HEWETT, Joan 1930-

PERSONAL: Born May 3, 1930, in New York, NY; daughter of Jack Leeds (a textile designer) and Edith Rolland; married Richard Ridgely Hewett (a photojournalist), July, 1960; children: Angela Lee, Christopher R. Education: Attended University of Chicago. Religion: Unitarian. Hobbies and other interests: Ballet, hiking, bird watching.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Carolrhoda, 241 First Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55401.

CAREER: Writer.

MEMBER: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

AWARDS, HONORS: Notable Children's Book citation, American Library Association (ALA), 1979, for Watching Them Grow: Inside a Zoo Nursery; Texas Bluebonnet nominee, 1985, for When You Fight the Tiger; Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award for notable achievement in photojournalism, 1987, for Motorcycle on Patrol: The Story of a Highway Officer; Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies, Children's Book Council/National Council for the Social Studies (CBC/NCSS), 1988, for Rosalie; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, CBC/NCSS, and Carter G. Woodson Book Award for Outstanding Merit—Elementary, NCSS, both 1991, both for Hector Lives in the United States Now: The Story of a Mexican-American Child; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, CBC/NCSS, and Recommended Book for Reluctant Readers citation, ALA, both 1992, both for Public Defender: Lawyer for the People.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

The Mouse and the Elephant, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1977.

Watching Them Grow: Inside a Zoo Nursery, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1979.

Fly Away Free, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Walker (New York, NY), 1980.

When You Fight the Tiger, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1984.

Motorcycle on Patrol: The Story of a Highway Officer, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Clarion (New York, NY), 1986.

On Camera: The Story of a Child Actor, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Clarion (New York, NY), 1987.

Getting Elected: The Diary of a Campaign, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Lodestar (New York, NY), 1989.

Laura Loves Horses, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Clarion (New York, NY), 1990.

Hector Lives in the United States Now: The Story of aMexican-American Child, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.

Public Defender: Lawyer for the People, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Lodestar (New York, NY), 1991.

Tiger, Tiger, Growing Up, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Clarion (New York, NY), 1993.

Tunnels, Tracks, and Trains: Building a Subway, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Lodestar (New York, NY), 1995.

"BABY ANIMALS" SERIES

A Flamingo Chick Grows Up, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2001.

A Harbor Seal Pup Grows Up, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2002.

A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2002.

A Tiger Cub Grows Up, photographs by husband, Richard Hewett, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 2002.

OTHER

Rosalie, illustrated by Donald Carrick, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1987.

SIDELIGHTS: With her husband, photographer Richard Hewett, providing the pictures, Joan Hewett has produced a number of books that present young readers with a window on the adult world by showing men and women working in a variety of careers, and have also delved into the natural world with their portraits of baby animals. Among their many titles, the Hewetts have published On Camera: The Story of a Child Actor, Watching Them Grow: Inside a Zoo Nursery, and several books in the "Baby Animals" series produced by Minnesota-based publisher Carolrhoda. In addition to collaborations with her husband, Hewett has also authored Rosalie, the story of the life of an older dog that features watercolor illustrations by artist Donald Carrick. School Library Journal reviewer Pat Pearl praised Rosalie, noting that Hewett's "writing is clear and interesting and evokes a mood of understanding."

Hewett once told CA: "My mother remarried when I was nine. We moved from one end of Manhattan to the other, our dog was given away, our canary was kept at all times where he belonged, in his cage. At summer's end, my tempestuous older sister opted for boarding school. I became a voracious reader." Among her favorite books were "Nancy Drew" and "Hardy Boys" mysteries and classic novels such as Gone with the Wind, The Sun Also Rises, The Far Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, and A Tale of Two Cities.

In each of her nonfiction titles focusing on careers and hobbies, Hewett attempts to "draw children into the world I'm writing about. I try to give my main character, or characters, dimension and to present the subject matter fairly, pointing to rather than glossing over complexities." Frequently, the author concentrates on a single individual to illuminate a topic or issue. For instance, in Watching Them Grow: Inside a Zoo Nursery, Hewett follows a night nurse as she takes care of a zoo's smallest inhabitants. "Without exhaustive detail, Hewett introduces us to the care and concern" given to her "delightful" subjects, noted Patricia Manning in School Library Journal. A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books reviewer likewise found Hewett's text "direct and informative," while a Publishers Weekly critic maintained that the author's words, along with the photos by her husband, Richard Hewett, "combine to create an absorbing documentary."

"Whether I'm interviewing my subject, hoping for a clue to the person's character that hasn't yet emerged, or wading through books on Hispanic immigration, research is the fun, interesting, and challenging part of the nonfiction process," the author once revealed to CA. "Writing the book is not just challenging, it's scary. Can I shape the material into an entertaining narrative, can I spark my reader's curiosity, can I open a door to another world?"

A door to another world is found in Hewett's books about children living lives out of the ordinary, either because of a hobby they find fascinating or because of a career. On Camera: The Story of a Child Actor focuses on an eight-year-old boy who works as a professional actor in films and television commercials, providing a behind-the-scenes look at a world many young people wish they could enter. School Library Journal contributor Sally T. Margolis praised the book as "chock full of details about the dull routines and the excitement of getting a part," while in Publishers Weekly, a reviewer dubbed On Camera "an engrossing collaboration" by the Hewetts that features a "smooth, lively and suspenseful" narrative by Joan Hewett.

A girl with horse fever is the subject of 1990's Laura Loves Horses, as an eight-year-old girl whose father runs a California boarding stable shares the family enthusiasm for all things equestrian. From grooming and stable cleaning to training and showing her favorite mount, Hewett's text allows readers to share Laura's passion in what Denise Wilms described in a Booklist review as "a simple celebration of the joys of riding."

In Hector Lives in the United States Now: The Story of a Mexican-American Child, the Hewetts "provide a realistic glimpse of what life is like" for the many Mexican-born children living in Los Angeles, while at the same time "allowing [ten-year-old] Hector's individuality to shine through," according to a Publishers Weekly writer. Noting that the book paints "an attractive portrait" of immigrant life, Wilms praised Hector Lives in the United States Now in Booklist for presenting "the flavor of Hispanic culture."

The Hewetts' husband-and-wife collaborations have been praised for their interesting and reality-based presentation. Motorcycle on Patrol: The Story of a Highway Officer prompted School Library Journal contributor Connie Tyrrell Burns to note that Hewett's text "echoes the drama" of the book's photos and "heightens the sense of immediacy and of readers' involvement" in its depiction of the life of a rookie California State Highway Patrol officer. Public Defender: Lawyer for the People profiles an Asian-American woman who works in the Los Angeles courts, and the Hewetts take pains not to present "a romanticized version of a high-paying career in law" but rather a realistic view of the down-and-dirty world of the criminal justice system, according to School Library Journal contributor Miriam Hansen. Hansen dubbed Public Defender "an excellent resource from a very talented husband and wife team."

Fly Away Free, which the Hewetts produced in 1981, links their interest in people with their interest in animals in its depiction of a Southern California veterinarian who rescues and attempts to rehabilitate an injured brown pelican. Dubbed "Rusty," the bird is sheltered and fed for several weeks before release is attempted, his story told "in natural, unposed black- and-white photographs and a text that states the facts clearly enough," according to School Library Journal reviewer Karen Ritter. Fly Away Free also found favor with an Appraisal reviewer who noted that "it shows children a model of an adult who cares about animals, not as pets, but as wild creatures worthy of nurture and attention."

When You Fight the Tiger profiles a teen named Tana who has a job training wild animals for the film and television industry at her family's ranch. Calling Hewett's text "chatty" and "casual," School Library Journal reviewer Barbara B. Murphy praised the book for revealing the less-glamorous aspects of animal training, while also emphasizing Tana's "sensitivity for the animals under her care." When You Fight the Tiger was lauded in Booklist by Ilene Cooper, who described it as "an unusual book whose subject and execution will surely captivate readers."

The "Baby Animals" series produced by the Hewetts focuses solely on the animal kingdom in books that include A Tiger Cub Grows Up and A Flamingo Chick Grows Up. Each volume follows an endangered animal raised in captivity, some at zoos and others at rescue centers or nature preserves. Reviewing several installments in the series for School Library Journal, Roxanne Burg remarked favorably upon the text's attraction to the youngest reader, with "a few sentences of large-print type" per page as the story follows the tiny creature from its first day to its moment of independence. Heather Hepler, in her Booklist review of A Harbor Seal Grows Up, and A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up, noted that Hewett's "short sentences . . . and simple vocabulary are just right for new readers."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Appraisal, winter, 1982, Arlene Bernstein, review of Fly Away Free, p. 29.

Booklist, November 15, 1979, Denise M. Wilms, review of Watching Them Grow: Inside a Zoo Nursery, p. 504; February 1, 1985, Ilene Cooper, review of When You Fight the Tiger, p. 787; January 15, 1987, Denise M. Wilms, review of Motorcycle on Patrol: The Story of a Highway Officer, p. 783; March 1, 1987, Ilene Cooper, review of Rosalie, p. 1013; April 15, 1990, Denise M. Wilms, review of Hector Lives in the United States Now: The Story of a Mexican-American Child, p. 1630; May 1, 1990, Denise M. Wilms, review of Laura Loves Horses, p. 1704; June 1, 1993, Kay Weisman, review of Tiger, Tiger, Growing Up, p. 1846; May 1, 1995, Mary Harris Veeder, review of Tunnels, Tracks, and Trains: Building a Subway, p. 1570; October 15, 2001, Heather Hepler, review of A Harbor Seal Grows Up and A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up, p. 422.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February, 1980, review of Watching Them Grow, pp. 110-111; March, 1985, review of When You Fight the Tiger, p. 127; February, 1987, review of Motorcycle on Patrol, p. 107; May, 1987, review of Rosalie, p. 107; April, 1989, review of Getting Elected, p. 196; June, 1991, review of Public Defender: Lawyer for the People, p. 238; May, 1993, p. 282; April, 1995, review of Tunnels, Tracks, and Trains, pp. 276-277.

Horn Book, December, 1977, review of The Mouse and the Elephant, p. 654; February, 1980, review of Watching Them Grow, p. 85; January, 1988, review of On Camera: The Story of a Child Actor, p. 84; July, 1989, review of Getting Elected, p. 499.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 1977, review of TheMouse and the Elephant, p. 985; April 1, 1993, review of Tiger, Tiger, Growing Up, p. 456; August 1, 2001, review of A Tiger Cub Grows Up, p. 1124.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, June 4, 1989, p. 13.

New York Times Book Review, November 8, 1987, p. 31.

Publishers Weekly, December 10, 1979, review of Watching Them Grow, p. 69; March 13, 1987, p. 83; November 13, 1987, review of On Camera, p. 73; March 16, 1990, review of Hector Lives in the United States Now, p. 72.

School Library Journal, November, 1977, Amy Scholar, review of The Mouse and the Elephant, p. 48; December, 1979, Patricia Manning, review of Watching Them Grow, p. 86; November, 1981, Karen Ritter, review of Fly Away Free, pp. 76-77; April, 1985, Barbara B. Murphy, review of When You Fight the Tiger, pp. 87-88; June-July, 1987, Pat Pearl, review of Rosalie, p. 83; August, 1987, Connie Tyrrell Burns, review of Motorcycle on Patrol, p. 84; January, 1988, Sally T. Margolis, review of On Camera, p. 81; May, 1990, Ruth Semrau, review of Hector Lives in the United States Now, p. 97; June, 1990, Charlene Strickland, review of Laura Loves Horses, p. 114; August, 1991, Miriam Hansen, review of Public Defender, p. 192; May, 1993, Valerie Lennox, review of Tiger, Tiger, Growing Up, p. 99; March, 1995, John Peters, review of Tunnels, Tracks, and Trains, p. 213; October, 2001, Roxanne Berg, review of A Flamingo Chick Grows Up, A Harbor Seal Grows Up, and A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up, p. 140.*