Lita Judge is a writer and artist whose greatest passion is creating children's books. She is the author/illustrator for over a dozen fiction and nonfiction picture books including Red Hat (Simon & Schuster, 2013), Red Sled (S&S, 2011), Bird Talk (Roaring Brook, 2012), One Thousand Tracings, and Pennies for Elephants (Disney-Hyperion). Her background in geology, paleontology, and biology inspires her nonfiction books. Lita spent several years working for the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller, Canada, before turning to writing about dinosaurs and other natural history subjects. But her background with animals also inspires her whimsical fictional tales filled with characters who forge big dreams. Several of her books have been selected as Junior Library Guild picks and they have received numerous awards including the 2013 Sterling North Award, the Jane Addams Honor Book, ALA Notable Children's Book, the International Reading Association Children's Book Award, Michigan Notable Book, and Kirkus Best Children's book of 2011. She enjoys teaching both writing and illustration to students of all ages and shares much about her creative process in classrooms and on her blog and website. Lita lives with her husband, two cats, and a little green parrot named Beatrix Potter in Peterborough, New Hampshire.

Red Hat
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Atheneum, 2013
ages 2 to 5, ISBN 978-1442442320

In this almost wordless springtime picture book, an adorable crew of baby animals borrows a familiar-looking red hat (last seen on the head of Red Sled's unsuspecting protagonist) and embarks on a joy-filled escapade—until all that is left is a long piece of red string! Their playful romp is gorgeously depicted in bold watercolor and complemented by humorous expressions and pitch-perfect sound effects. With a timeless tone and classic characters, Red Hat promises to be an instant favorite.

Bird Talk: What Birds Are Saying and Why
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Roaring Brook, 2012
ages 5 to 9, ISBN 978-1596436466

Birds have lots of ways of communicating: They sing and talk, dance and drum, cuddle and fight. But what does all of the bird talk mean? This fascinating picture book takes a look at the secret life of birds in a child-friendly format that is sure to appeal to readers of all ages -- whether they're die-hard bird-watchers or just curious about the creatures in their own backyards.

Awards and Recognition
A Junior Library Guild Selection, Book Links 2012 Lasting Connections list; 2013 DC Capitol Choices List of Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens

Red Sled
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Atheneum, 2011
ages 2 to 5, ISBN 978-1442420076

In this almost wordless picture book, a host of woodland creatures take a child's sled for a nighttime joy ride. Their whimsical ride is gorgeously depicted in bold watercolor, complemented by humorous expressions and pitch-perfect sound effects. With a timeless tone and classic characters, Red Sled will become a wintertime favorite.

Strange Creatures:
The Story of Walter Rothschild and His Museum
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Hyperion, 2011
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1423113898

Walter, the son of Lady Emma and Lord Nathan Rothschild, was a very unusual boy. He was born in 1868 to a family of bankers and was nearly the richest boy in the world. But that’s not what made him unusual. Walter was so shy he barely spoke. He had no friends, but he loved every creature that crawled, slithered or flew. At the age of seven he saw his first circus and was inspired to declare breathlessly to his parents: "I’m going to collect animals from all over the world and build a museum and I’m going to call it My Museum!" Eventually Walter created the largest zoological collection gathered by one man and was respected throughout the world for his contribution to science. The painfully shy boy who never made a good banker forever changed our understanding of the world’s diversity of creatures.

Born to Be Giants:
How Baby Dinosaurs Grew to Rule the World
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Roaring Brook Flash Point, 2010
ISBN 9781596434431

What did a dinosaur look like sitting on its eggs? What kind of parent was a Tyrannosaurus rex? How could an Argentinosaurus, who probably hatched from an egg no bigger than 18 inches long, grow up to weigh more than 17 elephants? It’s a sure bet that kids — always fascinated by dinosaurs — have wondered about these questions. Born to Be Giants, with its glossary of dinosaurs, easy-to-understand text, and full-color illustrations, shows little readers how baby dinosaurs grew up to be Giants.

Awards and Recognition
Junior Library Guild Selection

Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Viking, 2009
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0670011322

Follow Tom Moran on an unbelievable real-life adventure!

In the summer of 1871, a young painter named Thomas Moran joined a team of scientists heading for the untamed land called “the Yellowstone.” He couldn’t believe what he found there—steaming cauldrons of sulfur, belching geysers, even a thousand-foot-deep canyon. Tom had never ridden a horse or slept under the stars before, but the paintings he created on his journey from city boy to seasoned explorer would lead to the founding of America’s first national park.

Pennies for Elephants
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Disney-Hyperion, 2009
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-142311390-4

In 1914, Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo had twenty bears, three elk, a deer and a monkey, but no elephants. Pennies for Elephants is the story of how the children of New England purchased the first three elephants for the Zoo. The campaign to support the elephant fund crossed ethnic and social boundaries and provided a cause which united the city. The kids contributed every penny they had, and also came up with a number of creative fund raising activities. Based on true events, this heartwarming picture book is a story that demonstrates what kids can accomplish when they put their hearts and minds together.

One Thousand Tracings:
Healing the Wounds of World War II
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Hyperion, 2007
ISBN978-1-4231-0008-9

“Judge's lyrical prose tells the true and poignant story of her grandmother and mother's endeavor to find shoes, clothing and foodstuffs for hundreds of Germans devastated by the war... The book is a powerful testament to one family's ability to affect the lives of hundreds.”

- Publishers Weekly Starred Review (6/11/07)

Teacher's Guide available here

Awards
NAPPAGold Award; 2008 ALA Notable Book; 2008 Michigan Notable Book; New York Public Library 100 Children's Books for Reading and Sharing; Cybil Award Finalist for Nonfiction Picture Books; winner in the 2008 Storytelling World Resource Awards; 2007 NAPPA Gold Award winner from national parenting publications association; honored by the Society of School Librarians International (SSLI); ALA Book Links - Lasting Connections of 2007; 2008 Jane Addams Children’s Honor Book

D is for Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Alphabet
written by Todd Chapman and Lita Judge
illustrated by Lita Judge
Sleeping Bear Press, 2007
ISBN978-1-5853-6242-4

Did dinosaurs really die out or is it possible they are still with us today? And what's bigger and scarier than the T-rex? From A to Z, D is for Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Alphabet provides the answers and current theories behind these questions, along with other fascinating aspects of prehistoric life.

S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet
written by Helen Foster James
illustrated by Lita Judge
Sleeping Bear Press, May 2007
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1-5853-6302-5

Next to baseball and fireworks on the Fourth of July, nothing else seems as American as the family camping trip. From what to pack, where to go, and what to do when you get there, S is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet takes readers on an A-Z trail exploring this outdoor pastime.

Ugly
written by Donna Jo Napoli
illustrated byLita Judge
Hyperion, January 2006
ages 9 to 12, ISBN978-0-7868-3753-3

“Trust Napoli to work her usual alchemy and make a fabulous coming-of-age-story from the bare outline of the reassuring ugly-duckling trope. . . Tucked into this wondrously spun tale so deftly that one might scarcely notice are beautiful lessons about finding oneself, about fitting in (or not), about the implacability of nature and weather and the importance of maternal advice.”

- Kirkus Reviews starred review 12/15/05

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