Rosemary Wells

Rosemary Wells (born January 29, 1943) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She is well known for the Max & Ruby series, which follows the everyday adventures of sibling bunnies, curious three-year-old Max and bossy seven-year-old Ruby. Wells has also written Noisy Nora (1973), Yoko (1998), the Voyage to the Bunny Planet series, a Christmas book called Morris's Disappearing Bag (1975) and a collected book of illustrations of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. She has also published Red Moon at Sharpsburg (2007), a historical novel featuring a young girl in the American Civil War. Otto Runs For President and Yoko Writes Her Name were published in 2008.

Rosemary Wells
Born (1943-01-29) January 29, 1943
New Jersey, US
Alma materBoston Museum School[1]
OccupationFreelance author and illustrator
Years active1968–present
Spouse(s)Thomas Moore Wells (Married 1963; died 2002)[2]
ChildrenVictoria, Marguerite[3]
Websiterosemarywells.com

Background

Wells was born in New York City and raised in Red Bank, New Jersey. She married architect Thomas Moore Wells in 1963 and attended the Boston Museum School.

Writing style

A common theme in Rosemary Wells' stories is the use of animal characters rather than humans. In the children's journal Stone Soup, Wells has stated that she writes using animals because it allows her to address sophisticated, controversial topics in way children can understand and adults can accept. For example, Yoko tackles the thorny topics of racism. It is about a young Japanese kitten who is ostracized when she brings sushi in her school lunch. At the book's conclusion, she gains acceptance by hosting a school luncheon where everyone brings food native to their family. Many of the animal characters, such as those in Max & Ruby, interact with one another much as humans would, while others such as McDuff th – a West Highland Terrier – take on a more realistic role as the adopted pet of a young couple.[4]

Illustration style

Like her writing, Wells' illustrations have grown more complex and sophisticated over the years. Her early works like Noisy Nora and her illustration of the book "Impossible, Possum" are expressive, but do not have much shading and are simpler inked-in drawings. In comparison, Yoko and the later Max & Ruby books are full of color and detail, with fully realized backgrounds and landscapes.

Works

Children's books

Wells "began as a book designer, publisher her first book in 1968".[5]

1971–1973

Library of Congress catalog records imply that these six are children's picture books.

  • Impossible, Possum (1971), written by Ellen Conford
  • A Hot Thirsty Day (1971), by Marjorie W. Sharmat
  • Two Sisters and Some Hornets (1972), by Beryl Epstein and Dorrit Davis
  • Unfortunately Harriet (1972)
  • Noisy Nora (1973)
  • Benjamin & Tulip (1973)
Later
  • Abdul
  • Bingo
  • Carry Me!
  • Doris's Dinosaur
  • Edward the Unready series
    • Edward Unready for School
    • Edward's Overwhelming Overnight
    • Edward in Deep Water
  • Emily's First 100 Days of School
  • Emily's Middle School
  • Felix Feels Better
  • Felix Stands Tall
  • Fiona's Little Lie
  • Fritz and the Mess Fairy
  • Getting to Know You: Rodgers and Hammerstein Favorites
  • Good Night Fred
  • Goodnight Lucas
  • Hazel's Amazing Mother
  • I Love You: A Bushel and a Peck
  • Kindergators series
    • Hands Off, Harry!
    • Miracle Melts Down
  • Lassie
  • Lassie Come-Home
  • Love Waves
  • Max & Ruby series
    • Baby Max & Ruby: Clean-Up Time
    • Baby Max & Ruby: Peek-a-Boo
    • Baby Max & Ruby: Red Boots
    • Baby Max & Ruby: Shopping
    • Bunny Cakes
    • Bunny Mail
    • Bunny Money
    • Bunny Party
    • Goodnight Max
    • Hooray for Max
    • Max & Ruby in Pandora's Box – Max & Ruby's First Greek Myth
    • Max & Ruby Play School
    • Max & Ruby's Bedtime Book
    • Max & Ruby's Busy Week
    • Max & Ruby's Midas: Another Greek Myth
    • Max & Ruby's Preschool Pranks
    • Max & Ruby's Show and Tell
    • Max & Ruby's Snowy Day
    • Max & Ruby's Storybook Collection
    • Max Cleans Up
    • Max Counts His Chickens
    • Max Drives Away
    • Max's ABC
    • Max's Bath
    • Max's Bedtime
    • Max's Birthday
    • Max's Breakfast
    • Max's Bunny Business
    • Max's Chocolate Chicken
    • Max's Christmas
    • Max's Christmas Stocking
    • Max's Dragon Shirt
    • Max's First Word
    • Max's New Suit
    • Max's Ride
    • Max's Snowsuit
    • Max's Toys
    • Max's Work of Art
    • Play with Max & Ruby
    • Read to Your Bunny
    • Ruby's Beauty Shop
    • Ruby's Cupcakes
    • Ruby's Falling Leaves
    • Ruby's Tea for Two
  • McDuff series
    • McDuff and Friends
    • McDuff and the Baby
    • McDuff Comes Home
    • McDuff Goes to School
    • McDuff Moves In
    • McDuff Saves the Day
    • McDuff Steps Out
    • McDuff Stories
    • McDuff's Favorite Things
    • McDuff's Hide-and-Seek
    • McDuff's New Friend; reissued as McDuff's Christmas
    • McDuff's Wild Romp
  • Morris's Disappearing Bag
  • Mother Goose series (illustrator only)
  • My Kindergarten
  • My Shining Star
  • Night Sounds, Morning Colors
  • Old MacDonald
  • Otto Runs for President
  • Peabody
  • Shy Charles (1988)
  • Sophie series
    • Sophie’s Christmas Surprise
    • Sophie’s Halloween Disguise
    • Sophie's Terrible Twos
    • Ten Kisses for Sophie
    • Time Out for Sophie
    • Use Your Words Sophie
  • Stanley and Rhoda
  • Stella's Starliner
  • Tell Me a Trudy (illustrator only)
  • The Bear Went Over the Mountain
  • The Christmas Mystery (illustrator only)
  • The Gulps (writer only)
  • The Itsy Bitsy Spider
  • The Miraculous Tale of the Two Maries
  • Timothy Goes to School
  • Voyage to the Bunny Planet series
    • First Tomato
    • The Island Light
    • Moss Pillows
  • Yoko series
    • Yoko
    • Yoko Learns to Read
    • Yoko Writes Her Name
    • Yoko's Paper Cranes
    • Yoko's Show-and-Tell
    • Yoko's World of Kindness
    • Bubble Gum Radar
    • Yoko Finds Her Way

Other books
  • Fog Comes on Little Pig Feet (1972)
  • Following Grandfather
  • Help Children Cope with Divorce
  • Help Children Cope with Grief
  • House in the Mail
  • Lincoln and His Boys
  • Mary on Horseback
  • My Havana: Memories of a Cuban Boyhood, written with Secundino Fernandez, illustrated by Peter Ferguson
  • On the Blue Comet, illus. Bagram Ibatoulline
  • Red Moon at Sharpsburg
  • Streets of Gold
  • Through the Hidden Door
  • Leave Well Enough Alone
  • The Man in the Woods
  • When No One Was Looking

References
  1. "Rosemary Wells - Macmillan Speakers Bureau". Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  2. Wells, Rosemary (2016). "A Short Biography of Rosemary Wells 2016" (PDF). Retrieved June 19, 2018. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. "Rosemary Wells - Penguin Random House". The Kushner-Locke Company. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  4. "Interview with Rosemary Wells". Jenny McDonald. Developmental Studies Center. September 28, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  5. The Library of Congress cites a 2010 dust jacket. "Wells, Rosemary". LC Authorities (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved 2018-08-01.
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