Brita Granström (1969–) Biography

Born 1969, in Eskilstuna, Sweden; Education: Attended Örebro Konstskola; Konstfack (national college of art, craft, and design), Stockholm, Sweden, M.F.A.

Addresses

Agent—c/o Candlewick Press, 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140.

Career

Artist and illustrator of children's books. Has worked as a medical illustrator for AMREF. Exhibitions: Paintings exhibited at University Gallery, Newcastle, England; for Society of American Illustrators, New York, NY; and elsewhere.

Member

Society of Authors.

Honors Awards

Smarties Silver Award, 1996, for The World's Full of Babies!; Times Educational Supplement Award, 1997, for What's under the Bed?; shortlisted for Rhone Poulenc science prize, 1998, for Yum-Yum!, and How Did I Begin?, and 1999, for Science School; Key Stage 1 Nonfiction Award, English Association, 2000, for Wash, Scrub, Brush!, and 2005, for Voices of the Rainforest; shortlisted for Key Stage 2 Award, English Association, 2005, for Fly on the Wall: Roman Fort; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, and Book of the Year citation, Parenting magazine, both for Eyes, Nose, Fingers, Toes; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, for Does a Cow Say Boo?; Blue Peter Awards shortlist, 2005, for What's My Family Tree?

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Ten in the Bed, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.

Many Hands Counting Book, edited by Gale Pryor, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1999.

My First Words and Pictures, Walker (London, England), 2004.

Other books include Wof Här Kommer Jag! and Fina och Telefonen, published by Raben & Sjögren.

ILLUSTRATOR

Mick Manning, The World Is Full of Babies!, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1996.

Mick Manning, Art School, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1996.

Christine Morley and Carole Orbell, Me and My Pet Dog, World Book/Two-Can (Chicago, IL), 1996.

Christine Morley and Carole Orbell, Me and My Pet Cat, World Book/Two-Can (Chicago, IL), 1996.

Christine Morley and Carole Orbell, Me and My Pet Rabbit, World Book/Two-Can (Chicago, IL), 1997.

Mick Manning, What's Up?, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Christine Morley and Carole Orbell, Me and My Pet Fish, World Book/Two-Can (Chicago, IL), 1997.

Pippa Goodhart, Bed Time, F. Watts (London, England), 1997, published as My Bed Time, 2002.

Pippa Goodhart, Morning Time, F. Watts (London, England), 1997, published as My Morning Time, 2002.

Pippa Goodhart, Play Time, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Pippa Goodhart, Shopping Time, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, How Did I Begin?, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, Rainy Day, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, Snowy Day, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, Sunny Day, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, Windy Day, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, Science School, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1998.

Mick Manning, Collect-o-Mania, F. Watts (London, England), 1998.

Judy Hindley, Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes: A First Book about You, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1999.

Sam McBratney, Bert's Wonderful News, Walker & Co. (London, England), 1999.

Mick Manning, Drama School, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1999.

Mick Manning, Let's Build a House!, F. Watts (London, England), 1999.

Mick Manning, Let's Party!, Big Fish (London, England), 2000.

Mick Manning, Wheels Keep Turning, F. Watts (London, England), 2000.

Maddie Stewart, Clever Daddy, Early Learning Centre (Swindon, England), 2000.

Pippa Goodhart, Molly and the Beanstalk, Walker & Co. (London, England), 2001.

Kathy Henderson, Baby Knows Best, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2001.

Mick Manning, What's My Family Tree?, F. Watts (London, England), 2001.

Mick Manning, How Should I Behave?, F. Watts (London, England), 2002.

Mick Manning, The Power Cut, F. Watts (London, England), 2002.

Mick Manning, Watch Out! Builders About!, F. Watts (London, England), 2002.

Judy Hindley, Does a Cow Say Boo?, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

Joyce Dunbar, A Chick Called Saturday, Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 2003.

Mick Manning, Make Your Own Museum, F. Watts (London, England), 2003.

Kathy Henderson, Dog Story, Bloomsbury (London, England), 2004.

Paeony Lewis, No More Cookies!, Chicken House (New York, NY), 2005.

Judy Hindley, Baby Talk, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2006.

Illustrator of Ben's Bring Your Bear Party, by Martin Waddell, Walker & Co.; and Kisses Are Little, Smiles Are Wide, Candlewick Press.

ILLUSTRATOR WITH PARTNER, MICK MANNING

Mick Manning, Nature Watch, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1997.

Mick Manning, Honk! Honk! A Story of Migration, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1997.

Mick Manning, Yum-Yum!, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, My Body, Your Body, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, Splish, Splash, Splosh!, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, What's under the Bed?, F. Watts (London, England), 1997.

Mick Manning, Nature School, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1997.

Mick Manning, Out There Somewhere, F. Watts (London, England), 1998.

Mick Manning, What If? A Book about Recycling, F. Watts (London, England), 1998.

Mick Manning, Wild and Free, F. Watts (London, England), 1998.

Mick Manning, Sael Ungen, Raben & Sjögren (Stockholm, Sweden), 1998.

Mick Manning, Super School, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1999.

Mick Manning, Super Mum, F. Watts (London, England), 1999, published as Supermom, Albert Whitman (Morton Grove, IL), 2001.

Mick Manning, Wash, Scrub, Brush!, F. Watts (London, England), 1999, Albert Whitman (Morton Grove, IL), 2001.

Mick Manning, Stone Age, Bone Age, F. Watts (London, England), 2000.

Mick Manning, What a Viking!, Raben & Sjögren (New York, NY), 2000.

Mick Manning, Dinomania, F. Watts (London, England), 2001, Holiday House (New York, NY), 2002.

Mick Manning, The Story of a Storm, F. Watts (London, England), 2001.

Mick Manning, High Tide, Low Tide, F. Watts (London, England), 2001.

Mick Manning, Seasons Turning, F. Watts (London, England), 2001.

Mick Manning, When the Sun Goes Down, F. Watts (London, England), 2001.

Mick Manning, How Will I Grow?, F. Watts (London, England), 2002.

Mick Manning, Voices of the Rainforest, F. Watts (London, England), 2004.

Mick Manning, Seaside Scientist, F. Watts (London, England), 2004.

Mick Manning, Fly on the Wall: Roman Fort, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 2004.

Mick Manning, Yuck!, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 2005.

Mick Manning, Fly on the Wall: Viking Longship, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 2006.

Mick Manning, Snap!, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 2006.

Also illustrator, with Manning, of Fly on the Wall: Pharaoh's Egypt, and Dino Dinners!, both by Manning and Granström, for Frances Lincoln (London, England). Collaborator, with Manning, on "Max and Kate" series for Ladybug magazine, beginning 1999.

Books have been translated into Welsh, Japanese, Korean, German, Serbo-Croat, Chinese, Dutch, Portugese, Swedish, Spanish, and Brazilian.

Sidelights

Swedish-born artist Brita Granström is well known for her work as an illustrator, many of which are done in collaboration with her husband, writer and illustrator Mick Manning. A prolific team, Manning and Granström have produced picture books for young readers as well as nonfiction titles. Because both studied art and design, they work together on both the writing and illustration stages of the book, although Granström explains that her input in the writing process is "collaborative" and A curious little chick is determined to fly the coop and see the world in Joyce Dunbar's engaging picture book A Chick Called Saturday, featuring illustrations by Granström.credits her husband as author. "We try to stay flexible," the couple explained in an interview with Pam Kelt that was posted on their home page. In their illustrations, Granström typically focuses on human characters while Manning draws the animals. "In some books, one of us might draw and the other might colour the same artwork," the author/illustrators explained to Kelt. "Then we enjoy it when people say they can't see the join!" Along with their many books, Manning and Granström have also written and illustrated a five-page feature for Ladybug magazine called "Max and Kate," which features the amusing adventures of two preschool neighbors.

Manning and Granström's Wash, Scrub, Brush!, a book of instruction about personal hygiene, is one of several collaborations that has won an award. The title teaches basic behaviors in washing and grooming through a story of children preparing for a party. "The authors skillfully cover basic grooming and hygiene within a story framework," complimented Marilyn Ackerman in School Library Journal. Booklist contributor Connie Fletcher praised the pair's use of art, commenting that "the illustrations, crowded with happy kids sprucing up, are bright and lively."

Other titles by the pair focus on the science of daily life or on science topics that appeal to young readers. Their book Supermom shows similarities between human mothers and their animal counterparts as they care for their young ones. "The watercolor, graphite, and crayon artwork reflects the light approach to scientific facts," according to Carolyn Janssen in a School Library Journal review. Dinomania focuses on modern paleontology, and provides hands-on activities for young people who want to learn more about dinosaurs. Augusta R. Malvagno, writing for School Library Journal, commented on the book's "kid-friendly text, expressive and colorful illustrations, and creative activities and crafts." Ellen Mandel, writing in Booklist, commented that the crafts included are "fun activities for hands-on learning." The picture books Yuck! and Snap! discuss the food chain; Yuck! shows slimy, gross, and disgusting meals eaten by various animal babies. Snap! follows along the food chain as a frog is eaten by a duckling, which is eaten by a large fish, which is eaten by a fisherman. However, something lurks in the pictures that prompts readers to realize that the fisherman is not the end of the food chain after all.

Along with her work with Manning, Granström is also the illustrator of several children's books by well-known authors including Pippa Goodhart, Sam McBratney, and Judy Hindley. A Kirkus Reviews contributor labeled her work for Hindley's Does a Cow Say Boo? as "delightful pencil, watercolor, and crayon illustrations." A Publishers Weekly critic commented on the "vibrantly colored farm scenes" in the same title, while Diane Foote, writing in Booklist, considered them "bright, energetic illustrations." Of her work in Joyce Dunbar's A Chick Called Saturday, a Kirkus Reviews contributor commented that Granström's "loose watercolor-and-pencil pictures and a touch of appropriately 'scratchy' calligraphy put readers in the right farm—uh, frame—of mind." A Publishers Weekly critic called the title a "sunnyhued picture book," while Ilene Cooper noted in Booklist that the small spot art and large illustrations together make "a dynamic combination that will keep kids' interest." Granström was honored when the Society of American Illustrators invited her to exhibit an image from A Chick Called Saturday at their annual show.

Granström once told SATA: "I love my job. It's a dream come true. When I'm not illustrating children's books, I go out painting. I fill the baby's pram with acrylic paints and go painting on the spot." Granström lives in northern England with her husband and children.