Featured Authors or Illustrators are selected each month and archived here. Check back often to find more suggestions for great reading.
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August 2010
Kevin O'Malley
Brief Biography
Kevin O'Malley is one of Baltimore's homegrown author/illustrators. He has known that he wanted to illustrate books for children since he was in the fourth grade. Particularly, he wanted to illustrate books for kids who didn't like cute and sweet. Since the publication of Froggie Went a Courtin' in 1992, he has done just that, infusing his books with his wild sense of humor and expressive illustration. Baltimore Book Festival goers may be familiar with his energetic stand-up comedy style presentations for kids and their parents, if not, make sure to catch him in The Children's Bookstore Tent at this year's Baltimore Book Festival (Sept. 24th-26th). Stop by the store to check out his many books and you never know, he might even be hanging out at The Children's Bookstore when you come.
Animal Crackers Fly the Coop
Animal Crackers Fly the Coop is executed in the same artistic and linguistic style as Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share. This retelling of the Bremen Town Musicians is populated by a comedi-hen, a stand-up dog, a crooning cat, and a cow-medien, plus a whole load of corny jokes and fun puns.
Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share
One night a chicken dreams that a great treasure of cracked corn is hidden beneath a giant pink pig in a barn. When he wakes he decides to go looking for the corn. Accompanied by his friend, George, the chicken sets off on a pun-filled adventure, crossing streets and egg-scaping predators until they find the great pink pig. The illustrations in this book are both classic and uniquely Kevin.
Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery
Kevin O'Malley's quirky sense of humor and grasp of the comic book genre and Patrick O'Brien's (another Baltimore author/illustrator) beautifully rendered paintings of space and dinosaurs and dinosaurs in space combine to make an entertaining visual masterpiece of a picture book. Don't miss Captain Raptor's return in Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates.
Mount Olympus Basketball
This running sports commentary on the epic basketball game between the gods and the heroes of Greece is drawn straight out of Greek mythology through Kevin O'Malley's wacky mind.
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude
What happens when a boy and a girl have to work together to tell a fairytale? It begins with a princess and her ponies who are threatened by a giant. Enter the cool motorcycle dude to battle with the giant. But this princess isn't about to sit around waiting to be rescued. The work of three different illustrators combine to show this age-old battle of the sexes.
Slugs in Love
Marylou is in love with Herbie but too shy to speak to him, so she writes him love poems in slug slime. Herbie wants to meet his admirer but he doesn't know who she is, so he writes her poems in return. Unfortunately, Marylou always just misses seeing the poems. Of course, there is a happy ending. O'Malley's slug's eye view illustrations and skill with expression brings these slimy characters to life.
Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10
Of course, we can't forget Judy Finchler's Miss Malarkey books which are co-authored and illustrated by Kevin O'Malley. These stories are beloved by both students and teachers for their humorous insights into the world of the classroom. The other Miss Malarkey books are:
Miss Malarkey Won't Be In Today
Miss Malarkey's Field Trip
You're a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey
Testing Miss Malarkey
Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind
Congratulations, Miss Malarkey!
Don't miss these other great Kevin O'Malley books:
