Smith, Maggie 1965–

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Smith, Maggie 1965–

Personal

Born April 11, 1965. Education: Attended college. Hobbies and other interests: Designing and sewing cloth dolls and animals. Collecting vintage cotton fabrics from the 1960s and 1970s.

Addresses

Home and office—Seattle, WA. E-mail—[email protected].

Career

Author and illustrator of children's books. Freelance pattern maker of soft-sculpture toys and decorations for leading fabric company; worked briefly for theatrical costume shops, New York, NY, including Jim Henson's Muppet shop; assistant textile designer in New York, NY.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Noly Poly Rabbit Tail and Me, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1990.

There's a Witch under the Stairs, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1991.

My Grandma's Chair, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Argo, You Lucky Dog, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Counting Our Way to Maine, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1995.

This Is Your Garden, Crown (New York, NY), 1998.

Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, Crown (New York, NY), 2000.

Desser the Best Ever Cat, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2001.

Paisley, Knopf (New York, NY), 2004.

One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR

Patricia Demuth, Achoo!: All about Colds, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1997.

Pamela Jane, A-Boo-C: A Spooky Alphabet Story, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1998.

Ann Whitford Paul, Everything to Spend the Night—from A to Z, DK Pub. (New York, NY), 1999.

Anne F. Rockwell, Ferryboat Ride!, Crown (New York, NY), 1999.

Kristine O'Connell George, Book!, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Pamela Jane, All about Christmas: A Merry Alphabet Story, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2001.

Julie Markes, Good Thing You're Not an Octopus!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

Karen Roosa, Beach Day, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Eve Bunting, My Big Boy Bed, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Kristine O'Connell George, One Mitten, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Candace Fleming, This Is the Baby, Melanie Kroupa Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Linda Sue Park, What Does Bunny See?: A Book of Colors and Flowers, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Hope Vestergaard, What Do You Do—When a Monster Says Boo?, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Eve Bunting, Our Library, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR; "LET'S TALK ABOUT …" SERIES

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Angry, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1995.

Joy Wilt Berry, Saying No, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Helpful, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Needing Attention, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Sad, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Afraid, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Patient, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Getting Hurt, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Accepting No, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being away from Your Parents, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Worried, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Embarrassed, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Jealous, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Disappointed, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Frustrated, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Guilty, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Good, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Shy, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Sidelights

Maggie Smith leads a creative life on several fronts. A devoted crafter from an early age, she created fabric dolls and stuffed animals for many years and has worked professionally as a pattern maker for fabric toys and decorations. Many young children are more familiar with Smith's work as an author and illustrator; her popular picture book Counting Our Way to Maine was described by School Library Journal contributor Janet M. Bair as "an engaging summer offering, and a great concept book to boot," while in Booklist Julie Corsaro concluded: "A cozy addition to picture-book collections, [Counting Our Way to Maine] … also features the most satisfying of family values: love." In addition to creating several self-illustrated picture books, she has also provided illustrations for a number of other writers, such as Eve Bunting, Linda Sue Park, Candace Fleming, Ann Rockwell, and Hope Vestergaard.

"When I started out in children's books I was very excited about writing," Smith told SATA, "and I really enjoyed the process of delving into my childhood memories and imagination. After a while I started being asked to illustrate stories by other authors, and while this has been very satisfying in many ways (and has helped me to earn a living) I do miss that time when I was so focused on my own stories. Illustrating books, whether my own or not, takes up so much time that it's difficult to find enough time and focus for writing. But I do enjoy both parts of creating books, and feel very lucky that this is what I get to do every day.

"I do wish that I had kept a diary starting at a young age, so that I could better remember what I was thinking and doing. I would encourage kids to do so, even if the thoughts, feelings, and activities they write down seem ordinary to them. Some day in their future, this would be a real treasure to have!"

Joy Wilt Berry's "Lets Talk About…" books, an educational series that includes Feeling Angry, Saying No, and Being Patient, features Smith's engaging cartoon art in over a dozen of its titles. In addition, "Smith's

naive and rosy-checked characters, cozy textures, and crayon-box colors are a perfect accompaniment," to Flemings This Is the Baby, according to School Library Journal critic Kathy Krasniewicz, while in What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo? Smith contributes what Booklist contributor Gillian Engberg described as "jelly-bean-bright acrylic paintings" to Hope Vestergaard's rhyming story about a pair of rambunctious siblings.

Smith published her first original book for children, Noly Poly Rabbit Tail and Me, in 1990. Dubbed an "impressive debut" by a Publishers Weekly contributor, the book brings to life the affection of a child for a beloved stuffed toy. The author/illustrator's "delightfully detailed pastel pictures are as engaging as her text," the critic added. A young child's affection for his grandmother's chair is the focus of My Grandma's Chair, in which Smith's "capricious imagination" is reflected in her "whimsical paintings," according to another Publishers Weekly reviewer. In her self-illustrated counting book One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, Smith pairs "joyous, jewel-toned watercolor illustrations" with a simple text to "present a … complex and nuanced narrative" that will "spark preschoolers' imaginations," according to School Library Journal contributor Rachael Vilmar.

Best friends are an essential part of childhood, and in Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon a little boy models caring rather than frustration when a playmate comes down with the chicken pox. As the days pass from Sunday onward through the week, Peter sends friend Daisy daily pick-me-ups, from a card to flowers, to coloring books. Smith's art, "glowing with rich colors," according to Booklist reviewer Carolyn Phelan, "features pleasing scenes with a clear narrative focus," making Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon "a simple, upbeat tale of friendship." A Publishers Weekly critic described the book as "just the ticket for a homebound young patient," while in School Library Journal Martha Topol noted that "counting and days of the week are naturally ingrained in the plot, thus keeping the focus on Peter's acts of kindness."

Animals take center stage in Argo, You Lucky Dog and Desser the Best Ever Cat, while a stuffed animal finds his way in the wide world in Paisley, a "hilarious" recounting of the adventures of a toy elephant that culminate in a "tale of true bliss discovered and dreams achieved," according to a Kirkus Reviews writer. In Argo, You Lucky Dog a white puppy finds a winning lottery ticket while his owners are out of town and promptly refurbishes their home with lavish—and dog-friendly—accoutrements, including a bone-shaped wading pool and a fire-hydrant-shaped garden fountain. Noting the book's value in introducing basic addition and subtraction, a Publishers Weekly contributor praised Smith's "festive watercolors" and her furry hero's "admirable generosity."

A stray kitten is taken in by the father of a little girl in Desser the Best Ever Cat, which is organized like a scrapbook capturing the cat's frisky yet loving nature throughout the years of his long life. Smith ends the book showing a prominently displayed photograph of Desser, thereby "reassuring children that pets never leave as long as they are remembered," according to Booklist contributor Ellen Mandel. Smith's cheerfully detailed illustrations "imbue the cat with expression and personality while remaining true to the animal's nature," concluded a Publishers Weekly contributor.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 1992, Ellen Mandel, review of My Grandma's Chair, p. 1539; July, 1994, review of Argo, You Lucky Dog, p. 1956; April 1, 1995, Julie Corsaro, review of Counting Our Way to Maine, p. 1428; May 1, 1998, Helen Rosenberg, review of This Is Your Garden, p. 1520; July, 2000, Carolyn Phelan, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 2043; February 15, 2001, Ellen Mandel, review of Desser the Best Ever Cat, p. 1142; September 1, 2003, Carolyn Phelan, review of My Big Boy Bed, p. 128; November, 15, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of One Mitten, p. 590; July 1, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review of What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo?, p. 68.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March, 1991, review of There's a Witch under the Stairs, p. 177; March, 1995, review of Counting Our Way to Maine, p. 250; May, 1998, review of This Is Your Garden, p. 339; February, 2000, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 222.

Horn Book, May-June, 1991, Mary M. Burns, review of There's a Witch under the Stairs, p. 324; November-December, 2004, Jennifer M. Brabander, review of This Is the Baby, p. 695.

Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2004, review of This Is the Baby, p. 628; July 15, 2004, review of Paisley, p. 694; July 1, 2006, review of What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo?, p. 693.

Publishers Weekly, August 31, 1990, review of Noly Poly Rabbit Tail and Me, p. 664; May 25, 1992, review of My Grandma's Chair, p. 54; May 2, 1994, review of Argo, You Lucky Dog, p. 307; May 1, 2000, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 69; March 26, 2001, review of Desser the Best Ever Cat, p. 93; July 19, 2004, review of This Is the Baby, p. 159.

School Library Journal, June, 1992, Virginia E. Jeschelnig, review of My Grandma's Chair, p. 103; August, 1994, Dot Minzer, review of Argo, You Lucky Dog, p. 146; May, 1995, Janet M. Bair, review of Counting Our Way to Maine, p. 95; June, 1998, Carolyn Jenks, review of This Is Your Garden, p. 122; April, 2000, Martha Topol, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 114; July, 2001, Alison Kastner, review of Desser the Best Ever Cat, p. 89; October, 2001, Bina Williams, review of Book!, p. 139; August, 2004, Kathy Krasniewicz, review of This Is the Baby, p. 86; September, 2004, Jane Barrer, review of Paisley, p. 180; August, 2006, Shelley B. Sutherland, review of What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo?, p. 100; January, 2007, Rachael Vilmar, review of One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, p. 109.