variety of classes in creative writing, English and world literature. In graduate school, he focused on the studies of folklore, myth and world religions.
As a budding writer, Mr. San Souci supported himself in the publishing field as a copywriter and abook editor. "All the time, I was writing newspaper articles, book and theater reviews, andstories for magazines," he notes.
"In 1978, my first book,
The Legend of Scarface, was published and illustrated by my younger brother, Daniel San Souci. The book was highly acclaimed. I was lucky to have anartist/illustrator in the family—it's great working with Dan."
Many of Mr. San Souci's ideas for books come from reading and researching. He also finds inspiration by traveling and keeping his eyes open. "I love to travel by bus. I can sit and stare outthe window and simply observe." And sometimes he just listens to people talking. "I love tolisten for the flow and rhythm of the language that different people use."
When writing books for children, Mr. San Souci knows that it's important to listen to the child inside. He has always had a love of folklore which inspires many of his books. As a boy, he was fascinated by knights, dragons, and the Arthurian legends. As an adult, he continues to mine the wealth of oral tales from around the world and brings this literature and history to life in dramatic stories for today's children.
Altogether, Mr. San Souci has published 56 books, most of them based on legends, myths andfolklore. His latest book,
Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend (Dial), is the true story of Kate Shelley, who at 15, risked her life to prevent a passenger train from plunging off a storm-wrecked bridge near Boone, Iowa in 1881. She received a gold medal from the state of Iowa for her heroism.
Robert San Souci resides in San Francisco, California, and is the recipient of several major awardsincluding the 1993
Aesop Prize, a prestigious annual award for a children's book that best incorporates folklore in text and illustration.
Jerry Pinkney was one of America’s most acclaimed illustrators. He won the Caldecott Medal, five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five Coretta Scott King Honors, five
New York Times Best Illustrated Awards, the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show Lifetime Achievement Award, and many other prizes and honors. His long list of celebrated titles includes
Mirandy and Brother Wind, The Little Red Hen, The Little Match Girl, and
The Lion & The Mouse. His family includes a number of acclaimed children's book creators: his son, artist Brian Pinkney; his daughter-in-law, author and children's book editor Andrea Davis Pinkney; and his granddaughter, author-illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.
