Wendy A. Wax (1963-) Biography

Born 1963, in Detroit, MI; Education: University of Michigan, B.F.A. (graphic design).

Career

Collage artist and author and illustrator of children's books.

Honors Awards

Artist of the Month, Grey Advertising, 1998.

Writings

FOR CHILDREN

(With Della Rowland) Ten Things I Know about Kangaroos, illustrated by Thomas Payne, Contemporary Books (Chicago, IL), 1989.

(With Della Rowland) Ten Things I Know about Penguins, illustrated by Thomas Payne, Contemporary Books (Chicago, IL), 1989.

Inside the Aquarium, illustrated by Joe Murray, Contemporary Books (Chicago, IL), 1989.

(With Della Rowland) Ten Things I Know about Whales, illustrated by Thomas Payne, Contemporary Books (Chicago, IL), 1989.

(With Della Rowland) Ten Things I Know about Elephants, illustrated by Thomas Payne, Contemporary Books (Chicago, IL), 1990.

(Compiler) A Treasury of Christmas Carols, Poems, and Games to Share, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.

Say No and Know Why: Kids Learn about Drugs, photographs by Toby McAfee, Walker (New York, NY), 1992.

(Compiler) Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah!: A Treasury of Stories, Songs, and Games to Share, illustrated by John Speirs, Bantam (New York, NY), 1993.

(Adaptor) Tom and Jerry: Friends to the End, Turner (Atlanta, GA), 1993.

The Hungry Bunny, McClanahan Book Company (New York, NY), 1996.

Molly's Loose Tooth, McClanahan Book Company (New York, NY), 1996.

Home, Sweep Home, HarperActive (New York, NY), 1998.

Do You See What I See?, HarperActive (New York, NY), 1998.

Passport to Paris, (novelization of Mary-Kate and Ashley television series), Parachute Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Empire Dreams, illustrated by Todd Doney, Silver Moon Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Watch out, Otto! (based on Rocket Power television series), illustrated by Pilar Newton-Mitchell, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2002.

Bus to Booville, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2003.

A Very Mice Christmas, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Picture Day, Penguin (New York, NY), 2003.

You Can't Scare Me!, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2003.

A Valentine for Tommy, illustrated by Robert Roper, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

The Runaway Turkey (based on Rugrats television series), illustrated by Larissa Marantz and Shannon Bergman, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

A Time to Climb (based on Rocket Power television series), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Too Many Turners, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Reggie's Secret Admirer (based on Rocket Power television series), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Practice Makes Perfect (based on Rocket Power television series), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

The Night before Easter (based on The Wild Thornberries television series), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Snowed Under: The Bobblesberg Winter Games (based on Bob the Builder television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2004.

Coolest Girl in School (based on All Grown Up television series), illustrated by Chrissie Boehm, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2005.

Piggley Makes a Pie (based on Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2005.

Big Book of Clues from A to Z, Innovativekids (Norwalk, CT), 2005.

Top-Secret Handbook (based on Totally Spies! television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2005.

Candy Chaos! (based on Totally Spies! television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2005.

A Royal Valentine (based on Backyardigans television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

For Love or Money (based on Fairly OddParents television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

Secret Agents (based on Backyardigans television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

Picknic Day! (based on LazyTown television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

Five Curious Buddies: A Turn and Learn Counting Book (based on Curious Buddies television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

It's Friendship Day! (based on Blues Clues television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

Nautical Nonsense: A SpongeBob Joke Book (based on SpongeBob television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

Sticky Situations: A Totally Spies! Guide to Getting out in a Clutch! (based on Totally Spies! television series), Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2006.

Sidelights

A prolific children's book author, Wendy A. Wax has written picture books, penned stories based on popular television programs such as SpongeBob and Totally Spies!, and produced two holiday anthologies. Among her many book titles for children are Empire Dreams, Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah!: A Treasury of Stories, Songs, and Games to Share, and A Very Mice Christmas.

Part of Silver Moon Press's "Adventures in America" series, Empire Dreams takes place in New York City during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and focuses on a preteen who discovers that her father is secretly unemployed. In order to try and help her family financially, eleven-year-old Julie Singer convinces her uncle to allow her to work in his dress-collar factory to earn some extra money. Throughout the course of Wax's story the young heroine learns the importance of family love and support while growing stronger as an individual. According to School Library Journal contributor Carolyn Janssen, Empire Dreams features a heroine with a "distinct personality" who would prove interesting to "reluctant readers who want a short, quick read" highlighted by illustrations.

Wax offers up a fun holiday story in A Very Mice Christmas, a touch-and-feel board book. In this toddler-time tale a family of mice prepare for the holiday season by engaging in all of the traditional Yuletide festivities, including hanging up their stockings, decorating a Christmas tree, and filling their home with colorful decorations. Susan Patron noted in School Library Journal that the "pictures and text work well together" and combine to bring young children a fun holiday story-time experience. In another perspective on the holiday season, Wax collects poems and stories about the Jewish celebration in Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah!, which was described as "appealing and versatile" by Booklist contributor Ellen Mandel.