WISE, William 1923-

PERSONAL: Born July 21, 1923, in New York, NY. Education: Yale University, B.A., 1948.

ADDRESSES: Agent—Curtis Brown, Ltd., 575 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022.

CAREER: Writer.

WRITINGS:

JUVENILES

Jonathan Blake: The Life and Times of a Very Young Man, illustrated by Howard Simon, Knopf (New York, NY), 1956.

Silversmith of Old New York: Myer Myers, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher, Farrar, Straus, and Cudahy (New York, NY), 1958.

Albert Einstein: Citizen of the World, Farrar, Straus, and Cudahy (New York, NY), 1960.

The House with the Red Roof, illustrated by Jo Polseno, Putnam (New York, NY), 1961.

The Cowboy Surprise, illustrated by Paul Galdone, Putnam (New York, NY), 1961.

Alexander Hamilton, Putnam (New York, NY), 1963, iuniverse.com (Lincoln, NE), 2001.

The Story of Mulberry Bend, illustrated by Hoot von Zitzewitz, Dutton (New York, NY), 1963.

In the Time of the Dinosaurs, illustrated by Lewis Zacks, Putnam (New York, NY), 1964.

Detective Pinkerton and Mr. Lincoln, illustrated by Hoot von Zitzewitz, Dutton (New York, NY), 1964.

The Two Reigns of Tutankhamen, Putnam (New York, NY), 1964.

The World of Giant Mammals, illustrated by Lewis Zacks, Putnam (New York, NY), 1965.

The Spy and General Washington, illustrated by Peter Burchard, Dutton (New York, NY), 1965.

The Terrible Trumpet, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1966, reprinted with illustrations by B. Biro, Norton (New York, NY), 1969.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, illustrated by Paul Frame, Putnam (New York, NY), 1967.

Monsters of Today and Yesterday, illustrated by Lee Smith, Putnam (New York, NY), 1967.

When the Saboteurs Came: The Nazi Sabotage Plot against America in World War II, illustrated by Robert Shore, Dutton (New York, NY), 1967.

Sir Howard, the Coward, illustrated by Susan Perl, Putnam (New York, NY), 1967.

Monsters of the Ancient Seas, illustrated by Joseph Sibal, Putnam (New York, NY), 1968.

Aaron Burr, Putnam (New York, NY), 1968, iuniverse. com (Lincoln, NE, 2001.

Booker T. Washington, illustrated by Paul Frame, Putnam (New York, NY), 1968.

Nanette: The Hungry Pelican, illustrated by Winifred Lubell, Rand McNally (Chicago, IL), 1969.

Giant Birds and Monsters of the Air (Junior Literary Guild selection), illustrated by Joseph Sibal, Putnam (New York, NY), 1969.

The Amazing Animals of Latin America, illustrated by Joseph Sibal, Putnam (New York, NY), 1969.

The Amazing Animals of Australia (Junior Literary Guild selection), illustrated by Joseph Sibal, Putnam (New York, NY), 1970.

The Lazy Young Duke of Dundee, illustrated by Barbara Cooney, Rand McNally (Chicago, IL), 1970.

Fresh as a Daisy, Neat as a Pin, illustrated by Dora Leder, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1970.

From Scrolls to Satellites: The Story of Communication, illustrated by Hans Zander, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1970.

Giant Snakes and Other Amazing Reptiles, illustrated by Joseph Sibal, Putnam (New York, NY), 1970.

Charles A. Lindbergh: Aviation Pioneer, illustrated by Paul Sagsoorian, Putnam (New York, NY), 1970.

Monsters of the Middle Ages, illustrated by Tomie de Paola, Putnam (New York, NY), 1971.

The Amazing Animals of North America, illustrated by Joseph Sibal, Putnam (New York, NY), 1971.

Fresh, Canned, and Frozen: Food from Past to Future, illustrated by Shelley Fink, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1971.

All on a Summer's Day, illustrated by Bill Binzen, Pantheon (New York, NY), 1971.

Off We Go! A Book of Transportation, illustrated by Sue L. Anderson, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1972.

Cities, Old and New, illustrated by Mila Lazarevich, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1973.

Leaders, Laws, and Citizens: The Story of Democracy and Government, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1973.
The Strange World of Sea Mammals, illustrated by Joseph Sibal, Putnam (New York, NY), 1973.

Monsters of the Deep, illustrated by Ben F. Stahl, Putnam (New York, NY), 1975.

American Freedom and the Bill of Rights, illustrated by Roland Rodegast, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1975.

Monsters of North America, illustrated by Ben F. Stahl, Putnam (New York, NY), 1978.

Animal Rescue: Saving Our Endangered Wildlife, illustrated by Heidi Palmer, Putnam (New York, NY), 1978.

Monsters from Outer Space?, illustrated by Richard Cuffari, Putnam (New York, NY), 1978.

Monster Myths of Ancient Greece, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, Putnam (New York, NY), 1981.

(Reteller) The Black Falcon: A Tale from the Decameron, illustrated by Gillian Barlow, Philomel (New York, NY), 1990.

Ten Sly Piranhas: A Counting Story in Reverse, illustrated by Victoria Chess, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1993.

Perfect Pancakes, if You Please, illustrated by Richard Egielski, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1997.

Nell of Branford Hall, Dial (New York, NY), 1999.

Dinosaurs Forever, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, Dial (New York, NY), 2000.

Christopher Mouse: The Tale of a Small Traveler, Bloomsbury (New York, NY), 2004.

ADULT

Killer Smog: The World's Worst Air Pollution (adult nonfiction), Rand McNally (Chicago, IL), 1968.

Secret Mission to the Philippines: The Story of the "Spyron" and the American-Filipino Guerrillas of World War II, Dutton (New York, NY), 1968.

Massacre at Mountain Meadows: An American Legend and a Monumental Crime, Crowell (New York, NY), 1976.

The Amazon Factor (mystery), Harlequin (New York, NY), 1981.

Also author of "Raven House" mysteries for Harlequin, 1980-82. Author of television scripts; contributor of fiction to Harper's, Yale Review, and other periodicals, and of reviews to New York Times and Saturday Review.

SIDELIGHTS: William Wise has been writing books for children for nearly half a century. His work includes straight nonfiction books and whimsical titles on mythical monsters, as well as rhyming picture books for the very young. In a Horn Book Magazine review of Ten Sly Piranhas: A Counting Story in Reverse, a Tale of Wickedness—and Worse!, Mary M. Burns styled the story "a triumph of the comic spirit" for its humorous treatment of a gang of hungry piranhas. Dinosaurs Forever takes a similar tongue-in-cheek approach to dinosaurs, as the prehistoric beasts—appropriately attired in modern clothing—inhabit Manhattan. Ellen Mandel in Booklist found the work "a keenly imaginative book."

Wise's Nell of Branford Hall is a novel based on a true story of seventeenth-century England. Faced with an outbreak of the bubonic plague, the citizens of Branford decide to quarantine their whole village, not allowing anyone in or out. Nell lives beyond the limits of Branford village in a manor hall—and she faces isolation and anxiety as she worries about her friends in the village and her own health. In Booklist Carolyn Phelan praised the "heroic" story, adding that the tale "is enhanced by the contrasting backgrounds of city and village life."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 1996, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Perfect Pancakes If You Please, p. 670; November 1, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of Nell of Branford Hall, p. 531; May 15, 2000, Elen Mandel, review of Dinosaurs Forever, p. 1746.

Horn Book Magazine, July-August, 1993, Mary M. Burns, review of Ten Sly Piranhas: A Counting Story in Reverse, a Tale of Wickedness—and Worse!, p. 452.

New York Times Book Review, October 9, 1994, Kyoko Mori, review of Ten Sly Piranhas, p. 26; May 14, 2000, J. D. Biersdorfer, review of Dinosaurs Forever, p. 18.

People, March 26, 1990, Susan Toepfer, review of The Black Falcon: A Tale from the Decameron, p. 32.

Publishers Weekly, May 31, 1993, review of Ten Sly Piranhas, p. 54; December 9, 1996, review of Perfect Pancakes If You Please, p. 67; September 20, 1999, review of Nell of Branford Hall, p. 88.

School Library Journal, October, 1999, Patricia B. McGee, review of Nell of Branford Hall, p. 162.*