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David Shannon (born October 5, 1959) is an American writer and illustrator of
children's books A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...
. Shannon grew up in
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
. He graduated from the
Art Center College of Design The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California. It was incorporated in 1930 as a degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual arts and design. ...
and now resides in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. In 1998, he received the
Caldecott Honor The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...
for his '' No, David!''. He has also written '' A Bad Case of Stripes'', ''How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball'', and ''The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza''. Shannon illustrated Audrey Wood's ''The Bunyans'', Rafe Martin's ''The Rough Face Girl,'' various books by Jane Yolen, including ''The Ballad of the Pirate Queens'' and ''Encounter,'' as well as Melinda Long's ''How I Became a Pirate'' and ''Pirates Don't Change Diapers''.


Early life

Shannon was born in Washington, D.C., but he also spent his childhood in Spokane, Washington. In an interview with Sonia Bolle in the Children's Literature Review (CLR), he said, "I loved ''
Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...
'', but I liked the
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket and his nickname refers to his skill and cunning in that occupation. In the novel, he is the leader of th ...
more than Oliver. And I always thought the villains in
Disney movies Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
were really cool." Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Literature Resource Center via Gale Shannon said that this fondness for villains made him realize as a child that "you need both sides for a good story." As a student in high school, he decided early on that he wanted to have a career in an art field. Shannon enjoyed making his own illustrations to books that he was reading in high school. Shannon attended art school at the
Art Center College of Design The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California. It was incorporated in 1930 as a degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual arts and design. ...
in Pasadena, California, and decided to focus on learning about political illustrations. In 1983, Shannon moved to New York City and began working for various magazines and newspapers. Two of his major jobs were for the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and the ''
Book Review A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, an opinion piece, a summary review, or a scholarly view. B ...
''. These jobs brought Shannon's work increased exposure. His first book of illustrations was Julius Lester's ''How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have?'' (1989). Gale Thomson


Career

Shannon's first book was ''How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball'' (1994), where Shannon was able to incorporate his dark painting style, which came from his love of villains, with a story about baseball. Shannon's book ''No David!'' (1998) was named a Caldecott Honor Book in 1999. This book is the story of a mischievous child whose mother is always telling him 'no' But she reassures him at the end when she finally says, "Yes, David, I love you." According to a review in the CLR, "Readers won't be able to resist taking a walk on the wild side with this little rascal, and may only secretly acknowledge how much of him they recognize in themselves." Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Literature Resource Center via Gale Shannon followed ''No David! '' (1998) up with ''David Goes to School'' (1999) and ''David Gets in Trouble'' (2002). The latter was reviewed by Adele Greenlee, who stated that, "Children who enjoyed ''No, David!'' (1998) and ''David Goes to School'' (1999) will welcome this lighthearted sequel."


Style

An entry in the Eight Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators states, "Shannon tells his stories with vibrant, imaginative pictures. Working with acrylic paints, he creates characters and settings that both illustrate and expand the story being told. His artwork is richly colored, and the results can be funny, mischievous, ironic, sensational, spooky, serious, even epic." Shannon's work has been recognized by the ''American Library Association'' and the ''School Library Journal''. As Dwight Garner said, "David Shannon is among this country's most respected children's book illustrators; in a field that has nearly as many award ceremonies each year as the television industry does, Shannon has taken home most of their prizes..." Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Literature Resource Center via Gale. In ''The Rain Came Down'' (2000), an unexpected summer shower causes great chaos in a small neighborhood. This huge shower causes a line of temper tantrums, but when the clouds suddenly break, all of the sour moods go away. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Literature Resource Center via Gale A review for CLR said, "Shannon expertly uses vertiginous angles as he builds suspense, then calms things down with a set of subdued portraits and a view of a quiet afternoon picnic."


Awards

* ''How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball'' (1994) was on ''The New York Times'' list as one of the Ten Best Illustrated Books of 1994. * ''No David!'' (1998) was named as a Caldecott Honor Book, an
ALA Notable Children's Book American Library Association Notable lists are announced each year in January by various divisions within the American Library Association (ALA). There are six lists which are part of the larger ALA awards structure. * ''ALA Notable Books for Adu ...
, a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon title, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and was on the New York Times Best Illustrated Book list * ''The Rain Came Down'' (2001) was awarded the Golden Kite Award; * ''How I Became a Pirate'' (2003) received the Booksense Best Picture Book.


Personal life

Shannon lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Heidi, and his daughter, Emma (b. 1998). Shannon is working on the screenplay for ''Georgie Radbourn'', for a DreamWorks live-action film. He was born October 5, 1959. At the age of five, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were pictures of David doing things he was not supposed to do.


Bibliography


References


External links


Shannon
at publisher Scholastic Books * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon, David 1959 births Living people American children's book illustrators American children's writers Writers who illustrated their own writing