I was raised in southern Illinois in a town so small I knew everybody and their pets. And they all knew me. I was one of six kids and we spent our summer days traipsing through the fields and forests hunting for adventure. We often found it. And sometimes it found us. Always, it was fun and often, we laughed so hard we blew Orange Crush or Grape Nehi Soda out our noses. I still avoid Grape Nehi … just in case.
I was a big reader as a kid and LOVED Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon Mysteries. Then I moved on to Agatha Christie books and then the classics. Don’t tell anyone, but my secret ambition is to star in a Broadway musical and I am often tempted to break into song and dance at very odd moments. Mostly in the frozen food section of my grocery store. They have very good lighting.
I attended Southern Illinois University and studied Biology and Computer Science. After that, I worked for a computer software company. I helped people with their computer problems (“Did you try turning it off and on again?”) and some technical writing. I didn’t know at the time, but tech writing was great training for writing for kids because it taught me to be a fierce self-editor.
Now, I live in Chicago with my family. I visit lots of schools each year to share my love of reading and my writing journey with kids and educators.
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she’s a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal—to fly—Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt’s dream come true. But when her contraption doesn’t fly but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose insists that Rosie’s contraption was a raging success: you can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.
From the powerhouse author-illustrator team of Iggy Peck, Architect comes Rosie Revere, Engineer, another charming, witty picture book about believing in yourself and pursuing your passion. Ada Twist, Scientist, the companion picture book featuring the next kid from Iggy Peck’s class, is available in September 2016.
Praise for Rosie Revere, Engineer“Comically detailed mixed-media illustrations that keep the mood light and emphasize Rosie’s creativity at every turn.”—Publishers Weekly
“The detritus of Rosie’s collections is fascinating, from broken dolls and stuffed animals to nails, tools, pencils, old lamps and possibly an erector set. And cheddar-cheese spray.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This celebration of creativity and perseverance is told through rhyming text, which gives momentum and steady pacing to a story, consistent with the celebration of its heroine, Rosie. She’s an imaginative thinker who hides her light under a bushel (well, really, the bed) after being laughed at for one of her inventions.”
—Booklist
Award
2013 Parents’ Choice Award – GOLD
2014 Amelia Bloomer Project List
ReadBoston’s Best Read Aloud Book
