Jungman, Ann

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JUNGMAN, Ann

PERSONAL: Born in London, England; married; husband a college professor (marriage ended). Education: Studied law at Exeter University; earned teaching credential. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, walking, cooking, the arts.

ADDRESSES: Home—London, England. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Frances Lincoln, 4 Torriano Mews, Torriano Ave., London NW5 2RZ, England.

CAREER: Educator and author. Barn Owl Books (publisher), London, England, founder and owner, 1999–. Former researcher for television.

WRITINGS:

Vlad the Drac, Granada (London, England), 1982, reprinted, Barn Owl Books (London, England) 2002.

Lucy and the Big Bad Wolf, illustrated by Karin Littlewood, Dragon (London, England), 1986.

Max and the Moon Monsters, illustrated by Tony Kenyon, Macmillan Education (Basingstoke, England), 1986.

Fred and the Robot, Collins Educational (London, England), 1987.

Rundown on Robots, Collins Educational (London, England), 1987.

Big Max and the Satellite, Collins Educational (London, England), 1987.

Lucy and the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, illustrated by Karin L. Dragon (London, England), 1987.

Big Max Goes to the Moon, Collins Educational (London, England), 1987.

Big Max and the Oil Rig, Collins Educational (London, England), 1987.

Robot Plays, Collins Educational (London, England), 1987.

I Don't Want to Live in a House, illustrated by Anni Axworthy, Picture Knight (London, England), 1988.

I Don't Want to Go to School, illustrated by Anni Axworthy, Picture Knight (London, England), 1988.

I Don't Want to Go in a Car, illustrated by Anni Axworthy, Hodder and Stoughton (London, England), 1989.

Lucky Keeps the Wolf from the Door, Young Lions (London, England), 1989.

The Little Dragon Steps Out, Young Corgi (London, England), 1989.

Count Boris Bolescu and the Black Pudding, Young Corgi (London, England), 1989.

Dracula Play, Collins Educational (London, England), 1989.

Count Dracula and the Monster, Collins Educational (London, England), 1989.

Count Dracula and the Victim, Collins Educational (London, England), 1989.

Count Dracula Meets His Match, Collins Educational (London, England), 1989.

The Day Teddy Didn't Tidy Up, Frances Lincoln/Windward (London, England), 1989.

Vlad the Drac down Under, Young Lions (London, England), 1989.

The Day Teddy Got Very Worried, Frances Lincoln/Windward (London, England), 1989.

The Day Teddy Made New Friends, Frances Lincoln/Windward (London, England), 1989.

The Day Teddy Wanted Grandad to Notice Him, Frances Lincoln/Windward (London, England), 1989.

Spine-Chiller, Collins Educational (London, England), 1989.

Count Dracula and the Ghost, Collins Educational (London, England), 1989.

Bold Bad Ben, illustrated by Cathy Wilcox, Collins Australia (Pymble, New South Wales, Australia), 1989.

Broomstick Services, illustrated by Jean Baylis, Scholastic (London, England), 1990.

The Little Dragon Falls Out, Young Corgi (London, England), 1991.

Leila's Magical Monster Party, Viking (London, England), 1991.

Count Boris Bolescu and the Transylvanian Tango, Young Corgi (London, England), 1991.

Septimouse, Supermouse, Viking (London, England), 1991.

There's a Troll at the Bottom of My Garden, illustrated by Doffy Weir, Viking (London, England), 1991.

Cinderella and the Hot Air Balloon, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 1992.

Rosie and the Royal Hunt, Young Corgi (London, England), 1992.

Roland and the Green Knight, Young Corgi (London, England), 1992.

Picnic for Tortoise, Ginn (Aylesbury, England), 1993.

Little Luis and the Bad Bandit, Walker (London, England), 1993.

The Little Dragon Nips Out, Young Corgi (London, England), 1993.

Septimouse, Big Cheese!, Viking (London, England), 1994.

Count Boris Bolescu and the Midsummer Madness, Young Corgi (London, England), 1994.

Sally and the Booted Puss, and Other Stories, Longman (Harlow, England), 1994.

Pete and the Bully, pictures by Bucket, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Count Dracula and the Vampire, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Count Dracula and the Wedding, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Count Dracula and the Witch, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Count Dracula Gets a Shock, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Pete and the Figs, pictures by Bucket, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Pete and the New Girl, pictures by Bucket, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Pete and the New Rucksack, pictures by Bucket, Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Homes (nonfiction), Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Schools Now and Then (nonfiction), Collins Educational (London, England), 1995.

Vlad the Drac Goes Travelling, Collins (London, England), 1996.

Count Draco down Under, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Hippo (London, England), 1996.

Sasha and the Wolfcub, illustrated by Cliff Wright, Collins Children's (London, England), 1996.

The Missing Monster, illustrated by Jan Smith, Orchard (London, England), 1996.

The Monster Idea, illustrated by Jan Smith, Orchard (London, England), 1996.

Frank N. Stein and the Monster in Love, illustrated by Jan Smith, Orchard (London, England), 1996.

Frank N. Stein and the Monster in Trouble, illustrated by Jan Smith, Orchard (London, England), 1996.

There's a Troll at the Bottom of Our Street, illustrated by Doffy Weir, Puffin (London, England), 1996.

School for Dragons, illustrated by John Eastwood, Hippo (London, England), 1997.

(With Cecilia Lenagh and Susan Gates) The Big Wicked Witch Book, Hippo (London, England), 1997.

(With Joan Lennon and Philippa Gregory) The Big Book of Dragons, Hippo (London, England), 1997.

There's a Troll at the Top of Our Tip, illustrated by Doffy Weir, Puffin (London, England), 1998.

Broomstick Baby, Scholastic (London, England), 1999.

Broomstick Removals, illustrated by Jan Lewis, Hippo (London, England), 1999.

Broomstick Rescues, illustrated by Lynne Chapman, Scholastic (London, England), 1999.

Sasha and the Wolf-Child, illustrated by Giles Greenfield, Collins (London, England), 1999.

Dracula Is Backula, illustrated by Doffy Weir, Anderson (London, England), 1999.

(Reteller) A Pack of Wolf Tales, illustrated by Vicki Yeates, Longman (Harlow), 2000.

(Reteller) The Musicians of Bremen, illustrated by James Marsh, Scholastic (London, England), 2001.

Resistance!, illustrated by Alan Marks, Barrington Stoke (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2002.

Twitta and the Ferocious Fever, illustrated by Mike Phillips, A. & C. Black (London, England), 2002.

Septimouse and the Cheese Party, illustrated by Kay Widdowson, Happy Cat Books (Bradfield, England), 2004.

The Most Magnificient Mosque, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 2004.

Also author of "Roman Quartet" series, including Clottus and the Gladiator, Bacillus and the Beastly Bath, Tertius and the Horrible Hunt, and Twitta and the Ferocious Fever.

SIDELIGHTS: It was while on a trip to Transylvania that English-born author and publisher Ann Jungman was inspired to write her first successful children's book, the beginning chapter book Vlad the Drac, about a baby vampire who is exported from Romania by two vacationing British children. Although Jungman's decision to take much of the bite out of her young undead hero by making him a vegetarian did much to make Vlad non-threatening to younger children, her story went the rounds of publishers for approximately five years before it was finally published. When Vlad the Drac proved that Jungman's take on elementary-aged children's reading tastes was on target, she expanded Vlad's adventures, and has also established herself as a prolific and popular writer whose other topics include dragons, wolves, ghosts, and other creatures. "Monsters are fun," the author noted on her home page. "You can do what you like with them, reality doesn't have to be taken into account. Anyway, all my monsters turn out to be really nice." Reviewing one "Vlad" story, Vlad the Drac Goes Travelling, for Booklist, Karen Harris called the humorous tale about the vampire who faints at the sight of blood "beautifully written and flawlessly narrated."

While many of Jungman's books present humorous stories with wildly imaginative plots and fantastic characters, The Most Magnificent Mosque undergirds its entertaining story with history and a message about religious and cultural tolerance. Based on a true story from the thirteenth century, the book recounts the story of three boys who become friends, despite having vastly different religions and beliefs. Rashid is Muslim, Samuel is Jewish, and Miguel is Christian, and all three live in Cordoba Spain, where these three faiths have crossed paths and sometimes created hostilities as they rubbed shoulders over the centuries. Best friends as children, the boys get into so much trouble with their hijinks that they are ordered by the caliph work together tending the garden of the city's mosque as punishment. Through this work taking care of the gardens, the boys each gain an appreciation of the beautiful old building and see it as a symbol of the workings of God despite their differences of faith. The three come together again years later and inspire their multi-cultural and fragmented community to preserve their beloved mosque after Spain's conquering Christian king now orders that the religious building be torn to the ground. "This appealing story emphasizes the theme that when individuals work together, everyone wins," stated Margaret R. Tassia in a review of The Most Magnificent Mosque for School Library Journal.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 15, 1992, review of Lucy and the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, p. 1119; September 1, 1993, Ilene Cooper, review of When the People Are Away, p. 69; January 15, 1995, Barbara Baskin, review of Vlad the Drac, p. 946; July, 1996, Karen Harris, review of Vlad the Drac Goes Travelling (audio version), p. 1838; November 1, 1996, Karen Harris, review of Septimouse, Supermouse and Septimouse, Big Cheese!, p. 522; February 15, 2001, Anna Rich, review of Broomstick Rescues and Broomstick Baby, p. 1165.

Magpies, July, 1992, review of The Little Dragon Falls Out, p. 29; July, 1993, review of Cinderella and the Hot Air Balloon, p. 30.

Publishers Weekly, March 29, 2004, review of The Most Magnificent Mosque, p. 60.

School Librarian, May, 1990, review of Count Boris Bolescu and the Black Pudding, p. 64; August, 1991, review of Leila's Magical Monster Party, p. 104; November, 1991, review of The Little Dragon Falls Out, p. 145; February, 1992, review of There's a Troll at the Bottom of My Garden, p. 20; August, 1992, review of Roland and the Green Knight, p. 103; February, 1993, review of When the People Are Away, p. 16; February 1993, review of Cinderella and the Hot Air Balloon, p. 16; spring, 2000, review of Broomstick Rescues, p. 33; spring, 2000, review of Broomstick Baby, p. 33; winter, 2001, review of Dragon Disasters, p. 201; summer, 2002, review of Waiting for Elijah, p. 94; autumn, 2002, review of Resistance, p. 145; spring, 2003, review of Tertius and the Horrible Hunt, p. 33.

School Library Journal, November, 1992, Priscilla Bennett, review of Vlad the Drac, p. 58; January, 1994, Elizabeth Hanson, review of When the People Are Away, p. 92; September, 2004, Margaret R. Tassia, review of The Most Magnificent Mosque, p. 170.

Washington Post Book World, April 11, 2004, Elizabeth Ward, review of The Most Magnificent Mosque, p. 11.

Wilson Library Bulletin, January, 1994, Donnarae MacCann and Olga Richard, review of When the People Are Away, p. 121.