Hindley, Judy 1940-

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Hindley, Judy 1940-

Personal

Born December 24, 1940, in Lompoe, CA; daughter of Vernon Kelly (a lab technician) and Virginia Mae Phelps; married Brian Hindley, February 11, 1961 (divorced 1982); children: John, Anna. Education: University of Chicago, B.A. (English; with honors), 1963. Politics: "Radical green."

Addresses

Home and office—The Flat, 46 Kingsbury St., Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1JE, England. E-mail—jmhindley@hotmail.com.

Career

Writer and activist. Usborne Publishing Ltd., London, England, former editor. Activist, involved in local, environmental, and human rights issues; Results (lobby group), member of management team, 1990-93; Marlborough Climate Pledge, founder, 2006.

Member

Survival International, U.N.A., Campaign against the Arms Trade.

Awards, Honors

Times Educational Supplement Junior Information Book Award, 1990; Outstanding Science Trade Book designation, 1990; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, 2000, 2001, 2002; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, 2002.

Writings

FOR CHILDREN

(With Anabelle Curtis) The Know-How Book of Paper Fun, illustrated by Colin King, Usborne (London, England), 1975, Corwin (New York, NY), 1976.

The Know-How Book of Spycraft, Usborne (London, England), 1975, published as The Know-how Book of Codes, Secret Agents, and Spies, Corwin (New York, NY), 1976.

How Your Body Works, illustrated by Colin King, Usborne (London, England), 1975, new edition, 1995.

The Time-Traveler Book of Knights and Castles, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Usborne (London, England), 1976, published as Knights and Castles, 1997, included in The Usborne Time Traveller, edited by Philippa Wingate, 1998.

(With Donald Rumbelow) The Know-How Book of Detection, illustrated by Colin King, Usborne (London, England), 1978.

The Good Spy Guide to Secret Messages, Usborne (London, England), 1978.

The Good Spy Guide to Tracking and Trailing, Usborne (London, England), 1978.

The Good Detective's Guide to Fakes and Forgeries, Usborne (London, England), 1979.

The Counting Book, Usborne (London, England), 1979.

Pete and Jim, illustrated by Colin West, Hardy/Clarke, 1985.

The Brave Explorers, Hardy/Clarke, 1985.

Polly's Dance, illustrated by Jill Bennett, Hardy/Clarke, 1985.

Jane's Amazing Woolly Jumper, illustrated by Jill Bennett, Hardy/Clarke, 1985.

The Animal Parade, Collins (London, England), 1985.

The Alphabet Game, illustrated by Colin West, Collins (London, England), 1985.

Isn't It Time?, Collins (London, England), 1985, illustrated by Nick Sharratt, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.

How Big? How Tall?, Collins (London, England), 1985.

The Big Red Bus, Collins (London, England), 1985, illustrated by William Benedict, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1995.

The Little Yellow Truck, Collins (London, England), 1985.

If I Had a Car, Collins (London, England), 1985.

The Train Stops Here, Collins (London, England), 1985.

Once There Was a House: And You Can Make It!, illustrated by Robert Bartelt, Collins (London, England), 1986, Random House (New York, NY), 1987.

Once There Was a Knight: And You Can Be One Too!, illustrated by Robert Bartelt, Collins (London, England), 1987, Random House (New York, NY), 1988.

Make, Bake, Grow, and Sew, illustrated by Judy Bastyra, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1989.

Mrs. Mary Malarky's Seven Cats, illustrated by Denise Teasdale, ABC (London, England), 1989, Orchard (New York, NY), 1990.

The Little Train, illustrated by Robert Kendall, ABC (London, England), 1989, Orchard (New York, NY), 1990.

The Tree, illustrated by Alison Wisenfeld, C.N. Potter (New York, NY), 1990.

My Own Story Book, ABC (London, England), 1990.

The Sleepy Book: A Lullaby, illustrated by Patrice Aggs, ABC (London, England), 1990, Orchard (New York, NY), 1991.

Uncle Harold and the Green Hat, illustrated by Peter Utton, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1991.

How Many Twos?, illustrated by Steve Bland, ABC (London, England), 1991.

My Own Fairy Story Book, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Kingfisher (London, England), 1991.

Soft and Noisy, illustrated by Patrice Aggs, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1992.

Zoom on a Broom! Six Fun-filled Stories, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1992.

What If It's a Pirate?, illustrated by Selina Young, ABC (London, England), 1992, published as Maybe It's a Pirate, Thomasson-Grant (Charlottesville, VA), 1992.

A Piece of String Is a Wonderful Thing, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1993.

Robbers and Witches, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Kingfisher (London, England), 1993.

Giants and Princesses, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Kingfisher (London, England), 1993.

Feathery Furry Tales, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Kingfisher (London, England), 1993.

Into the Jungle, illustrated by Melanie Epps, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1994.

The Wheeling and Whirling-around Book, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1994.

Funny Walks, illustrated by Alex Ayliffe, BridgeWater Books (Mahwah, NJ), 1994.

One by One, illustrated by Nick Sharratt, Walker (London, England), 1994, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.

Little and Big, illustrated by Nick Sharratt, Walker (London, England), 1994, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.

Crazy ABC, illustrated by Nick Sharratt, Walker (London, England), 1994, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.

Princess Rosa's Winter, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain, Kingfisher (Boston, MA), 1997.

A Song of Colors, illustrated by Mike Bostock, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1998.

Ten Bright Eyes, illustrated by Alison Bartlett, Peachtree (Atlanta, GA), 1998.

The Best Thing about a Puppy, illustrated by Pat Casey, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1998.

Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes: A First Book All about You, illustrated by Brita Granström, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1999.

Hurry, Scurry, Mousie, Reader's Digest (Pleasantville, NY), 1999.

Leap, Froggie, Leap!, Reader's Digest (Pleasantville, NY), 1999.

The Perfect Little Monster, illustrated by Jonathan Lycett-Smith, Walker (London, England), 2000, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2001.

The Little Book of Cats, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain, Red Fox (London, England), 2000.

Mama, Did You Miss Me?, Bloomsbury (London, England), 2001.

The Best Thing about a Kitten, Walker (London, England), 2001.

Dogs Are My Favorite Things, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain, Random House (New York, NY), 2001.

What's in Baby's Morning?, illustrated by Jo Burroughs, Walker (London, England), 2001, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

The Very Silly Duck, Walker (London, England), 2001.

Rosy's House, illustrated by Helen Craig, Walker (London, England), 2001.

Does a Cow Say Boo?, illustrated by Brita Granström, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

Do like a Duck Does!, illustrated by Ivan Bates, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

Rosy's Visitors, illustrated by Helen Craig, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

Can You Move like an Elephant?, illustrated by Manya Stojic, Barron's Educational (Hauppauge, NY), 2003.

Sleepy Places, illustrated by Tor Freeman, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2006.

Baby Talk: A Book of First Words and Phrases, illustrated by Brita Granström, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2006.

Contributor to books, including Bedtime Stories for the Very Young, Kingfisher, 1991; The Crocodile Book, Hutchinson, 1992; Animal Stories for the Very Young, Kingfisher, 1994; and Pirates, Transworld, 1999.

Sidelights

Judy Hindley is the author of numerous books for young children. Her works range from toddler-sized volumes that teach the basics of color, shape, and size to stories focusing on the interests and concerns of slightly older children. In Sleepy Places her readers discover where each of Earth's creatures rest, while life in exotic locations is showcased in the pages of In the Jungle. Princess Rosa's Winter, a beginning reader also penned by Hindley, even smuggles a history lesson into its engaging storyline about a young girl attempting to overcome her dislike of winter. According to Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper, "despite its easy style" Hindley's tale successfully introduces children to the ups and downs of life as it was lived in the Middle Ages. Enhanced by illustrations by artists such as Nick Sharratt, Toni Goffe, and Margaret Chamberlain, Hindley's nonfiction books and story picture books are written in "a lean rhythmic prose," according to a Kirkus Reviews writer.

While growing up in the United States, Hindley channeled her active imagination into games of pretend, into a love of reading, and into performing off-the-cuff plays with her friends. She moved to England after she married, and began her writing career while raising her two children. As the author explained on the Walker Books Web site, "I was very happy when I started working on children's books because although it can be very hard work, sometimes it's just like making things up—except that you get something real in the end."

In stories such as The Perfect Little Monster and Rosy's Visitors Hindley draws on the imaginary games that filled her own childhood years. Related in a "lively, rhythmic text [that] is well suited to reading aloud," The Perfect Little Monster introduces a baby that scowls and yells and behaves in every way like every parent's nightmare … except that in this case the doting parents are monsters themselves. Focusing on a little girl who creates an imaginary world within a stone's throw of her home's back door, Rosy's Visitors was praised as a "sweet, summery tale" by Booklist reviewer GraceAnne A. DeCandido. The author "deftly expresses a child's delight in secret places, cozy nooks, and role-play," noted a Kirkus Reviews contributor, and School Library Journal critic Laurie Von Mehren deemed Rosy's Visitors a "peaceful" tale that creates "a sweet, gentle mood" when paired with Helen Craig's warm-toned illustrations.

Reflecting Hindley's enjoyment in making things up, many of her stories feature animal characters that exhibit likeable human characteristics. In Do like a Duck Does!, for example, a fox pretends to be a duck and tag along with a family of ducklings in the hopes that he will end up with a snack. While putting this new duckling through its paces, Mama Duck sees through the fox's ploy, as will young readers. As Joy Fleishhacker remarked in her School Library Journal review, although "tension builds throughout the story, … the tone remains light, and there is never any doubt that Mama Duck has things firmly under control." In a Booklist review of Do like a Duck Does!, Ilene Cooper noted that the story features "a clever premise, a bouncy text, and sunny, funny pictures" by illustrator Ivan Bates, while a Kirkus Reviews writer concluded that the "rhyming text filled with repetitive phrases make" Hindley's picture book "a natural for reading aloud."

In addition to taking on unusual characteristics, animals can also act predictably like animals in Hindley's stories Does a Cow Say Boo?, Sleepy Places, and Mrs. Mary Malarky's Seven Cats. In Does a Cow Say Boo?, featuring pencil-and-watercolor artwork by Brita Granström, Hindley creates a series of rhymes that build into an animal chorus and present readers with what a Kirkus Reviews writer deemed "a fresh approach to a popular topic." Mrs. Mary Malarky's Seven Cats—a "warm, cozy story" that School Library Journal contributor Susan Hepler predicted would find a satisfied audience among "owners of cats, stuffed or real"—finds a little boy quizing his babysitter about the seven cats that have temporarily decided to share the woman's home. On her next visit, Mrs. Malarky informs her quizzical charge that all the cats but one have moved on. The boy is sad that Mrs. Malarky must be alone in her quiet, lonely house … that is, until she shows him a picture of the remaining cat, surrounded by its litter of young kittens.

In The Best Thing about a Puppy a young boy catalogues his own puppy's good and bad points, but wisely concludes: "The best thing is, a puppy is a friend." Praising the book's simple text, Maura Bresnahan noted in her appraisal for School Library Journal that "children will be charmed by the antics of [the] … lovable pup" that scampers through the pages of Hindley's "inviting" tale. A Kirkus Reviews writer added that the author "masterfully captures the abundant energy and mischievousness" of the young dog as it becomes "the delight and exasperation of its new owner."

In Into the Jungle Hindley leads readers from their comfortable relationships with docile pets and takes them for a walk on the wild side. "When you go into the jungle, go carefully," Hindley warns in her engaging text. As her story unfolds, two children wander through an imaginary jungle, surrounded by unseen beasts: chimps, tigers, crocodiles, and exotic birds. "The exuberance and the suspense and the wondering of what jungle creature to expect all combine to make this conversation book a delight," pronounced Cynthia Anthony in a review of Into the Jungle for Magpies.

The Big Red Bus and The Little Train find Hindley focusing on vehicles rather than animals. In The Big Red Bus the trusty bus gets one of its wheels stuck in a deep pothole. Soon, a line of cars is stopped behind the bus, until a tractor helps the bus out of its predicament and a truck and steamroller repair the pothole. School Library Journal contributor Martha Topol deemed The Big Red Bus a story that "begs to be read aloud … to toddlers who … won't be able to resist participating." A Books for Keeps reviewer called Hindley's work "a clearly told, lively story" that is "ideal for storytelling time." Similarly, The Little Train was praised by School Library Journal reviewer Jeanne Marie Clancy for being "lyrically told in a language both simple and spare."

In addition to picture books, Hindley has created several toddler "concept" books that showcase her abilities as a poet. In A Song of Colors she focuses her rhythmic verses on twelve different colors: blue for dragonflies, red for poppies and cherries, and the like. The concept of counting is introduced in both One by One and Ten Bright Eyes. "The simple rhyming text works wonderfully with the eye-catching, childlike pictures," commented School Library Journal contributor Rachel Fox of the collaboration between Hindley and artist Alison Bartlett that resulted in Ten Bright Eyes. Another valuable introduction to basic concepts, Baby Talk: A Book of First Words and Phrases follows a young child throughout one day, pairing a "bouncy rhyme" in which Hindley features familiar objects such as "blanket" and "bath" with Granström's "adorable" artwork to build beginning vocabularies, according to Cooper. "Toddlers will enjoy pointing out familiar items," wrote Horn Book reviewer Bridget T. McCaffrey of the work.

Among the most interesting of Hindley's books for young people are those that inspire curiosity and encourage creativity. In Once There Was a House: And You Can Make It! she joins designer Gregg Reyes in demonstrating how to construct a house—in fact, a whole town—out of discarded cardboard boxes, tape, plastic detergent bottles, old newspapers, and other commonplace materials. Praising Once There Was a House as ideal for children with "bounce and initiative," Growing Point reviewer Margery Fisher voiced similar approval for the companion volume Once There Was a Knight: And You Can Be One Too! In this volume, Hindley and Reyes introduce a boy and girl who create their own mini Renaissance Fair, complete with jousting knights, a terrifying dragon, and a king and queen. "Illustrations … show the busy young … exercising imagination and ingenuity," commented Fisher, the critic noting in particular the historical accuracy of the crafts presented. Other idea books for creative-minded young readers that Hindley has authored include Make, Bake, Grow, and Sew, which teaches basic skills for everything from sewing on a button to building simple wood furniture.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August, 1994, Mary Harris Veeder, review of Into the Jungle, p. 2048; October 15, 1995, Hazel Rochman, review of The Big Red Bus, p. 411; November 1, 1998, Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Best Thing about a Puppy, p. 502; January 1, 2000, review of Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes: A First Book about You, p. 824; March 1, 2002, Ilene Cooper, review of Do like a Duck Does!, p. 1133; May 1, 2002, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of Rosy's Visitors, p. 1533; June 1, 2002, Diane Foote, review of Does a Cow Say Boo?, p. 1738; September 15, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of What's in Baby's Morning?, p. 250; March 15, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Princess Rosa's Winter, p. 1299; February 15, 2006, Ilene Cooper, review of Baby Talk: A Book of First Words and Phrases, p. 102; April 15, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review of Sleepy Places, p. 51.

Books for Keeps, November, 1986, review of Once There Was a House: And You Can Make It!, pp. 20-21; May, 1993, review of A Piece of String Is a Wonderful Thing, p. 4; November, 1995, review of Into the Jungle, p. 6; March, 1996, review of Crazy ABC, p. 6; November, 1996, review of The Big Red Bus, p. 6; September, 1998, Judith Sharman, review of The Best Thing about a Puppy, pp. 19-20.

Books for Your Children, spring, 1985, Margaret Carter, review of Animal Parade, p. 14; autumn-winter, 1990, p. 23.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May, 1993, Betsy Hearne, review of A Piece of String Is a Wonderful Thing, p. 274; September, 1994, review of The Wheeling and Whirling-around Book, p. 14; April, 2002, review of Do like a Duck Does!, p. 282; October, 2002, review of Does a Cow Say Boo?, p. 60; August, 2006, Deborah Stevenson, review of Sleepy Places, p. 500.

Growing Point, September, 1976, review of How Your Body Works, p. 2947; March, 1980, review of The Counting Book, p. 3663; September, 1986, review of Once There Was a House, p. 4685; November, 1987, Margery Fisher, review of Once There Was a Knight: And You Can Be One Too!, p. 4891.

Horn Book, May-June, 2006, Bridget T. McCaffrey, review of Baby Talk, p. 297.

Junior Bookshelf, June, 1990, review of Make, Bake, Grow, and Sew, p. 135; October, 1990, review of The Tree, p. 221; December, 1994, review of Crazy ABC, p. 215.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 1995, review of The Big Red Bus, pp. 1188-1189; August 1, 1998, review of The Best Thing about a Puppy, p. 1118; May 15, 1999, review of Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes, p. 801; January 15, 2002, review of Do like a Duck Does!, p. 105; May 1, 2002, review of Rosy's Visitors and Does a Cow Say Boo?, p. 656; July 1, 2004, review of What's in Baby's Morning?, p. 630; March 15, 2006, review of Baby Talk, p. 292; April 15, 2006, review of Sleepy Places, p. 407.

Magpies, March, 1995, Cynthia Anthony, review of Into the Jungle, p. 21.

Publishers Weekly, February 9, 1990, Diane Roback, review of Mrs. Mary Malarky's Seven Cats, p. 59; November 9, 1992, review of Maybe It's a Pirate, p. 82; June 27, 1994, review of Into the Jungle, p. 76; March 2, 1998, review of A Song of Colors, p. 68; June 21, 1999, review of Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes, p. 66; December 4, 2000, review of The Perfect Little Monster, p. 72; January 28, 2002, review of Do like a Duck Does!, p. 289; March, 20, 2002, review of Rosy's Visitors, p. 64; May 13, 2002, review of Does a Cow Say Boo?, p. 69; July 12, 2004, review of What's in Baby's Morning?, p. 62; April 17, 2006, review of Sleepy Places, p. 186.

School Librarian, winter, 2003, review of Can You Move like an Elephant?, p. 187.

School Library Journal, March, 1990, Susan Hepler, review of Mrs. Mary Malarky's Seven Cats, p. 193; August, 1990, Jeanne Marie Clancy, review of The Little Train, p. 130; January, 1992, Lori A. Janick, review of Uncle Harold and the Green Hat, p. 90; May, 1992, Judith Gloyer, review of The Sleepy Book, p. 89; July, 1992, Nancy A. Gifford, review of How Many Twos?, p. 69; November, 1992, Jody McCoy, review of Zoom on a Broom!, p. 71; February, 1993, Nancy Seiner, review of Soft and Noisy, pp. 83-84; July, 1993, Patricia Pearl Doyle, review of A Piece of String Is a Wonderful Thing, p. 79; September, 1994, Patricia Pearl, review of Funny Walks, p. 186; January, 1995, Sandra Welzenbach, review of The Wheeling and Whirling-around Book, p. 104; January, 1996, Martha Topol, review of The Big Red Bus, p. 85; May, 1998, Lauralyn Persson, review of A Song of Colors, p. 113; October, 1998, Maura Bresnahan, review of The Best Thing about a Puppy, p. 102; November, 1998, Rachel Fox, review of Ten Bright Eyes, p. 86; July, 1999, Olga R. Barnes, review of Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes, p. 73; June, 2001, Melinda Piehler, review of The Perfect Little Monster, p. 118; April, 2002, Joy Fleishhacker, review of Do like a Duck Does!, p. 112; August, 2002, Laurie Von Mehren, review of Rosy's Visitors, p. 158; September, 2002, Amy Lilien-Harper, review of Does a Cow Say Boo?, p. 194; March, 2006, Gay Lynn Van Vleck, review of Baby Talk, p. 192.