Hamilton, Emma Walton 1962-

Personal

Born November 27, 1962, in London, England; daughter of Julie Andrews Edwards (an actor and author) and Tony Walton (an illustrator); married Steve Hamilton; children: Sam, Hope.

Addresses

Office—Bay Street Theatre, P.O. Box 810, Sag Harbor, NY 11963.

Career

HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, editorial director of Julie Andrews Collection (imprint). Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, NY, co-founder and director of education and programs for young audiences. Ensemble Studio Theatre Institute, New York, NY, member of faculty.

Member

International Reading Association, Author's Guild, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Dramatists Guild, Association of Songwriters, Composers, and Publishers.

Writings

WITH MOTHER, JULIE ANDREWS EDWARDS

Dumpy the Dump Truck, illustrated by father, Tony Walton, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2000.

Dumpy at School, illustrated by Tony Walton, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2000.

Dumpy and His Pals, illustrated by Tony Walton, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2001.

Dumpy Saves Christmas, illustrated by Tony Walton, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2001.

Dumpy's Friends on the Farm, illustrated by Tony Walton, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2001.

Dumpy and the Big Storm, illustrated by Tony Walton, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2002.

Dumpy and the Firefighters, illustrated by Tony Walton, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Simeon's Gift, illustrated by Gennady Spirin, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

Dumpy's Happy Holiday, illustrated by Tony Walton, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

Dumpy's Apple Shop, illustrated by Tony Walton and Cassandra Boyd, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

Dumpy to the Rescue!, illustrated by Tony Walton and Cassandra Boyd, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

Dragon: Hound of Honor, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

Dumpy's Extra-Busy Day, illustrated by Tony Walton, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2006.

Dumpy's Valentine, illustrated by Tony Walton, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2006.

The Great American Mousical, illustrated by Tony Walton, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2006.

Thanks to You: Wisdom from Mother and Child, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2007.

Sidelights

Emma Walton Hamilton is the coauthor, with her mother, Julie Andrews Edwards, of children's books such as Dumpy the Dump Truck, Simeon's Gift, and The Great American Mousical. Ranging from pre-school picture-books to middle-grade readers, these titles are published through HarperCollins publishers' Julie Andrews Collection, an imprint for which Hamilton is editorial director. Discussing the mother-daughter collaboration with Sally Lodge in Publishers Weekly, Hamilton explained: "We want our books to embrace themes of integrity, creativity and the gifts of nature." Hamilton lives in Sag Harbor, New York, with her family.

The mother-daughter team of Hamilton and Edwards began writing picture books after being inspired by Hamilton's truck-crazy young son, Sam. When Ed-

wards' publishers asked her if she had any story ideas that would appeal to young children, she and Hamilton came up with the idea of a story starring a dump truck, and the "Dumpy" series was born. The first title in the "Dumpy" series, Dumpy the Dump Truck, describes how young Charlie and his grandfather decide to fix up the old farm dump truck rather than getting rid of it. After they give Dumpy new seat coverings and a new coat of paint, the truck becomes one of the most reliable vehicles on the farm. The story "may well leave readers with the idea that some things are meant to last," wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. The series continues in Dumpy Goes to School, as the helpful vehicle contributes to the construction of a playground and also helps Charlie deal with school anxiety. In Dumpy and the Big Storm, after Charlie's seaside village loses power in a storm, it is up to Dumpy and other local trucks to shine their headlights out on the ocean to assist boats at sea while the lighthouse is dark. Kathy Broderick, writing in Booklist, noted that the traits Dumpy models include "cooperation, assisting those in need, remaining calm in an urgent situation, [and] friendship."

Along with the "Dumpy" series, Edwards and Hamilton have also written several stand-alone picture books and middle-grade readers. Simeon's Gift is the tale of the minstrel Simeon who decides to prove his love to a noblewoman by traveling and learning the music of the world. Their middle-grade novel Dragon: Hound of Honor also uses a medieval setting, this time to retell the legend of the dog of Montargis, an heroic canine that helps to solve the murder of its master. "Readers who like their costume dramas heavily embroidered with high sentiment … will enjoy this fare," predicted a contributor to Publishers Weekly. Writing in School Library Journal, Anna M. Nelson deemed the tale "a well-done historical novel with an exciting mystery," while GraceAnne A. DeCandido maintained in Booklist that the coauthors' use of "lavish details" in Dragon provides readers with "a good sense of the times."

A miniature Broadway theater is the setting for The Great American Mousical, which finds a group of mice struggling to keep their model theater from being destroyed. Hamilton and Edwards, both veterans of the theater, infuse their text with theatrical terms and Broadway settings, while Edwards' former husband, Tony Walton, creates engaging illustrations. Kay Weisman, writing in Booklist, dubbed the book "an affectionate spoof of New York theater life" and predicted that the coauthors' "hilarious tale will appeal to would-be thespians everywhere." A Publishers Weekly critic concluded of The Great American Mousical that, although "the players here may be small in stature, … the story is big of heart."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 1, 2002, Kathy Broderick, review of Dumpy and the Big Storm, p. 673; September 1, 2004, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of Dragon: Hound of Honor, p. 120; January 1, 2006, Kay Weisman, review of The Great American Mousical, p. 99.

Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2003, review of Simeon's Gift, p. 1310; February 1, 2006, review of The Great American Mousical, p. 130.

Publishers Weekly, September 25, 2000, review of Dumpy the Dump Truck, p. 115; July 21, 2003, Sally Lodge, "New Hats in the Ring," p. 85; October 27, 2003, review of Simeon's Gift, p. 68; May 31, 2004, review of Dragon, p. 75; January 9, 2006, review of The Great American Mousical, p. 54.

School Library Journal, April, 2001, Martha Link, review of Dumpy the Dump Truck and Dumpy at School, p. 106; November, 2003, Rosalyn Pierini, review of Simeon's Gift, p. 91; June, 2004, Gloria Koster, review of Dumpy to the Rescue and Dumpy's Apple Shop, p. 108; September, 2004, Anna M. Nelson, review of Dragon, p. 204; February, 2006, Eva Mitnick, review of The Great American Mousical, p. 96.

ONLINE

Julie Andrews Collection Web site,http://www.julieandrewscollection.com/ (February 23, 2007).