Illustrator StudyBeth VancilNov. 2013

David Catrow

• Born in 1952 in Richmond, Virginia and moved to Michigan just in time to start kindergarten.

• He started drawing at an early age. Instead of napping he would draw on his bed sheets with a red marker.

• As he grew up he continued to like drawing but his favorite subject was math…where he was often caught drawing.

• He attended Kent State University in Ohio and studied pre-med.

• He didn’t go to medical school but was a paramedic for 10 years.

Who Am I?

• While working as a paramedic he also worked as a free lance cartoonist for two newspapers.

• He started working for the Springfield News-Sun (Ohio) full time from 1984 and won several awards for his cartoon illustrations.

• His cartoons caught the attention of children’s book authors and in 1990 he illustrated his first book Attic Mice by Ethel Pochocki. (no longer in print).

• He left cartooning behind in 2008 and is now a full time author and illustrator.

• He has illustrated over 30 books for children and authored one in 2005 and a series in 2009-2011.

• He lives in Ohio with his wife, Deborah and they have two children.

A Career Change

• “Cornerstones of Freedom” Series by R. Conrad Stein (1983-1986) – the illustrations in this series are very different from the familiar ones today. (out of print)

• She’s Wearing a Dead Bird On Her Head! By Kathryn Lasky (1995). This book won Best Illustrated Book for the Year Selection, New York Times, in 1995.

Books He Has Illustrated

• Over the River and Through the Woods by Linda Maria Child (1996). Catrow takes this traditional song and shows New Yorkers trying to get to grandfather’s house through holiday traffic.

• The Emperor’s Old Clothes by Kathryn Lasky (1999) The author and illustrator team up again for a new twist on and old story. This book won Best Illustrated Book of the Year, New York Times, in 1999.

More Books

• Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell (2001). This is a story of young girl who despite her small size learns to believe in herself with the encouragement of her grandmother. David Catrow’s illustrations are done in pencil and watercolor and uses exaggerated but loveable looking characters. The team followed up this book with its newest story, Have Fun Molly Lou Melon (2012). In this story Molly doesn’t need fancy toys to have fun. She just needs her imagination and some odds and ends!

• David Catrow joined author Alan Katz in a series of books that contain new words for songs set to familiar tunes. They are great fun to sing and everyone enjoys a laugh with David’s humorous illustrations.

• Take Me Out of the Bathtub, and Other Silly Dilly Songs(2001).

• I’m Still in the Bathtub: Brand New Silly Dilly Songs (2003).

• Where Did They Hide My Presents?: Silly Dilly Christmas Songs (2004).

• Are You Quite Polite? Silly Dilly Manner Songs (2006).

• Too Much Kissing!: And Other Silly Dilly Songs About Parents (2009).

• Going, Going, Gone!: And Other Silly Dilly Sports Songs (2009).

• Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly School Songs (2010)

• Mosquitoes Are Ruining My Summer!: And Other Silly Dilly Camp Songs (2011).

• David tried his hand at writing in 2005 when he wrote and illustrated We The Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. He wanted to introduce students to the preamble and what it means. The only words are the exact words of the preamble and the illustrations provide the additional information in a comical way.

• David again took to writing in 2009 when he introduced Max – a wacky and clever spaniel. It’s now a series.

Max Spaniel: Max Spaniel: Max Spaniel:

Dinosaur Hunt (2009) Funny Lunch (2010) Best in Show(2011)

Videos for David Catrow

• Illustrator David Catrow at the Allen Public Library http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H6svSfTC14

• David Draws Molly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU2SHvlwoLk

• David Draws Max http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laOPfZmsmxI

• David Catrow, Illustrator of the Molly Lou Melon Books http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELuC8KMuRPQ

• David Catrow at the Farmington Public Library http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyKo6r1J2Bc

• Catrow, David. We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America. Puffin, 2005. Print.

• Catrow, David. Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt. Orchard Books, 2009. Print.

• Catrow, David. Max Spaniel: Funny Lunch. Orchard Books, 2010. Print.

• Catrow, David. Max Spaniel: Best in Show. Orchard Books, 2011. Print.

• Child, Lydia Maria. Over the River and through the Wood. Holt, 1996. Print.

• Katz, Alan. Take Me Out of the Bathtub, and Other Silly Dilly Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001. Print.

• Katz, Alan. I'm Still Here in the Bathtub: Brand New Silly Dilly Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003. Print.

Works Cited

• Katz, Alan.  Where Did They Hide My Presents?: Silly Dilly Christmas Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2004. Print.

• Katz, Alan.  Are You Quite Polite?: Silly Dilly Manner Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006. Print.

• Katz, Alan.  Too Much Kissing!: Silly Dilly Songs About Parents. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009. Print.

• Katz, Alan.  Going, Going, Gone!: And Other Silly Dilly Sports Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009. Print.

• Katz, Alan. Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly School Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2010. Print.

• Katz, Alan.  Mosquitos Are Ruining My Summer!: And Other Silly Dilly Camp Songs. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. Print.

• Kent, Zachary. The Story of the Battle of Bull Run, Children's Press, 1986.

• Lasky, Kathryn. She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head. Hyperion Books,1995. Print.

• Lasky, Kathryn.  The Emperor's Old Clothes. Harcourt,1999. Print.

• Lovell, Patty. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon. Putnam, 2001. Print

• Lovell, Patty. Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon. Putnam Juvenile, 2012. Print

• Stein, R. Conrad. The Story of the Little Bighorn. Children's Press,1983. Print.

• Stein, R. Conrad. The Story of Wounded Knee. Children's Press,1983. Print.

• Stein, R. Conrad. The Story of the Johnstown Flood. Children's Press, 1984. Print.

• Stein, R. Conrad. The  Story of the Oregon Trail. Children's Press,1984. Print.

• Stein, R. Conrad. The Story of Apollo 11. Children's Press,1985. Print.

• Stein, R. Conrad. The Story of the Trail of Tears. Children's Press,1985. Print.

• http://www.catrow.com

• http://www.ohioana-authors.org/catrow/highlights.php

• http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/david-catrow

• http://authors.simonandschuster.com/David-Catrow/1295829

• Book Covers. N.d. Photograph. Amazon.com. Web. Nov 2013.

References

• READING GROUP GUIDES

•  Reading Group Guide for Going, Going, Gone!

•  Reading Group Guide for Mosquitoes Are Ruining My Summer!

•  Reading Group Guide for On Top of the Potty

•  Reading Group Guide for Smelly Locker

•  Reading Group Guide for Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs

•  Reading Group Guide for Too Much Kissing!

• - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/David-Catrow/1295829#sthash.k5JhVKp1.dpuf

Additional Resources