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.

R.W. Alley ▮ Alley had plans to study art history, but a vivid imagination and a talent for drawing set him on a different path. In addition to writing and illustrating picture books, chapter books, and easy readers for children, his illustrations for Michael Bond's phenomenally popular "Paddington Bear" books have become known throughout the world. Since 1997 Alley has created art for Bond's new stories and has also re-illustrated earlier volumes in the series about the overcoat-wearing bear that first entered the scene in A Bear Called Paddington in 1958.

∗Alexandra Day ▮ Day—the pen name of Sandra Darling—has become a favorite of parents, critics, and children alike, and her Good Dog, Carl, is considered a picture-book classic. Day's lovable Rottweiler returns in several further books, each featuring Day's realistic illustrations. In addition to writing and illustrating original books, Day and husband Harold Darling have worked to revive interest in the best of classic children's illustrations from the early twentieth century. Founding Green Tiger Press in 1969, the Darlings have since expanded their efforts to produce nostalgic-style art through Laughing Elephant Publishing and Blue Lantern Studio, both located in Seattle, Washington.

Mary Engelbreit ▮ Engelbreit's brightly colored artwork, with its gingham borders, cozy cottage interiors, Scotty dogs, and round-faced children, can be seen on cards, textiles, coffee mugs, calendars, and a wealth of other products. From her home in Missouri, Engelbreit has crowned her career as a designer by becoming a children's book author/illustrator through the creation of a series of books featuring the character Ann Estelle. Also seen in many of Engelbreit's drawings, the blonde, bobbed-haired, bespectacled Ann Estelle is featured in the picture books Queen of the Class, Queen of Christmas, and Queen of Hearts, all of which introduce readers to the author/artist's quaint, colorful, and nostalgic world.

∗Jack Gantos ▮ Popular with middle-grade readers while also stirring up controversy due to the dicey circumstances he inflicts upon his teen characters, Gantos concocts sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant stories by drawing on his own experiences. An insightful observer of childhood feelings and behavior, his novels for older readers deal frankly with more-serious themes. Best known as the creator of Rotten Ralph, a churlish, overfed, red cat whose patient young owner must bear the brunt of his ill-mannered behavior, Gantos also recounts his somewhat unconventional elementary-school experiences in the "Jack Henry" books, and follows the chaotic life of a boy with ADHD in Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key and its sequels.

Marc Kompaneyets ▮ This Russian-born author made his publishing debut with The Squishiness of Things, a witty story about pride and the effort one must extend to gain knowledge. In this YA novel, the learned Hieronymus sets as his life goal to record everything worth knowing. But completing his task is only the beginning challenge for Kompaneyets's know-it-all; thinking he has documented every fact worth knowing, an unusual hair blows through his study window and opens the door to countless questions. Kompaneyets's entertaining novel has been compared to the work of Paul Fleischman by enthusiastic critics.

∗Lawrence Kushner ▮ Rabbi Kushner, who served his Massachusetts congregation for almost three decades before relocating to the West coast, has also written about the Jewish faith in books for both children and adults. Works such as The Book of Miracles: A Young Person's Guide to Jewish Spiritual Awareness address children's common questions about spirituality and the Jewish faith, earning Kushner praise from parents and critics. Collaborating with his wife, Karen Kushner, he has also penned What Does God Look Like?, How Does God Make Things Happen?, and Because Nothing Looks like God, which encourage children to see God in everyday things.

∗Margaret McAllister ▮ Beginning her career penning contemporary middle-grade fiction, British writer McAllister spices up her novels with a dash of fantasy and a love of nature. In her books comprising her "Mistmantle Chronicles"—published under the name M.I. McAllister—she takes readers to the island of Mistmantle, a place inhabited by an animal court and ruled by a kindly hedgehog king. In her gentle fantasy Urchin of the Riding Stars McAllister sets orphaned squirrel Urchin on a quest to save the weaker of his fellow creatures from a terrible fate at the hands of the evil Captain Husk, with the squirrel's efforts aided by a host of otters, moles, and hedgehogs.

Justin Richards ▮ British writer and illustrator Richards is noted for the "Invisible Detective" novels, such as Shadow Beast, which feature an invisible crime-stopper who is aided by a gang of eager young sleuths. A television scriptwriter, technical writer, and creative consultant to the British Broadcasting Corporation, Richards is also the pen behind several novelizations of the BBC's popular Dr. Who television program.

Michael Uslan ▮ An award-winning film producer and comic-book afficionado, Uslan has spun his fascination with the Batman character into a string of popular films that include 1989's Batman, starring Michael Keaton, as well as feature films such as Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, and 2005's Batman Begins. In addition, he has authored comic-book histories such as America at War: A History of War Comics, and is notable as the instructor of the first accredited college course on comic books.

Sylvia Waugh ▮ Although she wrote poetry and short fiction for many years while working as a teacher, British author Waugh has found enduring popularity as the author of several imaginative novel series for younger readers. In her internationally lauded "Mennyms" books, she follows the story of a family of dolls who, having been brought to life by their creator, attempt to live quietly in a home in suburban England. Aliens living among us is the subject of Waugh's "Ormingat" trilogy, which has also been translated into numerous languages.