Lloyd-Jones, Sally 1960-

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Lloyd-Jones, Sally 1960-

Personal

Born 1960, in Kampala, Uganda; moved to United States, 1989. Education: Sussex University, degree (art history and French); attended Sorbonne IV, University of Paris. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Distance running, photography, movies, sailing, biking.

Addresses

Home and office—New York, NY. E-mail—sallylj@mac.com.

Career

Author and editor. Oxford University Press, London, England, editorial assistant; Octopus Books, Michelin House, London, editor; Reader's Digest, New York, NY, publisher of Christian children's book list until 2000; full-time writer, beginning 2000.

Member

Authors Guild, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Awards, Honors

Golden Book Award, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, for Baby's First Bible.

Writings

EDITOR AND DEVISER; NOVELTY-FORMAT BOOKS

Hidden Toys, illustrated by Amanda Leslie, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1989.

Who Can I Call?, illustrated by Paul Harvey, Egmont Children's Books (London, England), 1992.

What Do Ducklings Do?, illustrated by Paul Harvey and Amy Wulfing, Broadman & Holman (Nashville, TN), 1992.

Friends of God: Moving Picture Book, illustrated by Nancy Pistone, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1993.

The Hippo's Adventure Bible Playtime Book, illustrated by Bari Weissman, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1993.

In the Beginning: Moving Picture Book, illustrated by Nancy Pistone, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1993.

Three Special Journeys, illustrated by Bari Weissman, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1993.

Bible Stories: Reusable Stickers, illustrated by Stuart Trotter, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1994.

(With Etta Wilson) Bible Encyclopedia: A First Reference Book, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1995.

The Lord Is My Shepherd, Random House (New York, NY), 1995.

The Lord's Prayer, illustrated by Chris Demarest, Random House (New York, NY), 1995.

David and Goliath, illustrated by Don Page, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 1995.

Moses in the Bulrushes, illustrated by Don Page, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 1996.

(With Wendy Lloyd-Jones) Noah and the Ark Board Book, illustrated by Toni Goffe, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1997.

Noah's Ark: With Catholic Scripture, illustrated by Tracey Moroney, Regina Books (Claremont, CA), 1999.

What Do You Eat?, illustrated by Rick Brown, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1999.

Where Do You Live?, illustrated by Rick Brown, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1999.

Noah's Ark: A Little Bible Playbook about Trust, illustrated by Tracey Moroney, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 1999.

The Whale's Tale Bible Playtime Book, illustrated by Bari Weissman, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 2000.

Jesus Is Born, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 2000.

The Wise Men, illustrated by Maureen Roffey, Concordia Publishing House, (St. Louis, MO), 2000.

How Big Is God's Love: A Soft-Edges Photo Frame Book, Standard Publishing Company (Cincinnati, OH), 2000.

My First Magnetic Numbers: 24-Page Activity Book (includes magnets), illustrated by Sue Cong, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 2000.

Noah, illustrated by Maureen Roffey, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 2000.

(With Thomas Kinkade) Colors, Tommy Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(With Thomas Kinkade) Numbers, Tommy Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(With Thomas Kinkade) Shapes, Tommy Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(With Thomas Kinkade) Animals, Tommy Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2001.

Farmyard Boogie, illustrated by Simone Abel, Silver Dolphin (Berkeley, CA), 2001.

Jungle Jive, illustrated by Simone Abel, Silver Dolphin (Berkeley, CA), 2001.

Who Says That, illustrated by Tracy Moroney, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 2001.

My Promise Rainbow, illustrated by Patricia Jennings, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 2002.

I Can Talk to God!, illustrated by Linda Clearwater, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 2002.

(Editor) My Merry Christmas, and the Real Reason for Christmas Joy, illustrated by Linda Clearwater, Standard Publishing (Cincinnati, OH), 2003.

Sweet Dreams, illustrated by Patricia Jennings, Tyndale Kids (Carol Stream, IL), 2004.

Also creator of magnetic-board books, rhebus books, and other interactive books.

BIBLE STORYBOOKS; FOR CHILDREN

Baby's First Bible, illustrated by Colin and Moira MacLean, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 1997.

A Child's First Bible, illustrated by G. Brian Karas, Joshua Morris Pub. (Westport, CT), 1998.

The Lift-the-Flap Bible, illustrated by Tracy Moroney, Reader's Digest (Westport, CT), 1999.

[Image not available for copyright reasons]

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, illustrated by Jago, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2007.

Tiny Bear's Bible, illustrated by Jago, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2007.

CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS

Handbag Friends, illustrated by Sue Heap, David Fickling Books (Oxford, England), 2005, David Fickling (New York, NY), 2006.

Time to Say Goodnight, illustrated by Jane Chapman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2006.

Little One, We Knew You'd Come, illustrated by Jackie Morris, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2006.

Old MacNoah Had an Ark, illustrated by Jill Newton, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2007.

How to Be a Baby … By Me, the Big Sister, illustrated by Sue Heap, Schwartz & Wade (New York, NY), 2007.

Author's titles have been translated into over eleven languages, including Spanish, Korean, German, Dutch, and French.

Sidelights

A best-selling author for children, Sally Lloyd-Jones has penned over fifty books. As she explained to SATA, "I worked in children's publishing for several years, where my job was basically to come up with funny ideas for what books can do (pop, flap, bounce, rock, float, squeak, tick) and write stories and rhymes to go inside." In an online interview with Daniel William Cruver for Eucatastrophe, Lloyd-Jones commented on the craft of children's writing, particularly when retelling Bible stories, and noted that children's book authors are required to "distill everything down to its simplest form … using simple language [that] lets [the extraordinary] … through more powerfully."

As a Christian children's writer, Lloyd-Jones retells Biblical stories in a way that will encourage young children. In her Eucatastrophe interview, she discussed, in particular, her objective in creating The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. "Throughout the mapping out of the book and writing the stories," she noted, "I was resolute in my determination to avoid even a whiff of moralizing in terms of applying the stories." Instead, Lloyd-Jones' Biblical storybook emphasizes the narrative aspects of the Bible so that young readers can "meet this wonderful Hero in [its] … pages."

In 2000 Lloyd-Jones left publishing to write full time. "My job now is to tell stories," she noted. "You mostly get into trouble for that when you're little, but when you're a grown-up you can get away with it—sometimes even get paid to do it! So far I seem to be getting away with it."

Since leaving publishing, Lloyd-Jones now predominately writes children's literature for the general market. Her picture book Time to Say Goodnight, for example, depicts the nightly ritual of an assortment of forest-animal children as they prepare to go to bed. Writing in verse, Lloyd-Jones weaves "rhythmic, even hypnotic language" that Booklist reviewer Karin Snelson noted will calm young children. School Library Journal reviewer Robin L. Gibson dubbed the book a "a sweet rhyming story," and a Publishers Weekly critic praised "the soothing predictability" of Lloyd-Jones' rhythmic text.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 1, 2006, Karin Snelson, review of Time to Say Goodnight, p. 56; November 15, 2006, Ilene Cooper, review of How to Be a Baby … By Me the Big Sister, p. 44.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April, 2007, review of How to Be a Baby … By Me the Big Sister.

Horn Book, January-February, 2007, review of How to Be a Baby … By Me the Big Sister.

Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2006, review of Time to Say Goodnight, p. 186; November 1, 2006, review of Little One, We Knew You'd Come, p. 113; January 15, 2007, review of How to Be a Baby … By Me the Big Sister.

Publishers Weekly, August 30, 1999, reviews of What Do You Eat?, and A Child's Garden of Verses, both p. 77; February 13, 2006, review of Time to Say Goodnight, p. 88; September 25, 2006, review of Little One, We Knew You'd Come, p. 70.

New York Times Book Review, May 13, 2007, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, review of How to Be a Baby … By Me the Big Sister.

School Library Journal, March, 2006, Robin L. Gibson, review of Time to Say Goodnight, p. 196; October, 2006, Eva Mitnick, review of Little One, We Knew You'd Come, p. 97; February, 2007, Linda L. Walkins, review of How to Be a Baby … By Me the Big Sister.