Derek Anderson (1969–) Biography

Born 1969; Education: Iowa State University, B.A. (drawing and painting).

Addresses

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon &Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

Derek Anderson

Career

Children's book writer and illustrator. Also worked as a designer and sculptor of Warner Brothers and Disney figurines.

Honors Awards

American Library Association/Children's Book Council Children's Choice Award, and National Parenting Publication Gold Award, both for Little Quack by Lauren Thompson; National Parenting Publication Gold Award, 2005, for Little Quack's Bedtime, by Thompson.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Gladys Goes out to Lunch, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

Over the River: A Turkey's Tale, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

Blue Burt's Bluff, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

How the Easter Bunny Saved Christmas, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

Blue Burt and Wiggles, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

ILLUSTRATOR

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Ready? Set. Raymond!, Random House (New York, NY), 2002.

Lauren Thompson, Little Quack, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2003.

Lauren Thompson, Little Quack's Hide and Seek, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.

Lauren Thompson, Little Quack's Bedtime, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

Lauren Thompson, Little Quack's New Friend, Simon &Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

Sidelights

Author and illustrator Derek Anderson recognized that he had a passion for drawing when he was in kindergarten; as he told SATA about his career decision, "Somehow I don't think I ever really had a choice. Writing and painting chose me." Anderson's illustrations for Lauren Thompson's picture book about a duck titled Little Quack helped the book become a best seller and also led to several awards. With this success, and several more "Little Quack" books to his credit, Anderson has since added writing to his list of talents. His original self-illustrated stories include Over the River: A Turkey's Tale and Gladys Goes out to Lunch.

In Over the River "Anderson's amusing acrylic artwork provides a new twist on a favorite holiday song," according to School Library Journal reviewer Roxanne Burg. As a family of turkeys make their way through the woods on their way to grandma's house, they encounter a wide array of characters, some comical and some more mischievous. "Children will enjoy looking at the entertaining illustrations and comparing the chaos pictured there to the words of the old song," commented Burg. A Kirkus Reviews critic stated that "young readers will be … captivated by the fracas in Anderson's big, exuberant cartoons."

In Gladys Goes out to Lunch Anderson once again captivates the storyhour set with his bright, vibrantly colored illustrations. One day Gladys, an oddly colored purple and blue gorilla with a passion for bananas, catches a whiff of something desirable in the air and goes on a quest to find out what it is. Readers follow as she visits a variety of restaurants, none of which proves to be the source of the intriguing and appetizing smell. As Gladys meanders back to the zoo, the answer is revealed: a vendor's cart parked near Gladys's home is filled to the brim with banana bread! "This humorous book will tickle children and could also fit well into a unit of the five senses," stated Judith Constantinides in School Library Journal. A Kirkus Reviews critic commented that, "Like Gladys's bananas, Anderson's story is simple comfort food, with eye-candy artwork providing a welcome dash of spice."