Cynthia Rylant (1954-) Biography

Surname is pronounced "rye-lunt"; born 1954, in Hopewell, VA; twice Education: Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston), B.A., 1975; Marshall University (Huntington, WV), M.A., 1976; Kent State University, M.L.S., 1982. Politics: Democrat. Religion: "Christian, no denomination." Hobbies and other interests: Pets, reading, going to movies, going to the seashore.

Addresses

Agent—Steven Malk, Writers House, 3368 Governor Drive, Ste. 224-F, San Diego, CA 92122.

Career

Writer, educator, and librarian. Marshall University, Huntington, WV, part-time English instructor, 1979-80; Akron Public Library, Akron, OH, children's librarian, 1983; University of Akron, Akron, part-time English lecturer, 1983-84; Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, part-time lecturer, 1991—.

Honors Awards

Booklist reviewer's choice, 1982, American Book Award nomination, American Library Association (ALA) notable book, and Reading Rainbow selection, 1983, and English-speaking Union Book-across-the-Sea Ambassador of Honor Award, 1984, all for When I Was Young in the Mountains; School Library Journal best book designation, National Council for Social Studies best book, and ALA notable book, all 1984, and Society of Midland Authors best children's book, 1985, all for Waiting to Waltz … a Childhood; Children's Book of the Year, Child Study Association of America (CSA), and Horn Book honor book, both 1985, for The Relatives Came; Children's Book of the Year, CSA, 1985, for A Blue-eyed Daisy; School Library Journal best book citation, 1985, for Every Living Thing; Parents' Choice Award, 1986, Newbery Medal honor book, ALA, and Horn Book honor book, 1987, all for A Fine White Dust; ALA best book for young adults citation, 1988, for A Kindness; Ohioana Award, 1990, for But I'll Be Back Again; Parents' Choice Award (picture book) and Boston Globe/Horn Book honor book for nonfiction, 1991, and Ohioana Award, 1992, all for Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds; Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for children's fiction, Reading Magic Award, and Parents' Choice Award, all 1992, and John Newbery Medal and Hungry Mind Award, both 1993, all for Missing May; ALA best book for young adults citation, for A Couple of Kooks and Other Stories about Love; School Library Journal best book of the year citation, 1997, for Children of Christmas; Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book, 2004, for God Went to Beauty School. Several of Rylant's "Henry and Mudge" books have received child-selected awards, including Garden State Children's Book Award, Children's Services Section of the New Jersey Library Association, and Children's Choice Award, Association of Booksellers for Children. In 1983, When I Was Young in the Mountains was named a Caldecott Honor Book for its illustrations by Diane Goode. The Relatives Came was named a New York Times best illustrated book, 1985, and a Caldecott Medal honor book, 1986, for its illustrations by Stephen Gammell.

Writings

FOR CHILDREN; PICTURE BOOKS AND EARLY FICTION, EXCEPT AS NOTED

When I Was Young in the Mountains, illustrated by Diane Goode, Dutton (New York, NY), 1982.

Miss Maggie, illustrated by Thomas DiGrazia, Dutton (New York, NY), 1983.

This Year's Garden, illustrated by Mary Szilagyi, Bradbury (New York, NY), 1984.

The Relatives Came, illustrated by Stephen Gammell, Bradbury (New York, NY), 1985.

Night in the Country, illustrated by Mary Szilagyi, Bradbury (New York, NY), 1986.

Birthday Presents, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1987.

All I See, illustrated by Peter Catalanotto, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Mr. Griggs' Work, illustrated by Julie Downing, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.

An Angel for Solomon Singer, illustrated by Peter Catalanotto, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Best Wishes (autobiographical picture book), photographs by Carlo Ontal, Richard C. Owen (Katonah, NY), 1992.

The Dreamer, illustrated by Barry Moser, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1993.

(Self-illustrated) Dog Heaven, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1995.

Gooseberry Park, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.

The Van Gogh Cafe (middle-grade fiction), Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.

The Bookshop Dog, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1996.

The Whales, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1996.

The Old Woman Who Named Things, illustrated by Kathryn Brown, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1996.

(Self-illustrated) Cat Heaven, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1997.

An Everyday Book, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997.

Bear Day, illustrated by Jennifer Selby, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1998.

Tulip Sees America, illustrated by Lisa Desimini, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1998.

The Bird House, illustrated by Barry Moser, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Scarecrow, illustrated by Lauren Stringer, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1998.

The Heavenly Village, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1999.

The Cookie-Store Cat, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Bunny Bungalow, illustrated by Nancy Hayashi, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1999.

The Troublesome Turtle, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1999.

Puzzling Possum, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 1999.

Let's Go Home: The Wonderful Things about a House, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2000.

In November, illustrated by Jill Kastner, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.

Thimbleberry Stories, illustrated by Maggie Kneen, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.

The Ticky-Tacky Doll, illustrated by Harvey Stevenson, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.

The Great Gracie Chase, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 2001.

Good Morning Sweetie Pie, and Other Poems for Little Children, illustrated by Jane Dyer, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2001.

Old Town in the Green Groves: The Lost Little-House Years, illustrated by Jim LaMarche, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Christmas in the Country, illustrated by Diane Goode, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 2002.

Moonlight, the Halloween Cat, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Long Night Moon, illustrated by Mark Siegel, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

The Stars Will Shine Tonight, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2005.

Puppies and Piggies, illustrated by Ivan Bates, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2005.

Miracles in Motion, illustrated by Lambert Davis, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 2005.

If You'll Be My Valentine, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2005.

Rylant's papers are housed in Special Collections at Kent State University, Kent, OH.

"HENRY AND MUDGE" SERIES; BEGINNING READERS

Henry and Mudge: The First Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by James Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1987.

Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble: The Second Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by James Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1987.

Henry and Mudge in the Green Time: The Third Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1987.

Henry and Mudge under the Yellow Moon: The Fourth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1987.

Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days: The Fifth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1988.

Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea: The Sixth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1989.

Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers: The Seventh Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1989.

Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat: The Eighth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps: The Ninth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1991.

Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test: The Tenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1991.

Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend: The Eleventh Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind: The Twelfth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

Henry and Mudge and the Careful Cousin: The Thirteenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

Henry and Mudge and the Best Day of All: The Fourteenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Bradbury Press (New York, NY), 1995.

Henry and Mudge in the Family Trees: The Fifteenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997.

Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers: The Sixteenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night: The Seventeenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Henry and Mudge and Annie's Good Move: The Eighteenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Henry and Mudge and Annie's Perfect Pet: The Nineteenth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch: The Twentieth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Henry and Mudge and the Tall Tree House: The Twenty-first Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999, illustrated by Carolyn Bracken, 2002.

Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper's House: The Twenty-second Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999, illustrated by Carolyn Bracken, 2003.

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas: The Twenty-third Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Henry and Mudge and a Very Special Merry Christmas: The Twenty-fourth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999, illustrated by Carolyn Bracken, 2004.

Henry and Mudge and the Snowman Plan: The Twenty-fifth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase: The Twenty-sixth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999 illustrated by Carolyn Bracken, 2003.

Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover: The Twenty-seventh Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Henry and Mudge and the Tumbling Trip: The Twenty-eighth Book of Their Adventures, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath, illustrated by Isidre Mones, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2002.

Puppy Mudge Has a Snack, illustrated by Isidre Mones, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

Puppy Mudge Loves His Blanket, illustrated by Isidre Mones, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2005.

Some of Rylant's "Henry and Mudge" books have been translated into Spanish and published in Braille.

"EVERYDAY BOOKS" SERIES; SELF-ILLUSTRATED BOARD BOOKS

The Everyday Pets, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

The Everyday Children, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

The Everyday Garden, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

The Everyday House, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

The Everyday School, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

The Everyday Town, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

"MR. PUTTER AND TABBY" SERIES; BEGINNING READERS

Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1994.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1994.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1994.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Fly the Plane, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1997.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Row the Boat, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1997.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot the Horn, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1998.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Take the Train, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1998.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Paint the Porch, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2001.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2004.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Make a Wish, illustrated by Arthur Howard, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2005.

"BLUE HILL MEADOWS" SERIES; MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION

The Blue Hill Meadows, illustrated by Ellen Beier, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1997.

The Blue Hill Meadows and the Much-loved Dog, illustrated by Ellen Beier, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1997.

"POPPLETON" SERIES; BEGINNING READERS

Poppleton, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Poppleton and Friends, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Poppleton Everyday, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Poppleton Forever, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Poppleton in Fall, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Poppleton in Spring, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Poppleton in Winter, illustrated by Mark Teague, Blue Sky Press (New York, NY), 2001.

"COBBLE STREET COUSINS" SERIES; MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION

In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

A Little Shopping, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Some Good News, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Special Gifts, (also published as Winter Gifts), illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Spring Deliveries, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Summer Party, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2001.

Wedding Flowers, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2002.

"HIGH-RISE PRIVATE EYES" SERIES

The Case of the Missing Monkey, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2000.

The Case of the Climbing Cat, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2000.

The Case of the Puzzling Possum, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2001.

The Case of the Troublesome Turtle, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2001.

The Case of the Sleepy Sloth, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2002.

The Case of the Fidgety Fox, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2003.

The Case of the Baffled Bear, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2004.

The Case of the Desparate Duck, illustratedy by G. Brian Karas, Greenwillow (New York, NY), 2005.

"LITTLE WHISTLE" SERIES

Little Whistle, illustrated by Tim Bowers, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.

Little Whistle's Dinner Party, illustrated by Tim Bowers, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2001.

Little Whistle's Medicine, illustrated by Tim Bowers, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Little Whistle's Christmas, illustrated by Tim Bowers, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.

"LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY" SERIES

The Storm, illustrated by Preston McDaniels, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2002.

The Whale, illustrated by Preston McDaniels, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

The Eagle, illustrated by Preston McDaniels, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

The Turtle, illustrated by Preston McDaniels, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2005.

The Octopus, illustrated by Preston McDaniels, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2005.

FOR YOUNG ADULTS; NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES

A Blue-eyed Daisy (young adult novel), Bradbury (New York, NY), 1985, published as Some Year for Ellie, illustrated by Kate Rogers, Viking Kestrel (London, England), 1986.

Every Living Thing (short stories), illustrated by S. D. Schindler, Bradbury (New York, NY), 1985.

A Fine White Dust (young adult novel), Bradbury (New York, NY), 1986.

Children of Christmas: Stories for the Season, illustrated by S. D. Schindler, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1987, published as Silver Packages and Other Stories, [London, England], 1987, selection published as Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story, illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet, Orchard Books, 1997.

A Kindness (young adult novel), Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1988.

A Couple of Kooks: And Other Stories about Love, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Missing May (young adult novel), Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1992.

I Had Seen Castles (young adult novel), Harcourt Brace (San Diego, CA), 1993.

The Islander (young adult novel), DK Ink (New York, NY), 1998.

FOR YOUNG ADULTS; POETRY

Waiting to Waltz … a Childhood, illustrated by Stephen Gammell, Bradbury (New York, NY), 1984.

Soda Jerk, illustrated by Peter Catalanotto, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Something Permanent, photographs by Walker Evans, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1994.

God Went to Beauty School, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Boris, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2005.

FOR YOUNG ADULTS; NONFICTION

But I'll Be Back Again: An Album (autobiography), Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.

Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds, illustrated by Barry Moser, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1991.

Margaret, Frank, and Andy: Three Writers' Stories (biography) Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1996, published in three volumes as A Story of Margaret Wise Brown, A Story of L. Frank Baum, and A Story of E. B. White.

Bless Us All: A Child's Yearbook of Blessings, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Give Me Grace: A Child's Daybook of Prayers, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Adaptations

When I Was Young in the Mountains, 1983, This Year's Garden, 1983, and The Relatives Came, 1986, were adapted as filmstrips by Random House. When I Was Young in the Mountains and The Relatives Came were released on audio cassette by SRA McGraw-Hill, 1985. This Year's Garden was released on audio cassette by SRA McGraw-Hill, 1987. Henry and Mudge in the Green Time was released on audio cassette by SRA McGraw-Hill, 1988. Children of Christmas and Every Living Thing were released as book and audio versions in 1993. Missing May was released on audio cassette by BDD Audio, 1996. Henry and Mudge: The First Book, Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps, Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test, and Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat were released on audio cassette by Recorded Books, 1997. Missing May was released on audio cassette by Recorded Books, 1997. The Children of Christmas and Every Living Thing were released on audio cassette by Chivers North America, 1997. A Fine White Dust was released on audio cassette by Recorded Books, 1997. Henry and Mudge in Puddle trouble and Henry and Mudge under the Yellow Moon were released on audio cassette by Live Oak Media, 1998. Several of Rylant's books are available on film through American School Publishers.

Sidelights

A prolific author and illustrator of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults, Cynthia Rylant often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains. She is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and several biographical works. Some of her fiction for beginning readers are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog. Other easy-to-read volumes include rhyming picture-books such as If You'll Be My Valentine and the highly praised Long Night Moon which describes the different moons that Native American cultures use to mark the changing seasons. School Library Journal Kathleen Whalin described Long Night Moon as a "thoughtful" and "radiant offering" for bed-time reading and added: "books this good come along once in a blue moon."

While her elementary school-aged fans are legion, Rylant is perhaps best known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers. Her young male and female protagonists meet challenges with the help of their families and friends as well as from within their strong, supportive communities. Praised for her sensitive depiction of young people and their emotions, Rylant is also acknowledged for her rounded characterizations of adults, especially the elderly, and for exploring themes such as religion and death that are not often addressed in children's literature. Rylant often focuses on relationships between the old and the young and between people and animals. In addition, she underscores her works with such themes as the act of creation, both by God and by human artists; the transforming power of love; the importance of all living things; and the need to let go.

In addition to writing, Rylant also contributes illustrations to her own books on occasion. She began illustrating some of her picture-book texts in the early 1990s and has developed a folk-art style that complements her stories. She has also worked with several outstanding illustrators, including as Peter Catalanotto, Barry Moser, G. Brian Karas, James and Suçie Stevenson, and Walker Evans, and two of her books were honored by the Caldecott Medal committee for their illustrations by Diane Goode and Stephen Gammell, respectively.

Writing in Children's Books and Their Creators, Eden K. Edwards wrote that Rylant "demonstrates an inimitable ability to evoke the strongest of emotions from the simplest of words .… In her work, Rylant gives depth and dignity to a litany of quiet characters and sagaciously reflects on some of life's most confusing mysteries." Miriam Lang Budin of School Library Journal noted that readers "have come to expect resonant, deeply felt work from Rylant," while Hollis Lowery-Moore of St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers concluded: "All of Rylant's stories, including her picture story books marketed for younger readers, create memorable characters and places and provide teens with a window on the world."

Many of Rylant's works are rooted in the memories and images of her childhood. Born in Hopewell, West Virginia, Rylant spent her first four years in Illinois, where she lived with her father, John Tune Smith, a sergeant in the U.S. Army who had fought in the Korean War, and her mother, Leatrel Rylant Smith. When she was four, Rylant's parents separated, and she went to live with her mother's parents in the Appalachian mining town of Coal Ridge, West Virginia. Rylant never saw her father again. He died in a veteran's hospital in Florida when she was thirteen years old. As Rylant wrote in But I'll Be Back Again: An Album, "I did not have a chance to know him or to say goodbye to him, and that is all the loss I needed to become a writer."

Rylant's mother soon left the family to attend nursing school, and was gone for nearly four years. Although Leatrel Smith wrote regularly and visited a few times a year, "it was," Rylant recalled in her autobiography, "not enough for a little girl." Happily, though, Rylant's grandparents and extended family provided a positive, nurturing environment, and it was in her grandmother's "love and safety, and the kind presence of my grandfather, that I managed to survive the loss of my dear parents." Quiet, gentle people, Rylant's grandparents raised six children without much income. After her grandfather, a coal miner, was disabled during a slate fall in a mine, the family lived by the couple's wits and on food supplied by the government. Living in a four-room house without running water or indoor plumbing, Rylant learned about the joys of country life and the kindness of the townspeople. She summarized her years in Coal Ridge in But I'll Be Back Again: "My years with my grandparents were good ones, and while I waited for both my father and my mother to come back, I had big stacks of pancakes and hot cocoa, hot dogs and chickens, teaberry leaves and honeysuckle, and aunts and cousins to sleep with at night and hug until someone could return for me."

When Rylant was eight years old, her mother returned for her and the two moved to Beaver, a town near Coal Ridge. There they settled in a three-room apartment with running water, an indoor bathroom, and a television set. When she was nine, Rylant fell in love with Beatles bassist Paul McCartney. As she wrote in Something about the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS): "The Beatles gave me a childhood of sweetest anticipation. Our country was falling apart with war and riots and assassinations but the Beatles gave me shelter from these things in their music and in the dreams they caused me to dream." The title of her autobiography, But I'll Be Back Again, is taken from a Beatles song.

During her early years, Rylant was not much of a reader. In fact, as she wrote in SAAS, "I did not see many books." There were no libraries or bookstores in Beaver, so adults got paperbacks from the drug stores and children read comic books. As she mused in SAAS, "I guess most people assume that future famous authors are supposed to be reading fat hardbound books and writing poetry by age ten. But all I wanted to do was read Archie and play the Beatles."

Of her final decision to write, she wrote in SAAS: "It wasn't an obvious talent, it wasn't piles of poems or short stories which were the hints in my childhood that I might be a writer someday. The clues were much more subtle and had something to do with the way I grieved over stray animals, the heroes I chose (a presidential candidate, a symphony orchestra conductor), and the love I had of solitude. It is called sensitivity, this quality which sets creative people apart .… [I]f they possess only a little-more-than-reasonable amount, they can see into things more deeply than other people and can write or paint or sing what they saw in a way that moves people profoundly."

In junior high, Rylant was a typical boy-crazy preteen, but high school was more difficult. When she was thirteen years old, Rylant's father died, and she was also deeply affected by the assassination of Massachusetts senator Robert Kennedy, whom she had met when he came to West Virginia as part of his presidential campaign. Rylant also fell in love with a boy from school, and when he dropped her for another girl, she was devastated. She took him back, but he did the same thing a year later. Consumed by this relationship, she did not have girl friends to turn to for companionship. As she wrote in SAAS, "probably no one would have guessed in a million years how lonely I was. I was head majorette, a school queen, always the president of this or that. But those things could not give me what I lacked—one true friend."

Enrolling at Morris Harvey College (now the University of Charleston), Rylant initially planned to go into nursing like her mother, but switched her major after taking her first college English class. As she recalled n SAAS, "I heard and read stories I had never heard or read before, and I was in love with words." While she did well academically, for her "the real achievement … was more personal. I began to think for myself, to throw off some of the RULES OF LIFE that had been drummed into me in my small town, and my mind began to grow and blossom .… I became really alive." She became editor of the campus newspaper and was active in a variety of other campus activities. "I liked college so much that when I finished I didn't want to stop being a student," Rylant noted in SAAS.

Her first year of graduate school at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, was "without a doubt the happiest year of my life .… I loved literature so much and every day all I had to do was attend class and listen to it and talk about it and write about it. Like a chocolate lover at a Hershey's factory, I was completely content." After receiving her master's degree in 1976, Rylant married a young man who taught classical guitar and was learning to be a carpenter. She also got a job at the public library in Huntington, working in the children's room. Reading the books she was supposed to be shelving, she discovered a brand new world. "I was enchanted. I read children's books all night long .… And I knew, with a certainty like I'd never had about anything before, that I wanted to write children's books. And I believed I would be good at it. I wasn't afraid of it."

Rylant bought a copy of The Writer's Market, a book containing publisher information, and started writing. She was particularly influenced by Donald Hall's poetic picture book The Ox-Cart Man and Randall Jarrell's lyrical novella The Animal Family, works she called "perfect little pieces of art." Shortly after she started writing, Rylant and her husband had a son, Nathaniel, whom they named after Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of Rylant's favorite authors.

Even while keeping up with the many tasks of motherhood, Rylant managed to keep writing; six months after the birth of her son she wrote the words "when I was young in the mountains." "I don't know where they came from," she wrote in SAAS. "I guess from the twenty-four years I had lived. From all the fine books I had read. From angels." In an hour, she had finished her first book. Without revising it, she sent it to E. P. Dutton publishers, and When I Was Young in the Mountains was published in 1982.

A picture book describing Rylant's childhood with her grandparents in Appalachia, When I Was Young in the Mountains is a collection of vignettes about the busy, joyous life of a small community. The book was favorably received by critics such as a Publishers Weekly reviewer who stated that the author's debut "proves she knows precisely how to tell a story that brings the reader into the special world of her recollecting .… These are memories of a way of living that will entrance readers and broaden their outlook." Writing in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Zena Sutherland noted that When I Was Young in the Mountains "is given appeal by the warmth and contentment that emerge from an account of daily satisfaction and small, occasional joys, described with appropriate simplicity."

After the success of her first book, Rylant began to mine what she called in SAAS, the "a gold mine of stories stored up in my head. Memories I could use to make books. I wrote and wrote, sold book after book, most of them true or partly true. All of them realistic. And most coming as quick and pure as that first book came." 1984's Waiting to Waltz: A Childhood collects thirty autobiographical poems in free verse that outline the author's reminiscences of the next stage of her life: growing up in Beaver, West Virginia. In this work, Rylant portrays the happy and sad times she felt, such as the death of her father, while offering incisive portraits of local townspeople. A reviewer in Publishers Weekly wrote that everyone in Beaver "becomes as real to the reader as they are to Rylant," while Ethel R. Twichell predicted in a Horn Book review that the poems "will gently pluck a long-forgotten memory or awaken a shared experience."

Rylant's marriage to her first husband ended after a few years, and she then was married briefly to a college professor. Meanwhile, she worked as a part-time English teacher at Marshall University for a year, then relocated to Kent, Ohio. Rylant received her library science degree from Kent State University in 1982 and got a job at the Akron Public Library as a children's librarian and at the University of Akron as a part-time English teacher. In 1985 she published her first novel, A Blue-eyed Daisy. The story describes a year in the life of Ellie Farley, an eleven year old living in the hills of West Virginia. Ellie recounts several memorable moments that occur over the course of her eleventh year, such as getting kissed at her first co-ed party and attending the funeral of a classmate. Throughout the narrative, Ellie deepens her relationship with her father, Okey, a former miner who lost his job in an accident. A reviewer in Publishers Weekly said of A Blue-eyed Daisy: "No reader will be able to resist Ellie or her kith and kin. Their ability to live life and endure ills is the core of an exquisite novel, written with love." Katherine Bruner, writing in School Library Journal, added that Rylant's "low-key, evocative style … is the shining quality which sets this book apart."

In 1986 Rylant published one of her most well-received books, the young-adult novel A Fine White Dust. In this work, Pete, a seventh-grader who lives in the rural South, becomes a born-again Christian after being converted by charismatic preacher James W. Carson. When Carson offers Pete the chance to go with him as his disciple, the boy decides, after much soul-searching, to leave his parents and his best friend, Rufus. Carson, who is viewed by Pete as God in the flesh, eventually runs off with Darlene, a young woman who works at the town soda fountain. Although Pete feels betrayed, he comes through his experience with an unshaken faith in God and a more realistic view of human nature. A critic in Kirkus Reviews stated that "Rylant has explored a theme vital to many young people but rare in children's books." Writing in School Library Journal, Julie Cummins noted: "Few books have explored young people's fascination with God and their soul .… Like Peter, this story has soul." Calling the novel "an achingly resonant portrayal of a naive youth," Denise M. Wilms wrote in Booklist that A Fine White Dust is "poignant and perceptive, with almost all of the characters subtly drawn." A Fine White Dust was designated as a Newbery Medal honor book in 1987.

Henry and Mudge: The First Book of Their Adventures made its appearance in 1987. Based on her son and a dog Rylant knew, the book introduces Henry, an only child. When he receives a pet, Mudge, a three-foot-tall dog that appears to be a cross between a Saint Bernard and a Great Dane, the two form a deep attachment. Tension comes when Mudge is lost, but happiness is restored when he is found again. Rylant presents lots of humorous details, such as Mudge's drooling and love of dirty socks, in prose that is designed for beginning readers. Reviewing Henry and Mudge and the second volume of the series, Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble, a critic for Kirkus Reviews called the author's language "easy to read but vividly evocative" and concluded: "Warm, loving, and gently philosophical, these stories about an only child and his closest companion deserve a place in every library collection."

Rylant has written dozens more volumes about Henry and Mudge. In Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat she describes the arrival of a scraggly lost kitty to Henry's home. Mudge and the cat form an immediate bond, and the dog is heartbroken when the cat's owner finally claims the kitty; however, Mudge is pleased with the owner's gift of thirty huge bones. Writing in School Library Journal, Trev Jones said that the story "sparkles with good humor and affection," while Betsy Hearne stated in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books that while "It's hard to keep a series fresh, especially at the easy-to-read level, … this may be the best Henry and Mudge book since the first two."

In Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps, the pair take a trip to Grandmother's house in the country. When Mudge is deemed too large for the small home and is made to sleep outside, Henry is afraid both for Mudge and for himself. However, when Mudge finds a spot under a large table on the porch, both he and Henry curl up happily and fall sleep. Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase find the pair find adventure on an egg-buying trip to a local farm, while in Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch Henry and his dad cook up something incredible for Mother's Day. Writing in Horn Book, Elizabeth S. Watson noted that in Henry and Mudge and the Bedtime Thumps Rylant "has developed a fresh, warm, imaginative, and yet absolutely realistic tale for the beginning reader." Hazel Rochman praised the more recent Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch, noting that the 2004 book is "bound to get kids laughing, reading, and maybe cooking, too."

In addition to the autobiographical But I'll Be Back Again, Rylant created Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds, a picture book for older readers that poetically evokes the spirit of Appalachia in a tribute to the region and its people. The author describes the living conditions, hard work, customs, activities, and personalities of the Appalachian people in lyrical prose. Illustrated with realistic paintings by artist Barry Moser who, like Rylant, has roots in Appalachia, the book was praised by several critics as an excellent marriage of text and picture. Barbara Chatton noted in School Library Journal that the book should "encourage original writing or art as it reveals how illustrations and words can interact, how prose can illuminate a painting, and how simple paintings can bring power to prose." A critic in Kirkus Reviews, citing Rylant's "carefully pitched, melodious voice," concluded that Appalachia is "a special book for creative sharing." A reviewer in Publishers Weekly stated, "Neither story nor factual treatise, the text offers pure nostalgia—a skillfully structured essay that appears, deceptively, to meander like a dusty country lane and underscores the warmth, generosity of spirit and steadfastness" of the Appalachian people.

With Missing May, a novel for young adults published in 1992, Rylant created what is perhaps her most highly acclaimed book. The story outlines how twelve-year-old Summer, who came to stay with her Aunt May and Uncle Ob in West Virginia after the death of her mother six years before, attempts to save her uncle from despair after the death of his beloved wife. In the midst of his mourning, Ob senses May's presence. Looking for an interpreter, Ob and Summer settle on Cletus, an unusual boy from Summer's class who once had a near-death experience and is, according to Voice of Youth Advocates reviewer Caroline S. McKinney, "as full of the energy for living as Ob is with the numbness of grieving." Through his suggestion, the trio go to Charleston to find a medium at the Spiritualist Church, and the trip begins a personal quest for each of them. McKinney concluded that "Missing May will be passed around by many of us who love beautiful words. It will speak in that warm, flowing West Virginia tongue to young people and old." Betsy Hearne wrote in a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review that "Strong nuances of despair and hope create a suspense that forcefully replaces action and that will touch readers to tears," while Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper wrote that "Rylant makes us aware of the possibilities of life, even in the midst of tragedy. There is a freshness here that feels like a cool breeze." Missing May received the Newbery Medal in 1993.

Since the early 1990s Rylant has increasingly concentrated on developing series titles for younger readers, such as the "Lighthouse Family," High-rise Private Eyes," and self-illustrated "Everyday Books" series. "Short sentences, peppy dialogue, and well developed characters" are the hallmarks of the "High-rise Private Eyes" series, according to Horn Book reviewer Kitty Flynn. In titles such as The Case of the Baffled Bear and The Case of the Troublesome Turtle a pair of animal detectives solve a series of simple quandaries that find their friends in a pickle. Board books for very young children, the "Everyday Books" introduce toddlers to literature by centering on subjects familiar to them, such as their homes and pets. The first of Rylant's works to include her own illustrations, the "Everyday Books" feature the artist's child-appealing collages.

Rylant's other self-illustrated titles include The Whales, The Cookie-Store Cat, and Dog Heaven. A playful book, Dog Heaven portrays the author/illustrator's idea of what dogs experience in the afterlife, such as fields to run in, plenty of angel children to pet them, and appetizing cat-shaped biscuits to eat. The book is illustrated in bright acrylics that blend naive forms with unusual colors. According to a critic in Kirkus Reviews, the illustrations are "infused with simple doggy joy," while in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Roger Sutton wrote that Rylant maintains "a plain, conversational tone that resists gooeyness" while her "paintings allow viewers to imagine their own pets at play in the fields of the Lord." Another self-illustrated work, Cat Heaven, describes a kitty afterlife full of trees and clouds to perch on, soft angel laps to sit on, lots of toys to play with, and full dishes of food to eat. A critic in Kirkus Reviews called the book "every bit as rich in eye-dimming sentiment as Dog Heaven" and a work sure to "kindle sighs even from the feline-indifferent."

A love of cats figures prominently in several of Rylant's works, including her multi-book series "Mr. Putter and Tabby," and the poetry collection Boris. The "Mr. Putter and Tabby" series features the domestic duo engaged in riveting adventures set forth in titles such as Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup and Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold. Each of these easy-to read volumes features the man and his pet attending to simple activities only to be thwarted by unruly appliances or other obstructions. In Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup plans for a favorite dinner are put on the back burner when the stove refuses to light, forcing the cooks to bring their recipe to neighbor Mrs. Teaberry's kitchen. Mrs. Teaberry becomes their rescuer in Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold, when man and cat are laid low by a cold, and in Mr. Putter and Tabby Make a Wish, Mr. Putter realizes that one is never too old to celebrate a birthday. A School Library Journal writer dubbed Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup a "satisfyingly silly romp."

Boris joins works such as Rylant's award-winning God Went to Beauty School as acclaimed collections of poetry that present the author's more reflective side. Containing nineteen poems, Boris addresses a beloved gray cat and its many adventures since arriving at Rylant's door. Comprising what Horn Book reviewer Jennifer M. Brabander praised as an "accessible, compelling story." While Brabander predicted that Boris will satisfy pet-loving readers who "will easily relate to the poems and their theme of companionship," Ilene Cooper noted in Booklist that the volume also speaks to deeper issues through its "subtext" about "the inevitability of change."

In an interview with Anita Silvey for Horn Book, Rylant once commented that writing "has given me a sense of self-worth that I didn't have my whole childhood. I am really proud of that. The [books] have carried me through some troubled times and have made me feel that I am worthy of having a place on this earth." In SAAS, the author concluded: "I will write, because I have to earn my way and because it seems to be what God put me here to do. I hope one day to write a great book, a magnificent book, which people will buy for those they love best, which they will place in someone else's hands and say: 'Before you do anything else, you must read this.'"