Jan Brett

Jan Brett

Jan Brett in Nunavut, Canada at the Arctic Circle researching her book The Three Snow Bears, 2007
Born December 1, 1949 (1949-12-01) (age 62)
Norwell, Massachusetts
Occupation author
Language English
Nationality American
Genres children's books
Notable work(s) Annie and the Wild Animals
The Hat
The Mitten
www.janbrett.com

Jan Brett (born December 1, 1949) is a best-selling American author/illustrator of childrens' books. Her books are known for colorful, detailed depictions of a wide variety of animals and human cultures ranging from Scandinavia to Africa. Her best-known titles include The Hat, The Mitten, The Three Snow Bears and Gingerbread Baby.

Contents

Style

Brett has often used illustrated borders in her artwork that show readers what will happen later on in the story. According to Brett, her editor initially discouraged her from including borders, but had a much different reaction when he saw that they served a purpose beyond the decorative.[1]

Reception

She was awarded the Boston Public Library's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Her books have been chosen as "Best Children's Books of the Year" by Newsweek, The New Yorker, Parents magazine, and Redbook.

Of Brett's Noah's Ark, PBS Parents said that Parents and their children "will spend many happy hours with this book—identifying the animals and birds on each lavishly illustrated page and rereading the simple, sweet story." [2] In Children's Books in Children's Hands, Temple, Martinez, Yokota, and Naylor include Annie and the Wild Animals and The Mitten in a list of recommended picture books.[3]

Awards and Best Seller Lists

Personal awards

Book awards

2010s
2000s
1990s
1980s

Publishing history

References

  1. ^ "Jan Brett". PBS Parents. PBS. 2003. http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/articles/authorfocus/janbrett.html. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  2. ^ "Books by Jan Brett". PBS Parents. PBS. 2003. http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/articles/authorfocus/janbrett_books.html. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  3. ^ Temple, Charles; Martinez, Miriam; Yokota, Junko; Naylor, Alice (1998). Children's Books in Children's Hands: An Introduction to Their Literature. With contributions by Evelyn B. Freeman and Joy Moss. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. p. 213. ISBN 0-205-16995-3. 

External links