In flight with David McPhail

School Library Journal

Gr 2-6In these welcome well-designed titles, longer and slightly more challenging than those in the "Meet the Author" series (Richard C. Owen), two popular creators of children's books show how they do what they do. Cole traces her passion for informational writing to her love of a well-reasoned argument honed at her family's dinner table while growing up. She talks about why she writes, how she gets and develops ideas, and tells the story behind the creation of "The Magic School Bus" series (Scholastic), illustrated by Bruce Degen. This attractive title is chock-full of colorful pictures, by various artists, from Cole's many books, as well as photographs of family and colleagues. McPhail explains his need to write in some place other than home, how he and his editors negotiate ideas, and the steps involved in illustrating a book. A page from his drawing book, a dummy from The Magical Adventures of Moony B. Finch and thumb-nail sketches show children, his thought processes and preparation for a book. Many original black-line, watercolor pictures of his familiar bears and pigs decorate the pages as well. Both Cole and McPhail emphasize the need for revision and getting things right, often in collaboration with others. They obviously love their work. These excellent and very personal titles support many areas of the elementary curriculum and lend enthusiastic encouragement to anyone interested in the creation of children's books.Susan Hepler, Alexandria City Public Schools, VA