Phyllis Root

I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Valentine's Day, 1949, and grew up among green grass, gardens, trees, open fields, and books, books, books. My father says he remembers me reading in my high chair. I used to make up stories in bed at night when I couldn't sleep and my parents had caught me with my book and flashlight. Of course, I was the heroine in all those stories. My cousins loved the ghost stories I would tell them. By fifth grade I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I did not start writing books until I was thirty, when I took a class that taught me all those tools of writing I had never encountered before, tools like character, setting, plot, tension, dialogue, and so on. I have been writing for over twenty years now and still love messing around with stories.

In those years I have published thirty books, starting with Moon Tiger in 1985. In 1997 Aunt Nancy and Old Man Trouble, an original tale about a female trickster, won the Minnesota Picture Book text award. What Baby Wants was cited as a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year in 1998. Big Momma Makes the World won the 2003 Boston Globe Horn Book Award for picture books.

I am currently teaching in the MFA Writing for Children program of Vermont College, Union Institute and University, to help support my writing habit. I live in Minneapolis with my children, two cats, and numerous butterflies in season amid green grass, trees, lakes, and more books, books, books. In my spare time I love canoeing, sailing, gardening, and of course reading.



					Toot Toot Zoom! illustrated by Matthew Cordell Candlewick, April 2009 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0763634520 Poor Pierre! He lives all alone at the foot of a mountain, and his heart, how it longs for a friend. Perhaps if he hops in his car—toot, toot, zoom!—he will find a friend on the other side of the mountain! On the road— SCREECH!—he meets Goat, who kindly offers to help. And that, says Pierre, is exactly the sort of thing his friend will do when he finds him! Up, up they zoom, collecting an amiable Sheep and Bear along the way. Will the car make it to the top? Will it get safely down? Will Pierre ever find a friend?



					Paula Bunyan illustrated by Kevin O'Malley Farrar, Straus and Giroux, March 2009 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0374357597 Bounding with oversize visual and verbal humor, here is the previously untold story of Paul Bunyan’s “little” sister, who was as tall as a pine tree, as strong as a dozen moose, and could run so fast that she once ran all the way back to yesterday. As she heads to the North Woods in search of freedom and adventure, Paula uses her brains and brawn to surmount every challenge that comes her way, proving to ferocious animals that she’s their friend and becoming protector of a wild wonderland.



					Flip, Flap, Fly! A Book for Babies Everywhere illustrated by David Walker Candlewick, March 2009 ages baby to preschool, ISBN 978-0763631093 Little readers are invited to join these baby animals as they fly, swim, wiggle, and slide, all with the help of their mamas. But what these babies like best, of course, is spotting other baby animals!



					Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors illustrated by David Parkins Candlewick, 2007 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0763630744 Come on in and stay a spell! Aunt Nancy outwits four unwelcome guests in these trickster tales from a masterful storyteller. It would take a real pesky visitor to make himself unwelcome to Aunt Nancy. But just her luck — not one but FOUR bothersome folks come knocking at her door! From Cousin Lazybones to Old Man Trouble, from doleful Old Woeful to sly, slick Mister Death, Aunt Nancy’s visitors nearly try her patience. But Aunt Nancy’s head isn’t there just to keep her ears from fighting, and see if she doesn’t get the best of all her guests! Here in one volume are Phyllis Root’s irresistible trickster tales, illustrated with David Parkins’s droll silhouettes and full-color paintings.



					Lucia and the Light illustrated by Mary GrandPre Candlewick, 2006 ISBN 978-0-7636-2296-1 In a cozy cabin high in the mountains of the Far North, Lucia and her family live a snug and contented life. But one day the wind screams fiercely and the sun does not rise over the mountain. Someone has stolen the sun! "Perhaps it has lost its way," says Lucia, who despite her mother's pleas sets out to find it with only a bit of bread, a tinderbox, and her milk-white cat to keep her company. In dramatic pastels, Mary GrandPré illuminates troll-pocked frozen mountains and wraps Lucia's family in a blanket of warmth. Inspired by Nordic lore, Phyllis Root spins a golden yarn of courage, love, and the age-old longing for the return of light.



					Who Said Boo? illustrated by Ana Martín Larrañaga Little Simon, 2005 ISBN 978-0-689-85408-8 Someone said boo! But who? Lift the flaps of this silly mystery to find out who's the spookiest character of all!



					The House That Jill Built illustrated by Delphine Durand Candlewick, 2005 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1008-1 Flip the flaps, open a fun foldout, and peek inside a final pop-up to find out what happens when Jill’s nursery rhyme friends move in!



					Hop! illustrated by Holly Meade Candlewick, February 2005 ISBN 978-0-7636-1794-3 Baby bunnies bump and bumble. Cottontails take a tumble. Hop and jump with the baby bunnies as they romp on the grass, hide in their hole, and come out again in a bunch, find some clover ... nibble lunch!



					Quack! illustrated by Holly Meade Candlewick, 2005 ISBN 978-0-7636-1793-6 Mama Duck calls quack quack quack! Ducklings hatching crack crack crack! Join these little ducklings as they flip their wings, wobble their tails and follow their mother in a dash, find a puddle, splish splosh splash!



					If You Want to See a Caribou illustrated by Jim Meyer Houghton Mifflin, 2004 ISBN 978-0-618-39314-5 Reading Guide available from Minnesota Storytime If you really want to see a woodland caribou, you might try going to a place forgotten by time. It should be a hushed place, with perhaps rocky green hills and blue water, home to loons and beaver, lichen and yellow buttercups. With every step, this gentle journey brings us to a deeper and more unique connection with nature. Phyllis Root"s mesmerizing text, together with Jim Meyer"s outstanding woodblock prints, makes the very heart of the forest come alive and reveals that if you are patient and quiet, sometimes what you are seeking will, in the end, find you.



					Ten Sleepy Sheep llustrated by Susan Gaber Candlewick Press, 2004 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1545-1 One by one ten sheep reluctantly fall asleep in the barnyard.



					Big Momma Makes the World illustrated by Helen Oxenbury Candlewick Press, 2003 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1132-3 When Big Momma makes the world, she doesn't mess around. "Earth," she says, "get over here." And it does. With a little baby on her hip and laundry piling up, Big Momma asks for light and dark, sea and sky, creepers and crawlers, and lots of folks to trade stories with on the front porch. And when the work is done, Big Momma is pleased all right. "That's good," she says. "That's real good." With infections, down-home language and warm, powerful, jubilant artwork, master picture book creators Phyllis Root and Helen Oxenbury have given us a creation myth like no other in the world. Awards Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Picture Books 2003



					The Name Quilt illustrated by Margot Apple Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-374-35484-8 Summer evenings at Grandma's house always end just the way Sadie likes—with Grandma tucking her in with the name quilt. As Sadie chooses from among the patchwork of hand-stitched names of generations of relatives, Grandma tells story after story—stories of hog-riding and hornets and Grandma's own wedding. Then one summer day, a fierce storm comes on too quickly to get the washing off the line, and the quilt is blown away. That night, Sadie worries that more than just the quilt has disappeared, until Grandma shows her that all her favorite names and stories are more a part of Sadie than she knows. Phyllis Root's loving tribute to a bedtime ritual from her own childhood and Margot Apple's intricate illustrations bring the story of Sadie and the name quilt to the page with just the right touch of humor and heart.



					Oliver Finds His Way illustrated by Christopher Denise Candlewick Press, 2002 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1383-9 While Mama hangs the wash out and Papa rakes the leaves, Oliver chases a big yellow leaf ... all the way to the edge of the woods. Oliver stops. He looks around. Nothing is familiar. "Mama? Papa?" he calls. No answer. Oliver is lost!



					What's That Noise? written with Michelle Edwards illustrated by Paul Meisel Candlewick Press, 2002 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1350-1 A sympathetic and amusing tale of two boys, alone in a dark room at night. Every child (and adult!) has experienced irrational fears in a dark room at night. What's That Noise? encapsulates perfectly the strange shadows and unearthly noises made by objects that, during the day, are perfectly innocuous. Alex and his little brother Ben are all tucked up in bed with the lights out, when "Whoosh", go the night noises, and "Aroo Aroo Aroo". Alex's little brother Ben is scared. Will Alex be brave enough to cross the cold, dark floor to comfort him?



					Mouse Goes Out illustrated by James Croft Candlewick Press, 2002 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1352-5 Meet Mouse who likes to play outside and go on adventures, just like brand new readers do. (four paperbacks in a slipcase)



					Mouse Has Fun illustrated by James Croft Candlewick Press, 2002 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1357-0 In these stories designed to help children learn to read on their own, Mouse has fun-with a few bumps along the way. (four paperbacks in a slipcase)



					Soggy Saturday illustrated by Helen Craig Candlewick Press, 2001 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0778-4 It rained so hard on Bonnie Bumble's farm it washed the blue right out of the sky! Now everyone on the farm is feeling (and looking) blue—even Bonnie herself. Can she find a way to make everything right again? Renowned author Phyllis Root brings us this delightful new Bonnie Bumble adventure, cheerily illustrated by Helen Craig. In the world of Bonnie Bumble, something is bound to go curiously and hilariously awry. Readers will delight in Bonnie's "out-of-the-blue" solution to a rather unusual problem!



					Rattletrap Car illustrated by Jill Barton Candlewick Press, 2001 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0919-1 Reading Guide available from Minnesota Storytime An uproarious tale of a family's trip in a rattletrap car. The rattletrap car doesn't go fast and it doesn't go far—and when a family set off to the lake in it one hot day it soon starts to fall apart. But ... lumpety bumpety, a beach ball replaces the wheel; wappity bappity, a surfboard replaces the floor; a thermos of razzleberry dazzleberry snazzleberry fizz does for the petrol tank ... All stuck on with chocolate marshamallow fudge delight! The rattletrap car reaches the lake, and takes the family safely—if noisily—home again.



					All for the Newborn Baby illustrated by Nicola Bayley Candlewick Press, 2000 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0093-8 In the cold, dark stable, Mary sings a lullaby to her newborn baby. All about the oxen and sheep who share the stable and keep the winter cold away. She sings about little fish splashing in the river, roses blooming in the snow, the sun and moon shining together. She sings about a world waiting in joy and wonder. All for the newborn baby. Drawing on Christmas miracle tales from around the world, this melodious and exquisitely illustrated cradle song for the baby Jesus is a lullaby for every newborn child.



					Kiss the Cow illustrated by Will Hillenbrand Candlewick Press, 2000 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0298-7 Lovely Luella Your milk never fails. My children are hungry So please fill my pails. Everyday Mama May sings to her cow, Luella, thanks her for her milk, and then kisses her right on the end of her nose. Imagine kissing a cow! Annalisa could never do that! But she would like to milk Luella. So one day she sneaks off to the pasture. She sings Mama's song and and thanks Luella for her milk. But does Annalisa kiss Luella? No. And will Luella give her sweet milk again? She will not. No kiss, no milk. Is there anything that will make Annalisa kiss the cow? With pictures by Will Hillenbrand that brim with humor and character, and words that beg to be read aloud, Phyllis Root tells an irresistible tale for anyone who has ever said "absolutely not" and then thought ... "well, maybe."



					Foggy Friday illustrated by Helen Craig Candlewick Press, 2000 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0777-7 In Foggy Friday, Bonnie's rooster loses his cock-a-doodle-doo one foggy morn, and no one on the farm can get out of bed. Can Bonnie help him find his voice? Once again author Phyllis Root and illustrator Helen Craig reap giggles in a spirited story about a very funny farm.



					Meow Monday illustrated by Helen Craig Candlewick Press, 2000 ISBN 978-0-7636-0832-3 In Meow Monday, the young farmer's pussy willows have burst into bloom, and they're raising quite a ruckus! How will Bonnie stop all the meowing?



					Hey, Tabby Cat! illustrated by Katherine McEwen Candlewick Press, 2000 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1039-5 Reading is so much fun when laughing at Tabby Cat. Part of Candlewick's Brand New Readers series.



					Here Comes Tabby Cat illustrated by Katherine McEwen Candlewick Press, 2000 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1038-8 This mischievous cat will help children read--now that's something to meow about.



					Grandmother Winter illustrated by Beth Krommes Houghton Mifflin, 1999 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-395-88399-0 All through the spring, summer and fall, Grandmother Winter tends her geese and gathers their feathers. Why? To bring snowfall, of course—snowfall as soft as feathers and bright as a winter moon. With a poetic text and distinctive scratchboard illustrations, this book reveals that there is indeed magic and charm in our coldest season. To the woodland and all of its creatures-from round mice curling up and earthworms tunneling down to black bears burrowing and children dreaming of snow angels and sleds—the arrival of winter is, quite simply, a gift.



					Turnover Tuesday illustrated by Helen Craig Candlewick Press, 1998 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0447-9 One morning Bonnie Bumble eats plum turnovers for breakfast and her whole world turns upside down—quite literally! What will she do to turn it right again? With delightful illustrations by Helen Craig, Phyllis Root's comical tale, a sequel to One Windy Wednesday, is sure to tickle the funny bones of young readers.



					Aunt Nancy and Cousin Lazybones illustrated by David Parkins Candlewick Press, 1998 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1-56402-425-1 Family is family, so when Cousin Lazybones comes calling, Aunt Nancy opens her door and invites him in. Cousin Lazybones claims he'd be willing to help with the chores, but he's got wobbly knees, a hitch in his git-along, and a powerful need for sleep. It doesn't take Aunt Nancy long to see who'll be doing all the work around the place and who'll be doing the resting up. Now all she needs is s plan to send Cousin Lazybones on his way. In this original trickster tale, Phyllis Root and David Parkins, author and illustrator of Aunt Nancy and Old Man Trouble, have again combined their talents to marvelous effect.



					One Duck Stuck illustrated by Jane Chapman Candlewick Press, 1998 ages baby to preschool, ISBN 978-0-7636-1104-0 One duck is stuck in the muck! You can count the animals who come splishing, plunking, slooshing to the rescue in this mudlucious counting book. Spluck!



					What Baby Wants illustrated by Jill Barton Candlewick Press, 1998 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-1263-4 WAAAAAAAAAAH! What does Baby want? Mama’s gone to bed, so Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt and Uncle, Big Sister, and Little Brother set out to soothe Baby. Does Baby want a soft feathery goose to cuddle? No. Does he want a flock of woolly sheep to keep him warm or a tree full of birds to sing him to sleep? No. As Little Brother proves, what Baby really wants is something very simple. Jill Barton’s funny, warm illustrations are perfectly tuned to Phyllis Root’s lively characterization of a family going to great—and hilarious—lengths to lull its youngest member to sleep.



					The Hungry Monster illustrated by Sue Heap Candlewick Press, 1996 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0380-9 A monster has come to planet Earth. The monster is hungry! Really, really hungry! What will the monster eat? A daisy? A rock? A little girl? YIKES!



					Aunt Nancy and Old Man Trouble illustrated by David Parkins Candlewick Press, 1996 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1-56402-347-6 When Old Man Trouble comes calling, the spring dries up, the fire goes out, and the door nips the cat's tail. But Old Man Trouble has never reckoned with Aunt Nancy. She keeps her wits and won't let him get the better of her. "Now ain't that a mercy," she declares as her chair breaks to bits the moment she sits down for a spell. "Just when I was wondering where I was going to get me some kindling wood." Suddenly that Old Man Trouble isn't grinning so wide anymore! Young readers will know how to send Trouble on its way, too, after reading this plucky trickster tale, made all the more marvelous by David Parkins's bold, original illustrations.



					Mrs. Potter's Pig illustrated by Russell Ayto Candlewick Press, 1996 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0160-7 Mrs. Potter keeps everything—even the chickens in her yard—perfectly polished and dusted. Everything, that is, except baby Ermajean. "Ermajean," says her mother, "you're as dirty as a little pig. Someday, if you're not careful, you'll turn into one." Then one day, much to Mrs. Potter's surprise, she does! In Phyllis Root and Russell Ayto's hilarious story of a barnyard mix-up, even perfect Mrs. Potter must agree that while it's good to be clean, it's grand to be messy!



					Contrary Bear illustrated by Laura Cornell HarperCollins, 1996 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-06-025085-0 A little girl blames her contrary behavior on her best friend, Bear. It's Bear who throws sand in the playground. It's Bear who wants a big piece of cake, not a small one. And it's Bear who certainly does not want to be quiet during naptime. After an entire day of naughtiness, the little girl realizes that Bear has gone too far ... and her attempts to make amends result in a grateful kiss from her beleaguered dad. But once Dad leaves the room ...



					One Windy Wednesday illustrated by Helen Craig Candlewick Press, 1996 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7636-0278-9 What happens when the wind blows and BLOWS! Well, one windy Wednesday, Bonnie Bumble found out! The wind blew so hard it blew the quack right out of the duck...and that was just the beginning!



					Rosie's Fiddle illustrated by Kevin O'Malley Lothrop Lee and Shepherd, 1997 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-688-12853-1 Rosie's reputation for being able to fiddle the very flowers from their buds and the stones out of the ground causes trouble when it is said that she can out-fiddle the devil himself, and a raucous old-time hoedown ensues.



					Sam Who Was Swallowed By a Shark illustrated by Axel Scheffler Candlewick Press, 1994 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1-56402-955-3 Sam is a river rat who dreams of the sea. His practical neighbors remind him that his garden needs tending and his fence needs mending. And when he builds a boat, a seaworthy vessel too big for any river, they warn him of sharks and wild seaweed. As Sam sets off on his voyage, they sadly tell each other that that's the last of Sam. But as they return to their vegetable patches and their safe, certain lives, where is Sam? He's turning his tiller seaward and skimming over the wild green waves.



					Coyote and the Magic Words illustrated by Sandra Speidel Lothrop, Lee and Shepherd, 1993 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-688-10309-5 When the Maker-of-all-things first spoke the world into being, all words were magic words. So everyone in the world was content—everyone, that is, but Coyote.



					The Old Red Rocking Chair illustrated by John Sandford Arcade Publishing, 1992 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1-55970-063-4 An old rocking chair is recycled through a neighborhood, broken down bit by bit as young and old find various uses for it, until it ends up as a tiny footstool in the hands of the original owner.



					The Listening Silence illustrated by Dennis McDermott Harper and Row, 1992 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-06-025092-8 After her parent's disappearance, Kiri is brought up by a powerful healer, Mali. Kiri shares Mali's gift of healing, but she is tormented by it. She does not have Mali's strength nor the selflessness to take on someone else's pain. So, in the winter of her thirteenth year, she sets out alone over the frozen wilderness to seek a vison.



					Soup for Supper illustrated by Sue Truesdell Harper and Row, 1986 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-06-025071-3 A wee small woman catches a giant taking the vegetables from her garden and finds that they can share both vegetable soup and friendship.



					Moon Tiger illustrated by Ed Young Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-8050-0803-6 After getting in trouble because of her little brother Michael, Jessica Ellen imagines a visit from a wonderful giant tiger who can take her flying through the night or eat Michael.