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.

∗Graeme Base ▮ An author/illustrator who is a major figure in Australian children's literature, Base is known for such award-winning titles as Animalia, The Eleventh Hour, and The Sign of the Sea Horse. His highly detailed, award-winning illustrations, which reveal a subtle subtext on close inspection, have captivated legions of younger picture-book fans, making many of Base's works instant childhood classics.

Suzanne Duranceau ▮ Montreal-based artist Duranceau has earned some of Canada's top illustration awards for her highly detailed paintings. Featured in such books as Piece of Jungle by Sarah Weeks and Millicent and the Wind by Robert Munsch, her luminous artwork often focuses on scenes from nature. In addition to playing an active role in Canadian children's book illustration, Duranceau has gained wide-spread recognition through her designs for a number of Canada's official postage stamps.

Jim LaMarche ▮ In his highly acclaimed 2000 picture book The Raft, LaMarche reveals the subtle, everyday experiences that combine to inspire a young child's creativity. Using a variety of media, including colored pencil and acrylic paints, the Wisconsinborn artist and author has created unique, highly detailed artwork for his own retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale The Elves and the Shoemaker as well as bringing to life picture-book texts by Cynthia Rylant, Margaret Wise Brown, and Louise Erdrich.

∗Anita Lobel ▮ Drawing her creative inspiration from the theatre, Lobel brings a knack for drama as well as an ability to build both suspense and humor into her work as a picture-book author and illustrator. While many of her books, such as Pierrot's ABC Garden and The Quiet Lady, speak to the joys of childhood, Lobel has also broached more serious subjects, and her memoir of growing up during World War II, No Pretty Pictures, reflects her personal knowledge of how fragile those joys can be.

Sarra Manning ▮ With her pulse on YA culture due to her job as a teen-magazine editor in her native England, Manning has made a name for herself among teen readers through such books as Pretty Things and Guitar Girl. Featuring savvy teen protagonists who cope with annoying, overprotective parents while negotiating a landscape dotted by rock music, drugs, sex, and tempting but costly fashion accessories, Manning's books are gaining a growing following among American readers.

∗Patricia McKissack ▮ Winner, with husband, Frederick McKissack, of most major awards in children's literature, McKissack has penned over one hundred books for younger readers. Often focusing on the African-American experience, the role of religious faith, and the quest for racial and social equality, her historical nonfiction has included highly regarded biographies as well as books such as Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers. Her works for younger readers, which include picture-book texts such as Precious and the Boo Hag, have also been credited for creating bridges over America's racial divide.

Lauren Myracle ▮ Myracle hones in on PC-savvy "tween" and older teen readers with her novels that interweave pop culture and the universal concerns of adolescence. Kissing Kate, her novel about one teen's growing suspicion that she might be gay, was honored with several awards, while the popular preteen read TTYL is composed entirely of Instant Messages passed between three friends as they endure the ups and downs of their tenth-grade year.

∗Christine Nöstlinger ▮ Winner of the 2003 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize, Nöstlinger is acclaimed both in her native Austria and internationally for her books for both young children and older readers. In addition to fanciful texts, such as Conrad, the Factory-made Boy, about a made-to-order child, she has combined real-life problems with compelling characters and interesting storylines in novels such as Girl Missing and Marrying off Mother. Recognizing the power of books to build both coping skills and imagination, Nöstlinger has been outspoken in her belief regarding the responsibilities inherent in writing for children.

Andy Rash ▮ Known to fans of Daniel Pinkwater's "Fat Camp Commandos" series as an illustrator with both feet firmly in the Pinkwater school of zaniness, Rash also shares his quirky world-view in the self-authored picture book Agent A to Agent Z, a silly story masquerading as an alphabet book. Rash's black-and-white drawings reflect his versatility as an artist; in contrast to his depiction of Pinkwater's pleasingly plump protagonists, Rash's bold, stylized illustrations for Agent A to Agent Z have a retro feel in keeping with his own story about a super-secret agent gone AWOL, trench coat and all.

Lisa Wheeler ▮ Beginning her authorial career after immersing herself in children's books while raising her own family, Wheeler finds picture books the perfect way to share her delight in wordplay. Beginning readers quickly discover that reading can actually be fun while turning the pages of riveting reads such as Wheeler's New Pig in Town and Invasion of the Pig Sisters. In picture books such as Avalanche Annie: A Not-so-Tall Tale and Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta, Wheeler also proves that no literary genre is sacred as she turns the tables on traditional tall tales and light opera with equal gusto.