Judith schachner biography

Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Judy was eight years old. Growing up, she struggled with anxiety and drawing was her way to cope with it.

Judith schachner biography

Judy was having difficulties in school, as well. All through her early schooling, Judy did not excel in mathematics and science. Her teachers would constantly comment on how shy Judy was. However, her teachers and classmates did notice she had a very good artistic eye. When she was little, she would draw quite a bit. She had a very lively imagination and spent most of her childhood dreaming of a better life for herself and her family.

The life of early-nineteenth-century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson may seem like an unlikely subject for a picture book, but in Mr. Emerson's Cook Schachner inspires interest in the quirky visionary and his family. Her story focuses on Emerson's young Irish immigrant cook, Annie Burns, who learns to see the world through a poet's eyes while facing challenges in Emerson's kitchen.

Based on memories of Schachner's great grandmother, Mr. Emerson's Cook features what Helen Rosenberg described in Booklist as a "whimsical story filled with imagination and poetic imagery. Inspired by a favorite family pet and Schachner's obvious love of cats, The Grannyman tells a poignant tale about Simon an elderly kitty whose long naps are full of dreams of his far friskier days.

Those naps are disrupted, however, when his concerned human family decides that a new kitten will give Simon something to care for. Beginning by constructing a Viking helmet from tinfoil, the newly renamed "Emma the Red" hopes to extend her Viking fantasy even further when she learns that someone is selling a scale model of a Viking ship that is large enough to hold Emma and several of her friends.

Tell us about your background and how you came to write for children. I can honestly say that his talk that day set me on the path of pursuing my dream career. And I was about to have my second daughter Sarah. When Sarah entered first grade, I decided to put a portfolio together and take it around to a few of my favorite publishers in New York.

As it turned out, that was excellent training for becoming a writer and illustrator of kids' books. That, and finding a great editor. She surrounds herself with things that inspire her while she works. Some of the things in her studio include toys, textiles, and taxidermy. A lot of her books have characters based on people in her life, such as her children.

She is best known for her book series, Skippyjon Jones. Skippyjon Jones is inspired by her own cat and her brothers, Ted and Kevin. The book contains many instances of mock Spanish and has received some negative reviews because of it.