Authors in Forthcoming Volumes

Below are some of the authors and illustrators that will be featured in upcoming volumes of SATA. These include new entries on the swiftly rising stars of the field, as well as completely revised and updated entries (indicated with *) on some of the most notable and best-loved creators of books for children.

*Frank Asch ▌ Frank Asch, a versatile writer and illustrator, is the creator of the popular children's series Bear Books, all of which feature a naive but lovable bear. Asch is also the author of award–winning titles such as Turtle Tale and Here Comes the Cat!, and the Pearl books (Pearl's Promise and Pearl's Pirates). Many of Asch's picture books feature simple, humorous texts and illustrations, ranging in themes from that of self–discovery to fear, love, peace, imagination, and nature.

Billy Crystal ▌ Emmy Award winning Billy Crystal, a famous actor, comedian, and director, added another facet to his career. While Crystal's writing credits are extensive, especially in television and film, this is his first attempt at writing children's literature. Using his own experience of becoming a grandfather, he penned a book titled I Already Know I Love You that he dedicated to his granddaughter, Ella Ryan. Crystal's book is full of all the emotions an expectant grandfather goes through while eagerly awaiting his grandchild's arrival.

Tony DiTerlizzi #x258c; Artist Tony DiTerlizzi is an illustrator of children's books, role–playing materials, and fantasy books. His work is populated by fantastic creatures of the imagination, from dangerous beasts in fantasy and science fiction worlds to gentle, whimsical characters from children's wildly creative adventures. DiTerlizzi has also illustrated children's books that he wrote himself, like The Spiderwick Chronicles series, the critically acclaimed The Spider and the Fly, and Jimmy Zangwow's Out–Of–This–World Moon–Pie Adventure.

*Richard Egielski ▌ Working mainly in watercolor, American illustrator Richard Egielski has been recognized for his vibrant and intimately detailed illustrations. Noted as an illustrator who closely weaves his art work with its corresponding text, Egielski has collaborated with many well–known children's authors, such as Arthur Yorinks, Pam Conrad, and Bill Martin, Jr. Besides contributing illustrations, Egielski has also self–illustrated several of his own children's books, including titles such as Buz, The Gingerbread Boy, and Jazper.

Cornelia Funke ▌ Cornelia Funke is the author of books for children, and in her native Germany, she is the most popular children's book writer after J. K. Rowling and R. L. Stine. When her first English translation, The Thief Lord, was introduced in England, it sold out in ten days. In the United States, it reached number two on the New York Times children's bestseller list. Funke's more recent releases in English, Dragon Rider and The Princess Knight, are both international successes.

Jay Leno ▌ Most popularly known as the host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno uses his comedic skills to tell a story for children in If Roast Beef Could Fly. Leno's story is based on his real life experience as a child with a large and culturally diverse family that loves food. Few would quarrel with the assertion that Leno is one of the hardest–working entertainers in Hollywood. His continued attempts to entertain all audiences, now including children, helps to prove that.

Yuyi Morales ▌ Mexican artist Yuyi Morales is well known for her colorful illustrations in children's books, including Sand Sister and Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. In Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book, Morales uses a clever method of story telling that not only entertains but also teaches counting in English and Spanish. Morales' story telling skills, in addition to her illustrations, has made Just a Minute a best seller.

*Laurence Pringle ▌ Formerly a wildlife biologist, Laurence Pringle took his previous experiences with the natural sciences and the environment and opened up a world to children and young adults. With over eighty books to his credit, Pringle has authored books ranging on topics from rivers, forests, oceans and deserts to that of man–made hazards such as nuclear energy, nuclear war, and global warming. In each of Pringle's works, he provides to his readers a lucid and common sense perspective on topics that could otherwise be fairly complex—thus allowing the scope of his young readers' minds to expand.

*Louis Sachar ▌ Though he graduated from law school, passed the bar exam, and practiced law part–time for a number of years, Louis Sachar is best known as the author of poignant, humorous stories for children and young adults. Sachar began his writing career with the zany Sideways Stories from Wayside School and continued with many other comical tales like There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom. In addition to his popularity and critical success, Sachar has won multiple awards for his writing, including the Newberry Medal and the Mark Twain Award for Holes. In 2003, Holes was released as a film by Disney starring Sigourney Weaver and Shia LeBeouf.

*Paul O. Zelinsky ▌ Noted for the magnificence and the experimental nature of his work, Caldecott Medal winner Paul O. Zelinsky has enriched the domain of children's literature with his diverse and captivating illustrations. Author and illustrator of the famous children's title, The Wheels on the Bus, Zelinsky has an appeal that not only attracts readers, but critics as well. Several of Zelinsky's children's books have garnered Caldecott Honors, including Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, and Swamp Angel.