Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner 1954–

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Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner 1954–

Personal

Born 1954. Education: Earned M.A. (English literature and creative writing).

Addresses

Home and office—Berkeley, CA.

Career

Writer and editor of children's books. Has worked with paleontologists at digs, including Craddock Ranch, TX, and Como Bluff, WY.

Awards, Honors

Notable Book citation, American Library Association, for Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young.

Writings

Seal Pup Grows Up: The Story of a Harbor Seal, illustrated by Lisa Bonforte, Soundprints (Norwalk, CT), 1994.

What Lives in a Shell?, illustrated by Helen K. Davie, HarperCollins (New York, NY) 1994.

Great White Shark, Ruler of the Sea, illustrated by Steven James Petruccio, Soundprints (Norwalk, CT), 1995.

How Mountains Are Made, illustrated by James Graham Hale, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1995.

What's Alive?, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1995.

Ladybug at Orchard Avenue, illustrated by Thomas Buchs, Soundprints (Norwalk, CT), 1996.

Cactus Café: A Story of the Sonoran Desert, illustrated by Paul Mirocha, Soundprints (Norwalk, CT), 1997.

Happy New Year, Pooh!, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Pooh Plays Doctor, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Pooh Welcomes Winter, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Pooh's Christmas Box, illustrated by Orlando de la Paz and Nancy Stevenson, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Pooh' First Day of School, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Pooh's Mailbox, illustrated by Mike Peterkin, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Pooh's Neighborhood, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1997.

What Is the World Made Of?: All about Solids, Liquids, and Gases, illustrated by Paul Meisel, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

(Adapter) Russell Schoeder, Disney's Mulan (based on the animated film), Disney Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Disney's Big Egg, Little Egg, illustrated by Jose Cardona and Fred Marvin, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 1998.

Disney's Have You Seen My Pot of Honey?: A Lift-the-Flap Book, illustrated by Orlando de la Paz, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 1998.

Disney's Where Are You, Pooh?: A Lift-the-Flap Book, illustrated by Nancy Stevenson, Mouse Works (New York, NY) 1998.

Don't Talk to Strangers, Pooh!, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Pooh's Bad Dream, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Pooh Stays Safe, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Pooh's Friends, illustrated by Studio Orlando, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 1998.

Pooh's Jingle Bells, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Tigger's Moving Day, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Pooh's Scrapbook, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1999.

(Adapter) Toy Story 2: Buzz's Story, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Dinosaur Babies, illustrated by Lucia Washburn, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Disney's Can You Find the Easter Eggs, Pooh?: A Lift-the-Flap Book, illustrated by Orlando de la Paz, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 1999.

Disney's Rub-a-Dub, Pooh, illustrated by Gus Alavezos, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 1999.

(Adapter) Disney's Tarzan, illustrated by Glenn Harrington, Judith Holmes Clarke, and Denise Shimabukuro, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Disney's Where Is the Heffalump?, illustrated by Nancy Stevenson, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 1999.

Disney's Winnie the Pooh's Big Book of First Words, illustrated by Josie Yee, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 1999.

Growing Up Stories (includes Pooh's First Day of School, Happy New Year, Pooh!, Pooh Plays Doctor, Pooh's Bad Dream, Don't Talk to Strangers, Pooh!, and Pooh's Neighborhood), illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Pooh Helps Out, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Roo's New Baby Sitter, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Walt Disney Pictures Presents Dinosaur Aladar's Story, illustrated by Judith Holmes Clarke and Brent Ford, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Jeff Corwin) Jeff Corwin's Mystery of the Rainforest Chocolate Tree, illustrated by Victor Vaccaro, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2000.

Be Patient, Pooh, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Disney's Pooh's Birthday Surprise, illustrated by Studio Orlando, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 2000.

(Adapter) Disney's The Emperor's New Groove: The Junior Novelization, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Fossil Fever, illustrated by Paulette Bogan, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Human Body, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2000.

Once upon a Time with Winnie the Pooh: A Disney Treasury of Favorite Nursery Tales and Rhymes, illustrated by Studio Orlando, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Pooh's Favorite Things about Spring, illustrated by Elisa Marrucchi, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2000.

(Adapter) Toy Story 2: A Read-Aloud Storybook, Mouse Works (New York, NY), 2000.

Where's Pooh?, illustrated by Nancy Stevenson, Random House (New York, NY), 2001.

Who's Hiding?, illustrated by Nancy Stevenson, Random House (New York, NY), 2001.

Time for School, Pooh, Random House (New York, NY), 2001.

Amazon Fever, illustrated by Paulette Bogan, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2001.

A Beary-Good Neighbor, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Random House (New York, NY), 2001.

Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young: Uncovering the Mystery of Dinosaur Families, illustrated by Paul Carrick and Bruce Shillinglaw, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Fall Leaves Change Colors, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

From Tadpole to Frog, photographs by Dwight Kuhn, Scholastic Reference (New York, NY), 2001.

Hello, Spring!, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Random House (New York, NY), 2001.

More Growing Up Stories, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2001.

Pooh Gets a Checkup, illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Random House (New York, NY), 2001.

Terrible Tyrannosaurs, illustrated by Lucia Washburn, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

Dinosaurs Big and Small, illustrated by Lucia Washburn, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Disney's Winnie the Pooh: Pooh Helps Out, McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 2002.

Penguins, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Disney's Winnie the Pooh Storybook Collection, (includes Pooh's First Day of School, Happy New Year, Pooh!, Say Ahhh, Pooh!, Don't Talk to Strangers, Pooh!, Pooh's Neighborhood, Tigger's Moving Day, Roo's New Baby-Sitter, Pooh Helps Out, Pooh's Scrapbook, Pooh Welcomes Winter, and Be Patient, Pooh), illustrated by Robbin Cuddy, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Good Boy!: The Movie Novel, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2003.

Shipwreck Fever, illustrated by Ilene Richard, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over: The Joke Book, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2003.

Apples, Apples, illustrated by Christopher Santoro, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2004.

Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers?, illustrated by Lucia Washburn, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

Fossil Fever, illustrated by Paulette Bogan, Random House (New York, NY), 2004.

Pumpkin Time, illustrated by Christopher Santoro, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Bill Nye) Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2005.

Curious George, the Movie: A Junior Novel, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2005.

Duma: The Movie Novel, HarperKidsEntertainment (New York, NY), 2005.

Robots: Rodney to the Rescue, HarperKidsEntertainment (New York, NY), 2005.

Amazon Fever, illustrated by Paulette Bogan, Random House (New York, NY), 2006.

Flicka: The Movie Novel, illustrated by Judy Katschke, HarperCollins (New York, NY) 2006.

Ice Age 2, the Meltdown (based on the movie), HarperKidsEntertainment (New York, NY), 2006.

Wild Lives: 100 Years of People and Animals at the Bronx Zoo, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2006.

The Curse of King Tut's Mummy, illustrated by Jim Nelson, Random House (New York, NY), 2007.

Dinosaur Tracks, illustrated by Lucia Washburn, Collins (New York, NY), 2007.

Shrek the Third: The Junior Novel, HarperEntertainment (New York, NY), 2007.

Curious You: You're on Your Way!, illustrated by H.A. Rey, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2008.

Finding the First T. Rex, illustrated by Jim Nelson, Random House (New York, NY), 2008.

Sidelights

Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld earned a master's degree in creative writing and she has put it to use in her career as an author of books for young readers. While perhaps best known for her science-themed picture books, many on the topic of paleontology, Zoehfeld has also written dozens of "Winnie-the-Pooh" titles for preschoolers, most of them released by Walt Disney Corporation's publishing wing. Her novelizations of popular feature films such as Shrek the Third: The Junior Novel, round out the career of an extremely busy children's author.

After creating a geology class for college-level humanities majors, Zoehfeld discovered that she had a talent for explaining paleontology to non-specialists. She added to her theoretical knowledge by participating in fossil-collecting projects in Wyoming and Texas—a fossil-rich site in the latter state has been named in her honor. This immersion in dinosaur paleontology has produced an array of titles, including Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young: Uncovering the Mystery of Dinosaur Families, Dinosaurs Big and Small, Dinosaur Tracks, Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers?, and Terrible Tyrannosaurs. Zoehfeld's books introduce budding readers to some of the cutting-edge research being done on dinosaurs, including evidence that challenges and extends scientific knowledge of the many extinct species—and possibly their modern-day descendants.

Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young begins with the recreation of an ancient Oviraptor family and then explores the fossil evidence of dinosaur nests, eggs, and parenting behavior. School Library Journal critic Carolyn Angus called the work an "inviting, thought-provoking book." In Dinosaurs Big and Small, Zoehfeld uses modern-day animals as comparisons for extinct dinosaurs. A Brachiosaurus, for instance, weighed as much as sixteen elephants, and a Seismosaurus would have been longer than four school buses placed in a line. Carolyn Phelan, writing in Booklist, praised Dinosaurs Big and Small as "well focused and very appealing." In her School Library Journal review of the same work, Patricia Manning predicted that Zoehfeld's book will "gather no shelf-sitter dust."

One way dinosaurs left proof of their passing is in the series of footprints that are now forged by time into the solid rock. In Dinosaur Tracks Zoehfeld explains how such fossil footprints were formed by reminding her readers how their feet leave impressions in the sand at a beach. She goes on to show how a seemingly simple line of footprints can reveal complex dinosaur behavior patterns. In Horn Book Danielle J. Ford noted that the book's text "is pitched at just the right level for younger readers." Another interesting area of dinosaur research covers the growing body of evidence that some dinosaurs had feathers. Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers? introduces school children to recent finds such as Siuosauropteryx while also emphasizing the growing body of knowledge surrounding the better-known Archaeopteryx. According to a contributor in Kirkus Reviews, "young dinosaur enthusiasts will love this fascinating information." Jean Lowery, writing in School Library Journal, called Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers? "a visually appealing, informative, and interesting read."

Zoehfeld's science books are not limited to paleontology. She has also written about topics as far ranging as germs, bacteria, and viruses, the care of zoo animals, and the basics of chemistry. What Is the World Made Of?: All about Solids, Liquids, and Gases explains the three types of matter through easy examples, while including simple experiments kids can perform. In Horn Book Margaret A. Bush wrote that Zoehfeld's book shares "fundamental science that will be appreciated by teachers and enjoyed by children."

In The Curse of King Tut's Mummy, the author re-tells the story of the discovery of an untouched ancient Egyptian tomb holding the remains of a young pharaoh. By centering the tale on Howard Carter, the principal archeologist at the King Tut discovery, Zoehfeld allows children to imagine how they might have felt if they were there. As Carole Phillips noted in School Library Journal, The Curse of King Tut's Mummy "will appeal to young readers in search of true adventure."

Wild Lives: A History of the People and Animals of the Bronx Zoo explores how various species of animals and birds are cared for, and how much the employees of the Bronx Zoo care about their charges. School Library Journal correspondent Rebecca Stine called Wild Lives "a detailed, beautifully illustrated book," and Booklist reviewer Carolyn Phelan described it as both "attractive" and "informative."

What Lives in a Shell? and What's Alive? introduce kindergarten-level children to basic biology. For instance, adults may take for granted the fact that trees are alive, but to children this seems much less evident. Zoehfeld explains how living things grow, and how they differ from nonliving things. Hazel Rochman, writing in Booklist, concluded that What's Alive? will "invite attention and help sort things out."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August, 1994, Carolyn Phelan, review of What Lives in a Shell?, p. 2047; November 1, 2005, Hazel Rochman, review of What's Alive?, p. 476; November 1, 1998, Hazel Rochman, review of What Is the World Made Of?: All about Solids, Liquids, and Gases, p. 508; November 15, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of Dinosaur Babies, p. 632; May 15, 2000, Lauren Peterson, review of Fossil Fever, p. 1745; February 1, 2001, Denia Hester, review of Terrible Tyrannosaurs, p. 1054; April 15, 2001, Gillian Engberg, review of Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young: Uncovering the Mystery of Dinosaur Families, p. 1549; July, 2002, Carolyn Phelan, review of Dinosaurs Big and Small, p. 1852; January 1, 2004, Carolyn Phelan, review of Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers?, p. 870; June 1, 2005, Carolyn Phelan, review of Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs, p. 1802; March 15, 2006, Carolyn Phelan, review of Wild Lives: A History of the People and Animals of the Bronx Zoo, p. 48; December 1, 2006, Hazel Rochman, review of Dinosaur Tracks, p. 63.

Horn Book, September-October, 1998, Margaret A. Bush, review of What Is the World Made Of?, p. 627; March-April, 2007, Danielle J. Ford, review of Dinosaur Tracks, p. 217.

Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2002, review of Dinosaurs Big and Small, p. 502; January 1, 2004, review of Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers?, p. 43; December 1, 2006, review of The Curse of King Tut's Mummy, p. 1226; March 1, 2007, review of Dinosaur Tracks, p. 235.

School Library Journal, November, 2000, Holly T. Sneeringer, review of Fossil Fever, p. 138; May, 2001, Patricia Manning, review of Terrible Tyrannosaurs, p. 147; July, 2001, Carolyn Angus, review of Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young, p. 134; July, 2002, Patricia Manning, review of Dinosaurs Big and Small, p. 112; February, 2004, Jean Lowery, review of Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers?, p. 140; July, 2005, Donna Marie Wagner, review of Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs, p. 91; June, 2006, Rebecca Stine, review of Wild Lives, p. 190; March, 2007, Carole Phillips, review of The Curse of King Tut's Mummy, p. 202.

ONLINE

HarperCollins Children's Web site,http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/ (September 8, 2008), "Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld."

Prehistoric CSI Web site,http://hmnspaleo.blogspot.com/ (November, 2007), "Kathleen Zoehfeld, Volunteer Team Member."