Sturges, Philemon

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Sturges, Philemon

PERSONAL: Married; wife's name, Judy Sue; children: three daughters. Hobbies and other interests: Cooking.

ADDRESSES: Home—Boston, MA; Princeton, MA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, HarperCollins Children's Books, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Architect and children's writer. Military service: U.S. Navy, served four years.

WRITINGS:

CHILREN'S BOOKS

The Gift of Christmas, illustrated by Holly Berry, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Ten Flashing Fireflies, illustrated by Anna Vojtech, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Rainsong/Snowsong, illustrated by Shari Halpern, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1995.

What's that Sound, Woolly Bear?, illustrated by Joan Paley, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1996.

(Reteller, with Anna Vojtech) Marushka and the Month Brothers: A Folktale, illustrated by Anna Vojtech, North-South Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Bridges Are to Cross, illustrated by Giles Laroche, G.P. Putnam (New York, NY), 1998.

Crocky Dilly, illustrated by Paige Miglio, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), 1998.

(Reteller) The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, illustrated by Amy Walrod, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 1999.

I Love Trucks!, illustrated by Shari Halpern, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Sacred Places, illustrated by Giles Laroche, G.P. Putnam (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Bonnie Lass) Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?, illustrated by Ashley Wolff, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2000.

I Love Trains!, illustrated by Shari Halpern, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

I Love Planes!, illustrated by Shari Halpern, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

I Love School!, illustrated by Shari Halpern, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2004.

Down to the Sea in Ships, illustrated by Giles Laroche, G.P. Putnam (New York, NY), 2004.

I Love Bugs!, illustrated by Shari Halpern, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2005.

This Little Pirate, illustrated by Amy Walrod, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Waggers, illustrated by Jim Ishikawa, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2005.

I Love Tools!, illustrated by Shari Halpern, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2006.

ADAPTATIONS: She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, was adapted as a video, Nutmeg Media, 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Philemon Sturges left behind his career as an architect so he could focus all his energies on writing children's books. "Everything is new to kids," Sturges noted on his home page. "It is an honor to introduce them to things—plus, it's fun." In one of his first books, Ten Flashing Fireflies, Sturges tells the story of a little boy and girl catching fireflies and putting them in a glass jar. The book enables the young reader to count from one to ten as each firefly is captured. At the end of the story the young children count down as they watch the fireflies fly away. In a review in Booklist, Lauren Peterson commented, "This most unusual counting book captures the charm and innocence of a favorite summertime activity." A Publishers Weekly contributor called the book "makes a memorable entry in a heavily populated picture-book category."

Sturges focuses on the holiday season in The Gift of Christmas, which a Publishers Weekly contributor noted "catalogues with delight the sights, sounds and smells" of Christmas. In Rainsong/Snowsong the author tells various stories through rhyme as a boy and a girl marvel at the rain and snow. "The fun of it all is captured in the buoyant double-page illustrations," noted Leone McDermott in Booklist.

What's That Sound, Woolly Bear? guides young readers through a list of various insects. "A final spread gives interesting additional information on each insect, including a way to tell temperature by counting chirps," noted Susan Dove Lempke in Booklist. A Publishers Weekly contributor also commented that the "final spread successfully blends succinct information and colorful fun facts."

The author recounts an old Czechoslovakian folktale in Marushka and the Month Brothers: A Folktale. Like the tale of Cinderella, the story revolves around a young girl living with her evil stepmother and stepsister. As the story progresses, the girl is sent out into a blizzard to retrieve food and is only able to make it back safely through the help of the twelve Month brothers. Eventually, the evil stepmother and stepsister disappear into a storm conjured up by the brothers. Hazel Rochman, writing in Booklist, called the book "a freshly told version" of the tale, while a Publishers Weekly contributor noted the book's "lyrical narrative."

Sturges describes amazing bridges from around the world, such as the rope suspension bridge in the Andes mountains of Peru, in Bridges Are to Cross. "In just two or three sentences, Sturges … explains how each particular bridge works within its environment," noted a contributor to Publishers Weekly. Susan Dove Lempke, writing in Booklist, commented that the book "is guaranteed to make most readers look at bridges with new eyes."

Sturgess is also the author of a series of rhyming books that began with I Love Trucks!, which Booklist contributor Carolyn Phelan commended for its inclusion of women truck drivers, noting that the "text is as direct and purposeful as its subject." In I Love Trains! a little boy describes the various trains he watches passing by on the tracks. "Toddlers will enjoy making the hoot, roar, and rumble sounds and identifying the various cars," noted Hazel Rochman in Booklist. I Love Planes! includes descriptions of technical terms associated with planes and flying as a little boy talks about flying in planes, gliders, and balloons. "Young flight enthusiasts will soon be taking off on solo reading jaunts," wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Julie Cummins, writing in Booklist, called the book "a highflying treat for children."

Sturges takes on education in I Love School! as he leads readers through a day at school as described by a group of children. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called the book "a soothing, bright-as-noon introduction to school that ought to help chase away any shimshams" felt by young children who may be going to school for the first time. School Library Journal contributor Phyllis M. Simon felt it is a "a good choice for family sharing." I Love Bugs! follows a little boy on a safari in his backyard and was called "engaging as well as informative," by Booklist contributor Connie Fletcher.

Sturges presents a new take on another old story in The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, which recounts a hen's hankering for a pizza and her recruitment of other animals to help her get the ingredients and make one. A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that the book "exudes charm, thanks to conversational narration." In Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? the author tells the story of a search for the animal that snatched the cookies. "Children will enjoy the challenge of solving the mystery and astute observers will notice the clues provided on the front cover and title page," noted Tim Wadham in School Library Journal.

The author addresse a timely topic in his book Sacred Places, as he talks about different religions and religious practices around the world. "The text is simple and stately," noted Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper. Patricia Lothrop-Green, writing in School Library Journal, called the book a "striking tour of 28 religious sites around the world" and also noted that "Sturges's open-minded view of religious aspirations is a worthy one."

In Waggers, Sturges recounts an old folk tale about dogs sniffing each other. As the story goes, the practice is left over from bygone days when dogs misplaced their tails after hanging them up during a meeting on how to get rid of cats once and for all. Unknown to the dogs, a cat also attended the meeting. When it dispersed by calling out "Fire!," the dogs ran for their lives, grabbing whatever tail they could, and have spent the rest of their days checking to see if they have the right ones. "Sturges's saucy rhyme and imaginative plot will tickle the fancy of children," wrote Marge Loch-Wouters in School Library Journal.

Nautical themes are the basis for Down to the Sea in Ships and This Little Pirate. School Library Journal contributor Teresa Pfeifer called the first "a seamless collection of finely honed but telling histories." Linda Staskus, also writing in School Library Journal, noted that This Little Pirate is a "wacky, imaginative nautical tale … filled with action and adventure."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Appleseeds, March, 2002, Sheila Wilensky, review of Sacred Places, p. 32.

Booklist, June 1, 1995, Lauren Peterson, review of Ten Flashing Fireflies, p. 1789; November 1, 1995, Leone McDermott, review of Rainsong/Snowsong, p. 478; April 15, 1996, Susan Dove Lempke, review of What's That Sound, Woolly Bear?, p. 1447; October 15, 1996, Hazel Rochman, review of Marushka and the Month Brothers: A Folktale, p. 429; December 15, 1998, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Bridges Are to Cross, p. 747; February 1, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of I Love Trucks!, p. 978; April 1, 1999, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Crocky Dilly, p. 1422; November 15, 1999, Marta Segal, review of The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, p. 639; October 1, 2000, Ilene Cooper, review of Sacred Places, p. 360; October 15, 2000, Todd Morning, review of Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?, p. 445; July, 2001, Hazel Rochman, review of I Love Trains!, p. 2022; February 1, 2003, Julie Cummins, review of I Love Planes!, p. 1002; August, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of I Love School!, p. 1949; August, 2004, Jennifer Mattson, review of She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, p. 1940; March 1, 2005, Connie Fletcher, review of I Love Bugs!, p. 1206.

Horn Book, March-April, 1997, Ann A. Flowers, review of Marushka and the Month Brothers, p. 207.

Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2003, review of I Love Planes!, p. 240; June 15, 2004, review of I Love School!, p. 582; March 1, 2005, review of Waggers, p. 296; April 1, 2005, review of I Love Bugs!, p. 426; April 15, 2005, review of Down to the Sea in Ships, p. 483; May 15, 2005, review of This Little Pirate, p. 596.

Publishers Weekly, June 5, 1995, review of Ten Flashing Fireflies, p. 61; September 18, 1995, review of The Gift of Christmas, p. 98; April 29, 1996, review of What's That Sound, Woolly Bear?, p. 71; November 11, 1996, review of Marushka and the Month Brothers, p. 74; November 9, 1998, review of Bridges Are to Cross, p. 74; August 16, 1999, review of The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, p. 83; October 2, 2000, review of Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?, p. 83; October 30, 2000, review of Bridges Are to Cross, p. 78; June 25, 2001, review of I Love Trucks!, p. 75; December 16, 2002, review of I Love Planes!, p. 69; June 28, 2004, review of I Love School!, p. 52; February 28, 2005, review of Waggers, p. 65.

School Library Journal, October, 2000, Tim Wadham, review of Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?, p. 128; December, 2000, Patricia Lothrop-Green, review of Sacred Places, p. 136; June, 2001, Melinda Piehler, review of I Love Trains!, p. 130; March, 2003, Bina Williams, review of I Love Planes!, p. 208; July, 2004, Bina Williams, review of She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, p. 96; August, 2004, Phyllis M. Simon, review of I Love School!, p. 96; December, 2004, Ginny Gustin, review of She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, p. 59; March, 2005, Marge Loch-Wouters, review of Waggers, p. 188; April, 2005, Be Astengo, review of I Love Bugs!, p. 113; June, 2005, Teresa Pfeifer, review of Down to the Sea in Ships, p. 187; July, 2005, Linda Staskus, review of This Little Pirate, p. 82.