Margie PalatiniAuthor & Illustrator

By: Kellie DimmetteRE 5140

Childhood• Grew Up: Edison, New Jersey

• Favorite Childhood Books: The Little Engine that CouldAlice in WonderlandThe Wizard of OzLittle Women

• Favorite Childhood TV Shows“Bugs Bunny”“I Love Lucy” (still watches it today!)

• Has 1 sister and 1 brother

• As a child she was always drawing pictures, making up stories, and acting out plots she made up.

“I was always putting on plays or puppet shows, making up stories and characters. I created scenes, settings and dialogue all the time. Only not on paper.”

EducationElementary

“I had a wonderful teacher in the 3rd and 4th grade named Hilda Farwell who read to us every day. She didn’t just read-she brought the characters to life.”

Middle SchoolShe made attempts at creative writing in middle school, but her teachers were not impressed. She wrote Pimple Capone and His Gang of Blackheads and a biography of Edgar Allen Poe. She decided that her writing was going to have to be more serious so she put her humor to the side.

CollegeShe attended Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia where she studied art.

After College• After college she worked at several advertising agencies as an art

director. She married her boss and they later had a son named Jamie.

Writing Career

Jamie, her son, inspired her to begin writing funny stories once again. When he was three years old she read him one of her old manuscripts that she found in the attic. This manuscript had been rejected fifteen years earlier by editors who said children would not think it is funny and told Margie that she should not be writing children’s books. When she read it to her son he laughed and laughed and laughed. That book was Piggie Pie and it was published a year later.

After this inspiration from her son she realized that funny stories were her calling. Each time she writes a story she uses Jamie as her “giggle-tester”.

Life Today…• Lives in Plainfield, New Jersey• Continues to play and doodle• Jamie is growing up but each book she writes must pass his giggle

test and he continues to inspire her to write funny stories.• Her passion in life is to make children across the country laugh.• Advice to children: “Just do it! If you have passion no one will be

able to stop you.”

Fast Facts• Favorite TV Show: Still watches I Love Lucy

• Favorite Music: Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Broadway and Hollywood musicals

• Favorite Funny People: Mel Brooks, George Burns, Carol Burnett, Bugs Bunny

• Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird

• Favorite Children’s Books: Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Little Women, Martha Speaks, and The Stinky Cheese Man

Once again on the run, wolves Willy and Wally, come up with a plan to disguise themselves to raid a sheep farm. In what they believe is their perfect plan they meet their match in the form of three very smart sheep, and they get what was coming to them.

Can you guess what original story this is a new twist on?

North Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominee Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award NomineeKentucky Bluegrass Award NomineeMissouri Show Me Book Award NomineeVolunteer State Book Award

“The wordplay flies fast and thick throughout this text and it’s dead-on for a young audience.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“An outstanding read-aloud and a fine collaboration of text and art…” –School Library Journal (starred review)

“…this is a sure-fire hit for all who enjoy fairy-tale variations, fun puns, and a good laugh.” –School Library Journal (starred review)

Classroom Activities

Find out what students already knowAsk? “What is a fairy tale?” Follow up by asking students what fairy tales they have read or heard. List responses on chart paper. Come back to this question at the end of the unit. At that time ask students if they can identify the common characteristics of a fairy tale. Compare the later answers to the original answers.This activity can be set up as a K-W-L chart and used to track what students think they know about fairy tales, and what they actually learned about fairy tales. (This can include story characteristics, plot similarities, history of fairy tales, famous tales, puns, etc.)

New ClassicsExplain to students that many of Margie Palatini’s stories are new versions of old classics. How many can they identify? Make a chart.

WANTED PosterHave your students make a ‘wanted’ poster of Willy and Wally.

Goldie becomes very angry when her little brother drools all over her doll, but during her time-out punishment she realizes that a little brother is not so bad after all.

This book is an excellent way to discuss sibling anger and frustration with children.

"...the perfect choice for preschoolers defining their own position in the family hierarchy." School Library Journal

Possible Activities:Oh, Brother! Have children talk about their own brothers or sisters. What sort of things do they do together? Draw a family picture.

Look What I Can Do!What sort of things can your students or children do that a younger sibling cannot? What things do their older siblings do that they cannot?

Gritch the Witch is very hungry and decides she wants some Piggie Pie. Her only problem is she doesn’t have any pigs. After discovering Old MacDonald’s Farm in the yellow pages she sets offto get her final ingredient. When she arrives she finds all sorts of animals besides pigs (but actually they were pigs disguised). In the end she meets up with wolf who seems to have some trouble findingpigs to eat too! They leave together with different images of theirlunch.

First book published by Margie Palatini

Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Winner 1998Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Winner 1998Colorado Children’s Book Award Winner 1997Kentucky Bluegrass Award 1997Red Clover Children’s Choice Picture Book Award Winner 1996

Classroom Activities:What’s For Dinner?Besides pies made of piggies, bunny bread,eekspresso, batscotti, rat-tail-tooey, and brew-ha-ha, what else does Gritch’s belly grumble to eat?

Have students add their own imaginative recipes to the witch’s Old Hag Cookbook.

Sequels: What happens next to the wolf and Gritch?

Elizabeth really wants a pet, instead her parents got her a cactusplant. She liked the plant, but she still wanted a pet so she cameup with various plans to convince her parents to buy one for her. After her many unsuccessful attempts she encountered Doug, which is a bug. He becomes her most unusual, perfect pet.

A Junior Library Guide SelectionIRA Children’s Choice AwardCalifornia Young Readers Medal Nominee 2005-2006

“Palatini is once again exercising her masterful grin on picture-book humor. She makes funny look easy.”Kirkus

“…a most delightful story about an urge almost everychild has…the pictures are wonderful.”Childrens Literature

Classroom Activities:

Pet SearchLook through the book and see how many illustrations you can find that show the reader Elizabeth really, really, really loves pets. Don’t forget to look at what she’s wearing. Put on Your Thinking Cap. Elizabeth makes ‘plans’ to convince her parents to let her have a pet. What’s your plan?

Adopt a Plant!Have your own class pet plant.

Doug BugMake your own ‘Doug’ bugs: Use cardboard or styrofoam egg cartons for body. Pipecleaners for legs. Use your imagine to embellish and create your own very unique ‘perfect pet’. Get Buggy!Study insects. Where do they live? What do they do? How do insects help and hurt our environment?

SOCK PUPPETCreate your own ‘perfect pet’ from a large white sock. Add ears, eyes, tongue, beak, feathers ---whatever! to make your own special animal friend.

Other Books by Margie Palatini

Moo Who?

Stinky Smelly Feet

Moosekitos

Sweet Tooth

References

• Margie Palatini Welcome Site. (2006). Retrieved February 2006, from http://www.margiepalatini.com/

• Hyperion Books for Children. (2006). Retrieved February 2006, from http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/authors/displayAI.asp?id=132&ai=a

• Children’s Literature Reviews. (2006). Retrieved February 2006, from http://0-clcd.odyssi.com.wncln.wncln.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~5czUXS:3 http://0-clcd.odyssi.com.wncln.wncln.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~kSiSmt:1 http://0-clcd.odyssi.com.wncln.wncln.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~jA4ZtT:1 http://0-clcd.odyssi.com.wncln.wncln.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~uorbJM:1

• HarperTeacher. (2006). Retrieved February 2006, from http://www.harperchildrens.com/teacher/catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=006000102X