Suzy Spafford (1945-) Biography

Born 1945, in Toledo, OH; Education: San Diego State University, graduated.

Addresses

Office—Suzy's Zoo, P.O. Box 85490, San Diego, CA 92186-5490

Career

Artist and illustrator. Suzy's Zoo (greeting-card company), San Francisco, CA, president 1967—.

Member

San Diego Watercolor Society (founding member).

Writings

FOR CHILDREN

Alphabethical Soup, Suzy's Zoo (San Diego, CA), 1995.

Witzy and Zoom Zoom, Suzy's Zoo (San Diego, CA), 1998.

Witzy Wonders, Scholastic Inc. (New York, NY), 2001.

Witzy's Opposites, Lyric Pub. (Allen, TX), 2001.

Witzy's Colors, Lyric Pub. (Allen, TX), 2001.

Witzy's Book of Words, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Witzy's Block Party, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Friends Forever, Lyric Pub. (Allen, TX), 2001.

Witzy to the Rescue, Lyric Pub. (Allen, TX), 2001.

Witzy Plays Hide-and-Seek, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Back to School? Cool!, Scholastic Inc. (New York, NY), 2002.

Trick or Treat? Neat!, Scholastic Inc. (New York, NY), 2002.

Witzy's Winter Wonderland, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Witzy's Backyard Easter Hunt, Scholastic Inc. (New York, NY), 2002.

Witzy's Numbers, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Witzy's Shapes, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

After three decades of appearing on everything from cards to cartoons, the colorful characters from "Suzy's Zoo" find a new home in picture books, such as the "Tales from Duckport" series. (Illustration from Stormy Weather? Stick Together!, written and illustrated by Suzy Spafford.)

Stormy Weather? Stick Together!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2003.

Helping-out Day?: Hooray!, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2003.

You're One Hot Diggety Dog, Harvest House Publishers (Eugene, OR), 2004.

Sidelights

After graduating from San Diego State University, Suzy Spafford went on to put her talent for illustrating to work and started her own card company, Suzy's Zoo. By 1986 the company had grown to a point where Spafford herself simply could not do all of the illustrations, so she hired two additional illustrators to help with the workload and is currently the president of the company. In addition to illustrating, Spafford has also shown a talent for writing children's books; among her many titles are several toddler-sized volumes featuring the fluffy baby duck Witzy, as well as Stormy Weather? Stick Together! and Fall Is for Friends.

In Fall Is for Friends best friends Suzy Ducken and Emily Marmot wait eagerly for fall to come. Their love of the season is so great, in fact, that the pair set about devising a way to encourage the change of the seasons to take place faster. When nothing seems to work, the two finally decide to sing a song meant to encourage the change as their last hope. Coincidently a strong gust of wind comes along at the same time, knocking leaves to the ground and leaving the animals feeling more than pleased with their accomplishment. Maryann H. Owen, writing in School Library Journal, praised Spafford's "charming watercolor illustrations," while a Publishers Weekly reviewer cited the characters' "cando attitude" as a highlight in the book's "sunny if slight story."