Meade, Holly

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MEADE, Holly

PERSONAL: Female

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Marshall Cavendish, 99 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591.

CAREER: Children's book writer and illustrator.

AWARDS, HONORS: Caldecott honor book selection, American Library Association, for Hush! A Thai Lullaby.

WRITINGS:

SELF-ILLUSTRATED CHILDREN'S BOOKS

John Willy and Freddy McGee, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1998.

A Place to Sleep, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2001.

Inside, Inside, Inside, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2005.

ILLUSTRATOR

Nancy Van Laan, This Is the Hat: A Story in Rhyme, Joy Street Books (Boston, MA), 1992.

Phillis Gershator, Rata-Pata-Scata-Fata: A Caribbean Story, Joy Street Books (Boston, MA), 1993.

Libba Moore Gray, Small Green Snake, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Nancy Van Laan, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep: A Lullaby for Little Ones around the World, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1995.

Betty G. Birney, Pie's in the Oven, Houghton (Boston, MA), 1996.

Minfong Ho, Hush!: A Thai Lullaby, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Diane Karter Appelbaum, Cocoa Ice, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Laurie M. Carlson, Boss of the Plains: The Hat That Won the West, DK Ink/DK Publishing (New York, NY), 1998.

Judith Heide Gilliland, Steamboat: The Story of Captain Blanche Leathers, DK Publishing (New York, NY), 2000.

Melinda Long, When Papa Snores, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2000.

(And reteller) Brothers Grimm, The Rabbit's Bride, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2001.

Ann-Jeanette Campbell, Queenie Farmer Had Fifteen Daughters, Silver Whistle/Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Reeve Lindbergh, On Morning Wings, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

Cari Best, Goose's Story, Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 2002.

Florence Parry Heide and Sylvia Van Clief, That's What Friends Are For, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2003.

Phyllis Root, Quack!, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

C. M. Millen, Blue Bowl Down, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

Mingfong Ho, Peek!: A Thai Hide-and-Seek Story, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

OTHER

Hop!, illustrated by Petra Mathers, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

SIDELIGHTS: Holly Meade is a renowned children's book illustrator who has gone on to pen her own children's stories. Her first illustrated work, This Is the Hat: A Story in Rhyme, was written by Nancy Van Laan and tells the story of a man who loses his hat while walking during a storm. The hat is then occupied, in turn, by various creatures, including a crow. A Publishers Weekly contributor commented that, "In Meade's illustrative debut, torn paper collages in happy blues, greens and magentas perfectly partner the text." Jim Jaske, writing in Booklist, noted that Meade's illustrations "add a friendly air to the story."

In Rata-Pata-Scata-Fata: A Caribbean Story, Meade's illustrations help tell Phillis Gershator's story of a daydreaming youth named Junjun who believes himself capable of making magic wishes come true. Booklist contributor Julie Corsaro observed that Meade's collages "rhythmically echo" the story. Writing in Horn Book, Ellen Fader felt that Meade's illustrations "evoke the essence of a Caribbean landscape [and] invite readers into young Junjun's tropical world."

Small Green Snake by Libba Moore Gray tells the story of a defiant young garter snake who ignores his mother's warning and roams away from home, only to be captured and held in a glass jar. When the snake escapes after the jar is broken, his adventure inspires his siblings to also venture forth. A Publishers Weekly contributor commended Meade's "bold, graphic artwork." In her second book with Nancy Van Laan, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep: A Lullaby for Little Ones around the World, Meade illustrates the story of both human and animal mothers soothing their offspring to sleep. Leone McDermott wrote in Booklist that Meade's collages possess "a tender quality."

Meade's collaboration with writer Minfong Ho on Hush!: A Thai Lullaby, was described by Booklist contributor Janice del Negro as "visually arresting," because "the comforting earth tones suit the quiet nature of the story." Writing in the School Library Journal, John Philbrook noted that Meade's collages generate a "somnolent atmosphere." Meade also illustrated author Betty G. Birney's Pie's in the Oven, a story about a young boy waiting to eat his grandmother's pie. Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper noted that Meade's collages "look like thick oil paintings" and are "deftly rendered, full of life, and demanding a second look."

Cocoa Ice, by Diana Karter Appelbaum, tells the story of an unusual tie between a Caribbean girl and an American girl living in New England: their businessmen fathers trade cocoa for ice. Writing in the School Library Journal, Luann Toth commented that, "Meade's vibrant cut-paper and gouache illustrations capture the action, industry, and natural beauty of each locale." In Boss of the Plains: The Hat That Won the West, Meade's illustrations help tell author Laurie M. Carlson's story of John Baterson Stetson, who created the famous brand of western Stetson hats. New York Times Book Review contributor Anne Scott MacLeod noted that Carlson and Meade "clearly explain felting and hat making." MacLeod went on to praise Meade's illustrations as "exuberant."

After several years of focusing on her career as an illustrator, Meade wrote her first children' book, John Willy and Freddy McGee. The story focuses on two curious guinea pigs who forsake the safety of their cage and wander off to freedom. They soon hop onto a billiards table and scurry through the tunnels circulating beneath the tabletop. Their fun is disrupted, however, when an inquisitive cat begins flicking billiard balls into the pockets. As the balls roll through the tunnels, the guinea pigs must dodge the balls and get past the cat to make it back safely to their cage. Writing in Booklist, John Peters noted that Meade's text "has a roll and bounce to it that effectively capture the pace and excitement" of the guinea pigs' escapade. School Library Journal contributor Joy Fleishhacker deemed Meade's book "a fine tale" and noted that her "colorful, cut-paper collages work in harmony with the text, adding details and extending the action of the story."

Meade returned to her role as illustrator for Judith Heide Gilliland's Steamboat: The Story of Captain Blanche Leathers, which tells the true story Blanche Douglas, the first woman steamboat captain on the Mississippi River. A Publishers Weekly contributor praised Meade's work, pointing out that the book contains "two climactic collages in midnight blue and black tones [that] detail Blanche's triumphant test run on a moonless night." As the illustrator for Melinda Long's When Papa Snores, Meade was praised by Booklist contributor Kathy Broderick for her illustrations that "capture the energy of the story and the personalities of the characters." A Horn Book contributor noted that "Meade's lively line keeps the simple story moving and gives expressive charm not only to the little girl but also to the overactive household objects."

Meade has applied her artistic and authorial talents to the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale The Rabbit's Bride. The story focuses on a young girl who is supposed to chase a white rabbit from a cabbage patch but ends up being charmed by the rabbit. After becoming betrothed to the animal, she finds that the rabbit is not as nice as he seems. Tina Hudak, writing in the Library Journal, felt that Meade made a wrong decision in deciding to change the story's ending into a happier one because "the entire story loses the folktale flavor and raison d'etre." Hudak added, "The artwork, done in vibrant watercolors, effectively illustrates the rabbit's changing personality from harmless to demonic, but the effect may be too scary for young readers." Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper called the book "an interesting version of a little-told tale."

In A Place to Sleep, which Meade wrote and illustrated, the author uses a riddle format to get readers to think about where various animals sleep. The text also gives young readers facts about how animals sleeping, such as the fact that elephants sleep standing up and fish sleep with their eyes open. A Kirkus Reviews contributor commented that the "alliterative text is rich in wordplay," while a Publishers Weekly contributor called the book's design "innovative" and commended Meade for writing "a soothing bedtime read for young animal lovers." Writing in the School Library Journal, Cathie Reed commented that,, "With its oversized format, stunning art, and lyrical text, this is a great choice for story hours as well as bedtime reading."

While Meade's own stories have met with favorable reviews, she has continued to illustrate other authors' books. Among these titles is On Morning Wings by Reeve Lindbergh, which was adapted from Psalm 139. Carolyn Phelan, writing in Booklist, noted that "the simplicity, clarity, and grace of both the words and the illustrations make this a lovely and potentially moving picture book." Meade has also illustrated the 2003 republication of the 1968 book about friendship titled That's What Friends Are For, by Florence Parry Heide and Sylvia Van Clief. School Library Journal contributor Lauralyn Persson called the illustrations "fresh and lively." In a review in the Chicago Tribune, Mary Harris Russell dubbed Meade's illustrations for C. M. Millen's Blue Bowl Down "luminous and comforting."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 1992, Jim Laske, review of This Is the Hat: A Story in Rhyme, p. 611; April 15, 1994, Julie Corsaro, review of Rata-Pata-Scata-Fata: A Caribbean Story, p. 1541; September 15, 1994, Hazel Rochman, review of Small Green Snake, p. 132; December 15, 1995, Leone McDermott, review of Sleep, Sleep, Sleep: A Lullaby for Little Ones around the World, p. 715; April 15, 1996, Janice del Negro, review of Hush!: A Thai Lullaby, p. 1443; July, 1996, Ilene Cooper, review of Pie's in the Oven, p. 1828; November 1, 1997, Lauren Peterson, review of Cocoa Ice, p. 466; September 1, 1998, John Peters, review of John Willy and Freddy McGee, p. 127; February 1, 2000, Kathy Broderick, review of When Papa Snores, p. 1056; May 15, 2001, Ilene Cooper, review of The Rabbit's Bride, p. 1754; September 1, 2001, Lauren Peterson, review of A Place to Sleep, p. 117; March 1, 2002, Denise Wilms, review of Queenie Farmer Had Fifteen Daughters, p. 1148; March 1, 2002, Ilene Cooper, review of Steamboat: The Story of Captain Blanche Leathers, p. 1147; September 15, 2002, Carolyn Phelan, review of On Morning Wings, p. 233; January 1, 2003, review of On Morning Wings, p. 798.

Chicago Tribune, June 6, 2004, Mary Harris Russell, review of Blue Bowl Down, p. 2.

Horn Book, September-October, 1994, Ellen Fader, review of Rata-Pata-Scata-Fata, p. 574; March-April, 1995, Ellen Fader, review of Small Green Snake, p. 183; November-December, 1995, Hanna B. Zeiger, review of Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, p. 739; May-June, 1998, Martha V. Parravano, review of Boss of the Plains: The Hat That Won the West, p. 356; March, 2000, review of Steamboat, p. 211; September, 2000, review of When Papa Snores, p. 552; May 1, 2002, Hazel Rochman, review of Goose's Story, p. 1520.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2001, review of A Place to Sleep, p. 1129; April 1, 2002, review of Queenie Farmer Had Fifteen Daughters, p. 488; April 15, 2002, review of Goose's Story, p. 562; June 15, 2002, review of On Morning Wings, p. 884; April 15, 2003, review of That's What Friends Are For, p. 608.

New York Times Book Review, May 17, 1998, Anne Scott MacLeod, review of Boss of the Plains, p. 23.

Publishers Weekly, October 26, 1992, review of This Is the Hat, p. 69; April 4, 1994, review of Rata-Pata-Scata-Fata, p. 79; September 5, 1994, review of Small Green Snake, p. 108; March 25, 1996, review of Hush!, p. 82; May 4, 1998, review of Boss of the Plains, p. 213; August, 17, 1998, review of John Willy and Freddy McGee, p. 71; April 3, 2000, review of Steamboat, p. 80; February 12, 2001, review of The Rabbit's Bride, p. 211; October 1, 2001, review of A Place to Sleep, p. 60; April 1, 2002, review of Queenie Farmer Had Fifteen Daughters, p. 82; May 5, 2003, review of That's What Friends Are For, p. 223.

School Library Journal, October, 1992, Alexandra Marris, review of This Is the Hat, p. 98; September, 1994, Jody McCoy, review of Small Green Snake, p. 184; January, 1996, Ruth K. MacDonald, review of Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, p. 97; March, 1996, John Philbrook, review of Hush!, pp. 175-176; September, 1996, Kathy Piehl, review of Pie's in the Oven, p. 170; January, 1998, Luann Toth, review of Cocoa Ice, p. 80; September, 1998, Joy Fleishhacker, review of John Willy and Freddy McGee, p. 177; March, 2000, Susan Hepler, review of Steamboat, p. 224; May, 2001, Tina Hudak, review of The Rabbit's Bride, p. 142; September, 2001, Cathie Reed, review of A Place to Sleep, p. 199; August, 2002, Jeanne Clancy Watkins, review of Goose's Story, p. 148; August, 2002, Jeanne Clancy Watkins, review of Queenie Farmer Had Fifteen Daughters, p. 148; December, 2002, Marian Drabkin, review of On Morning Wings, p. 126; May, 2003, Lauralyn Persson, review of That's What Friends Are For, p. 120.