O'Malley, Kevin 1961–

(Patrick Joseph)

Personal

Born 1961; married; wife's name Dana; children: Connor, Noah.

Addresses

Home and office—Baltimore, MD. Agent—Melissa Turk, 9 Babbling Brook Ln., Suffern, NY 10901. E-mail—komalley@comcast.net.

Career

Author and illustrator.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Let's Sing about America, Troll Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1993.

Who Killed Cock Robin?, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1993.

The Box, Stewart, Tabori & Chang (New York, NY), 1993.

There Was a Crooked Man, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1995.

Roller Coaster, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Carl Caught a Flying Fish, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1996.

Velcome, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 1997.

Leo Cockroach—Toy Tester, Walker & Company and Co. (New York, NY), 1999.

Bud, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2000.

Humpty Dumpty Egg-Splodes, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2001.

Little Buggy, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Mount Olympus Basketball, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2003.

Little Buggy Runs Away, Gulliver Books (San Diego, CA), 2003.

Straight to the Pole, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2003.

Lucky Leaf, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2004.

Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2005.

Once upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2005.

Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2007.

Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR

Joanne Oppenheim, Row, Row, Row Your Boa, Bantam (New York, NY), 1993.

John Schindel, What's for Lunch?, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1994.

Ellen B. Jackson, Cinder Edna, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1994.

JoAnn Vandine, Run! Run!, Mondo (Greenvale, NY), 1995.

Judy Finchler, Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 1995.

Stuart J. Murphy, Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

Robert Kraus, Big Squeak, Little Squeak, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1996.

David A. Adler, Chanukah in Chelm, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1997.

Dan Harder, Colliding with Chris, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 1997.

Phyllis Root, Rosie's Fiddle, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1997.

Jonathan London, The Candystore Man, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1998.

Franklyn Mansfield Branley, The Planets in Our Solar System, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Betty Ren Wright, Pet Detectives!, BridgeWater Books (Mahwah, NJ), 1999.

Michael O. Tunnell, Halloween Pie, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1999.

Debbie Dadey, King of the Kooties, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 1999.

Stuart J. Murphy, Jump, Kangaroo, Jump, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Ellen A. Kelley, The Lucky Lizard, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Judy Finchler, Testing Miss Malarkey, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2000.

Judy Finchler, Miss Malarkey Won't Be in Today, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2000.

Joseph E. Wallace, Big and Noisy Simon, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2001.

Stuart J. Murphy, Dinosaur Deals, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

John W. Stewigh, Making Plum Jam, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2002.

Gordon Snell, Twelve Days: A Christmas Countdown, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Judy Finchler, You're a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2002.

Judy Finchler, Miss Malarkey's Field Trip, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2004.

Denise Brennan-Nelson, Someday Is Not a Day of the Week, Sleeping Bear Press (Chelsea, MI), 2005.

Susan Pearson, Slugs in Love, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2006.

Marjorie Dennis Murray, Hippo Goes Bananas!, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2006.

Judy Finchler, Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2006.

Paul Many, Dad's Bald Head, Walker & Company (New York, NY), 2007.

Phyllis Root, Paula Bunyan, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY), 2009.

ILLUSTRATOR; UNDER NAME PATRICK JOSEPH

Kathryn Heling, Mouse Makes Magic: A Phonics Reader, Random House (New York, NY), 2002.

Kathryn Heling, Mouse Makes Words: A Phonics Reader, Random House (New York, NY), 2002.

Kathryn Heling, Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words: A Phonics Reader, Random House (New York, NY), 2003.

Sidelights

Baltimore, Maryland-based author and illustrator Kevin O'Malley began drawing as a child, inspired by the illustrations in Maurice Sendak's groundbreaking children's book Where the Wild Things Are. A prolific author and artist who utilizes a variety of mediums and styles in his illustrations, O'Malley has contributed artwork to books by writers such as Judy Finchler, Michael O. Tunnell, and Paul Many. O'Malley has also created original titles such as Straight to the Pole, Lucky Leaf, and Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share, all of which feature humor and upbeat endings. In the words of Janice M. Del Negro, writing in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "O'Malley infuses his mixed-media images with an inherent liveliness and raucous personality that demand attention."

Described as a "simple story" about forgiveness by Booklist reviewer Gillian Engberg, Little Buggy Runs Away finds a young beetle known as Little Buggy determined to run away from home after a fight with Big Buggy. However, despite the help of two friendly ants, the outside world—and a scary lightning storm—proves too intimidating, and Little Buggy eventually learns to put his small disagreement into perspective and decides to return home. home. "Children will easily recognize the bugs' roiling emotions, which O'Malley expertly captures in his characters' faces, and the supporting cast's humorous asides, printed in dialogue bubbles, will elicit some giggles" commented Engberg. "O'Malley's wise decision to start the story after Little Buggy has run away allows youngsters to identify with the diminutive hero's feelings rather than his circumstances," noted a Publishers Weekly critic, adding that the author/illustrator's "Slick visuals, broad humor and … warm-hearted portrayal of helpful friends" make Little Buggy a likeable hero for the read-aloud crowd.

A lesson in stick-to-it-iveness illustrated in comic-book fashion, complete with dialogue balloons and digitized color blocks, Lucky Leaf finds a young video gamester shooed out of doors on a fall day by his parents. Accompanied by the family dog, the boy soon links up with a group of friends who have met the same fate. After a period of boredom, the group decides that a lone leaf hanging in an otherwise bare tree will bring good luck to whichever boy catches it when it falls. Noting that "there's more going on in the pictures than O'Malley's text would indicate," a Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that video-game fans will "feel right at home in the comic-book format." Predicting that the book's graphic design will attract even reluctant readers, a Publishers Weekly reviewer concluded that with Lucky Leaf "O'Malley delivers another triumph for the kids who have to be dragged kicking and screaming away from their action figures and video games."

An intrepid dinosaur from Planet Jurassica leads a mission into space in Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery. After spotting a bright flash on Eon, Captain Raptor and his reptilian crew board his ship, the Megatooth, to investigate and soon find themselves battling a giant octopus and laser-equipped astronauts. According to a Publishers Weekly critic, O'Malley "gamely alternates between hysteria-tinged suspense … and gallantry …, with plenty of time out for pyrotechnics." A contributor in Kirkus Reviews also complimented the story, stating that young readers "will roar with approval." In a companion volume, Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates, the captain and crew must track down the scala-

wags who stole precious jewels from Jurassica. "Few readers—reluctant or otherwise—will be able to resist this clever mix of dinosaurs, pirates, and science fiction," observed Mary Jean Smith in School Library Journal.

O'Malley's pun-filled Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share centers on the efforts of Chicken to locate a barn that houses buried treasure—cracked corn. With his friend, George the rooster, Chicken undertakes a journey that requires him to cross a road, evade a hawk, and bargain with a great pink pig. The work garnered praise for both its text and its illustrations. "Much of the art has the look of woodcuts, with an appealing heft and depth to it," noted Ilene Cooper in Booklist. "O'Malley hatches every fowl joke and riddle and then some," stated a critic in Kirkus Reviews, and Betty Carter remarked in Horn Book that "this corny story will tickle many a funny bone, eggsactly its intention."

In addition to his self-illustrated titles, O'Malley has provided the artwork for numerous books by other writers. He has teamed with Finchler on a popular series about Miss Malarkey, a spunky elementary school teacher. In Testing Miss Malarkey, the educator prepares her students for a battery of standardized tests as the school community becomes increasingly frazzled. "O'Malley's colorful cartoons extend the slapstick, over-the-top humor." Kate McClelland remarked in School Library Journal. The teacher bravely agrees to coach a youth soccer team in You're a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey. "The text is well served by O'Malley's lively illustrations," noted Booklist critic Shelley Townsend-Hudson.

Slugs in Love, a work by Susan Pearson, follows the budding romance between a pair of slimy creatures. Though shy Marylou piques Herbie's interest with her wonderful love letters, his efforts to respond always fail to catch her attention, until he devises a clever solution to his problem. "Bright, clear cartoon artwork provides a slug's-eye view of the garden and its inhabitants," wrote School Library Journal reviewer Amanda Moss, and a Publishers Weekly contributor noted that O'Malley "endows the community of slugs with a variety of expressions both whimsical and witty." In Paul Many's Dad's Bald Head, a young boy learns to accept his father's strange new appearance. "The calm, smiling figures in O'Malley's pictures echo Many's laid-back tone," a Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked, and Rachel G. Payne observed in School Library Journal that O'Malley's illustrations "are animated and mesh well with the buoyant text."

Although he notes that the career of an illustrator can be difficult at times, O'Malley derives great pleasure from his work. As he told Underdown.org interviewer Anna Olswanger, "I would love to do this forever because when I get calls or letters from kids who say, ‘I am this person,’ or, ‘I love that book,’ that's the reward. That's the payoff."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 1998, April Judge, review of Miss Malarkey Won't Be in Today, p. 126; October 1, 2000, Marta Segal, review of Testing Miss Malarkey, p. 345; October 15, 2002, Shelley Townsend-Hudson, review of You're a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey, p. 411; May 1, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of Mount Olympus Basketball, p. 1594; November 15, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 602; September 15, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of Miss Malarkey's Field Trip, p. 248; July 1, 2006, Carolyn Phelan, review of Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind, p. 65; September 1, 2007, Todd Morning, review of Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates, p. 124; December 1, 2007, Ilene Cooper, review of Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share, p. 47.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March, 2000, Janice M. Del Negro, "True Blue: Kevin O'Malley."

Childhood Education, summer, 2003, Amy Livengood, review of You're a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey, p. 245.

Horn Book, January-February, 2008, Betty Carter, review of Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share, p. 77.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2002, review of You're A Good Sport, Miss Malarkey, p. 1128; August 15, 2003, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 1077; October 1, 2003, review of Straight to the Pole, p. 1228; July 1, 2004, review of Miss Malarkey's Field Trip, p. 628; August 15, 2004, review of Lucky Leaf, p. 810; March 1, 2005, review of Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery, p. 293; April 15, 2007, review of Dad's Bald Head; August 1, 2007, review of Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share.

Publishers Weekly, September 14, 1998, review of Miss Malarkey Won't Be In Today, p. 68; October 27, 2003, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 67; November 3, 2003, review of Straight to the Pole, p. 73; October 4, 2004, review of Lucky Leaf, p. 87; March 7, 2005, review of Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery, p. 68; December 4, 2006, review of Slugs in Love, p. 58.

School Library Journal, October, 2000, Kate McClelland, review of Testing Miss Malarkey, p. 124; May, 2003, Marge Loch-Wouters, review of Mount Olympus Basketball, p. 126; November, 2003, Joy Fleishhacker, review of Straight to the Pole, and Grace Oliff, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 112; March, 2004, Andrew Medlar, review of Mount Olympus Basketball, p. 67; November, 2004, Grace Oliff, review of Miss Malarkey's Field Trip, p. 103; August, 2006, Rebecca Sheridan, review of Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind, p. 81; March, 2007, Amanda Moss, review of Slugs in Love, p. 184; June, 2007, Rachel G. Payne, review of Dad's Bald Head, p. 115; September, 2007, Mary Jean Smith, review of Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates, p. 224.

ONLINE

Kevin O'Malley Home Page,http://www.booksbyomalley.com (August 1, 2008).

Underdown.org,http://www.underdown.org/ (August 1, 2008), Anna Olswanger, "Mr. O'Malley, Tie My Shoe: A Conversation with Picture Book Illustrator Kevin O'Malley.

O'MALLEY, Kevin 1961-

(Patrick Joseph)

Personal

Born 1961; married; wife's name Dara; children: Connor, Noah.

Addresses

Home— Baltimore, MD. Agent— c/o Author Mail, Walker & Company, 104 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011. E-mail— komalley@comcast.net.

Career

Author and illustrator.

Writings

Let's Sing about America, Troll Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1993.

Who Killed Cock Robin?, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1993.

The Box, Stewart, Tabori & Chang (New York, NY), 1993.

There Was a Crooked Man, Little Simon (New York, NY), 1995.

Roller Coaster, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Carl Caught a Flying Fish, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1996.

Velcome, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1997.

Leo Cockroach—Toy Tester, Walker and Co. (New York, NY), 1999.

Bud, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2000.

Humpty Dumpty Egg-Splodes, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2001.

Little Buggy, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2002.

Mount Olympus Basketball, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2003.

Little Buggy Runs Away, Gulliver Books (San Diego, CA), 2003.

Straight to the Pole, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2003.

Lucky Leaf, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2004.

Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2005.

Once upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2005.

ILLUSTRATOR

Joanne Oppenheim, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Bantam (New York, NY), 1993.

John Schindel, What's for Lunch?, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1994.

Ellen B. Jackson, Cinder Edna, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1994.

JoAnn Vandine, Run! Run!, Mondo Pub. (Greenvale, NY), 1995.

Judy Finchler, Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1995.

Stuart J. Murphy, Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

Robert Kraus, Big Squeak, Little Squeak, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1996.

David A. Adler, Chanukah in Chelm, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1997.

Dan Harder, Colliding with Chris, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 1997.

Phyllis Root, Rosie's Fiddle, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1997.

Jonathan London, The Candystore Man, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1998.

Franklyn Mansfield Branley, The Planets in Our Solar System, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Betty Ren Wright, Pet Detectives!, BridgeWater Books (Mahwah, NJ), 1999.

Michael O. Tunnell, Halloween Pie, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard (New York, NY), 1999.

Debbie Dadey, King of the Kooties, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1999.

Stuart J. Murphy, Jump, Kangaroo, Jump, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Ellen A. Kelley, The Lucky Lizard, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Judy Finchler, Testing Miss Malarkey, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2000.

Judy Finchler, Miss Malarkey Won't Be in Today, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2000.

Joseph E. Wallace, Big and Noisy Simon, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2001.

Stuart J. Murphy, Dinosaur Deals, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

John W. Stewigh, Making Plum Jam, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2002.

Gordon Snell, Twelve Days: A Christmas Countdown, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Judy Finchler, You're a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2002.

Judy Finchler, Miss Malarkey's Field Trip, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 2004.

ILLUSTRATOR; UNDER NAME PATRICK JOSEPH:

Kathryn Heling, Mouse Makes Magic: A Phonics Reader, Random House (New York, NY), 2002.

Kathryn Heling, Mouse Makes Words: A Phonics Reader, Random House (New York, NY), 2002.

Kathryn Heling, Mouse's Hide-and-Seek Words: A Phonics Reader, Random House (New York, NY), 2003.

Sidelights

Baltimore, Maryland-based author and illustrator Kevin O'Malley began drawing as a child, inspired by the illustrations in Maurice Sendak's groundbreaking children's book Where the Wild Things Are. A prolific author and artist who experiments in a variety of mediums and styles in his illustrations, O'Malley has contributed artwork to numerous books by authors such as Judy Fincher, Michael O. Tunnell, and David A. Adler. O'Malley has also created original titles such as Lucky Leaf, Straight to the Pole, Lucky Leaf, and Little Buggy Runs Away, all of which feature humor and an upbeat ending.

Described as a "simple story" about forgiveness by Booklist reviewer Gillian Engberg, Little Buggy Runs Away finds a young beetle known as Little Buggy determined to run away from home after a fight with Big Buggy. However, despite the help of two friendly ants, the outside world—and a scary lightning storm—proves too intimidating, and Little Buggy eventually learns to put his small disagreement into perspective and decides to return home. home. "Children will easily recognize the bugs' roiling emotions, which O'Malley expertly captures in his characters' faces, and the supporting cast's humorous asides, printed in dialogue bubbles, will elicit some giggles" commented Engberg. "O'Malley's wise decision to start the story after Little Buggy has run away allows youngsters to identify with the diminutive hero's feelings rather than his circumstances," noted a Publishers Weekly critic, adding that the author/illustrator's "Slick visuals, broad humor and . . . warm-hearted portrayal of helpful friends" make Little Buggy a likeable hero for the read-aloud crowd. A lesson in sticktoitiveness illustrated in comic-book fashion, complete with dialogue balloons and digitized color blocks, Lucky Leaf finds a young video gamester shooed out of doors on a fall day by his parents. Accompanied by the family dog, the boy soon links up with a group of friends who have met the same fate. After a period of boredom, the group decides that a lone leaf hanging in an otherwise bare tree will bring good luck to whichever boy catches it when it falls. Noting that "there's more going on in the pictures than O'Malley's text would indicate," a Kirkus reviewer wrote that video-game fans will "feel right at home in the comic-book format." Predicting that the book's graphic design will attract even reluctant readers, a Publishers Weekly contributor concluded that with Lucky Leaf "O'Malley delivers another triumph for the kids who have to be dragged kicking and screaming away from their action figures and video games."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 1, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of Mount Olympus Basketball, p. 1594; November 15, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 602; September 15, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of Miss Malarkey's Field Trip, p. 248.

Childhood Education, summer, 2003, Amy Livengood, review of You're a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey, p. 245.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2003, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 1077; October 1, 2003, review of Straight to the Pole, p. 1228; July 1, 2004, review of Miss Malarkey's Field Trip, p. 628; August 15, 2004, review of Lucky Leaf, p. 810.

Publishers Weekly, October 27, 2003, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 67; November 3, 2003, review of Straight to the Pole, p. 73; October 4, 2004, review of Lucky Leaf, p. 87.

School Library Journal, May, 2003, Marge Loch-Wouters, review of Mount Olympus Basketball, p. 126; November, 2003, Joy Fleishhacker, review of Straight to the Pole, and Grace Oliff, review of Little Buggy Runs Away, p. 112; March, 2004, Andrew Medlar, review of Mount Olympus Basketball, p. 67; April, 2004, review of Straight to the Pole, p. 26, and Mount Olympus Basketball, p. 39.

ONLINE

Embracing the Child Web site, http://www.embracingthechild.org/ (October 23, 2004), "Kevin O'Malley."

Kevin O'Malley Bookpage, http://www.mywebpages.comcast.net/komalley/ (October 23, 2004).

Underdown.org, http://www.underdown.org/ (October 23, 2004), interview with O'Malley.*