about amy

I grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts. I always loved to draw and to make
things, and wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. I was pretty good at writing and other academic subjects, but I never really liked math.

After high school I went to lots of different schools. I went to the
Cleveland Institute of Art for two years, then I transferred to Yale University. A few years after graduating, I went to Indiana University and got a Master of Fine Arts in painting. Then, for something completely different, I went to Harvard Law School and proceeded to practice law for seven years. I "retired" in 1995 to illustrate full-time.

During and between all those years of schooling I had a lot of different jobs. I have been a waitress, a kitchen worker, a construction worker, a farm hand and a teaching assistant. My least favorite job was waitressing. My best boss ever was Danny, the foreman of my construction crew.

Once I became a full time illustrator, I worked in as many areas as I could. You can see samples of my work in the different sections of this website.

I had wanted to illustrate a children's book for years before I got the chance to actually do it. My first picture book, which I wrote as well as illustrated, is Belinda the Ballerina; it was published by Viking in 2003. I have written and illustrated lots of books since then.

I live in Spring Lake, Michigan with my charming husband Paul and my darling dog Sophie Rose. I love animals, and I used to serve on the board of Harbor Humane Society. That's where we got Sophie. For fun, I like to play music (I play fiddle and Irish whistle, and Paul plays guitar and concertina), read, take walks and nap with Sophie. I also like to spend time with my friends.

Amy Answers Some Questions

Did you ever want to be a ballerina?

No. I took a dance class when I was about seven or eight, but I wasn’t all that good at it, and I never liked performing in front of an audience. I recently took up ballet for the first time in my life. Belinda inspired me. I will never be as good as she is, but I love it anyway.

Where do you get your ideas?

Ideas come from all kinds of places. My stories usually start with a character who sticks in my mind, and who finds himself or herself in a peculiar situation. It is kind of magical, though, because I don’t invent my characters: they seem to exist already. I just have to find them and then listen to them. Some of them have stories to tell. Others don’t.

One idea I have now is a story based loosely on my dog Sophie and cat Alice. That is because for months I have been saying aloud what I imagine they would be saying to and about each other if they could talk (a lot of it is not very friendly). One day it occurred to me: “there might be a story in this.” Maybe, maybe not; we shall see.

As for Belinda the Ballerina, that story just popped into my head one evening. I started to tell my husband the idea, and then I grabbed a pencil and wrote and drew it as I talked, so I wouldn’t forget. The story wrote itself.

You might want to check out 1% Inspiration where I describe how some of my pictures and stories are made.

Do you know Spike and Cubby for real?

Yes! Spike was my dog before I had Sophie Rose. He was a lab mix who was just as exuberant and joyful as he is in Spike and Cubby’s Ice Cream Island Adventure. He was, however, really REALLY afraid of thunder. He died at the ripe old age of 16 (that is about 112 in dog years). Cubby is a Welsh Corgi who belongs to author Heather Sellers. He is a very dignified little chap, and he is a worrier, just like in the book.

Spike came from a dog pound in Princeton, NJ; Heather got Cubby from a rescue group.

I want to write and/or illustrate for children. What is the best way to get published?

Everybody’s path is different, but I would recommend several things. First, join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Attend their conferences and get to know other aspiring writers and illustrators.

Second, read books on the subject. There are a lot of good ones out there. I like How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books and Get Them Published, edited by Treld Pelkey Bicknell and Felicity Trottman; The Children’s Picture Book: How to Write It, How to Sell It, by Ellen E. M. Roberts, and the 2004 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market, edited by Alice Pope and Mona Michael (check out page 112!).

Finally, and most importantly, read as many children’s books you can. Read the classics. Read the new ones. Read the good ones. Read the bad ones. Reread the good ones. Read them aloud. Read them to children. Read them to your goldfish. Develop that ear! Listen for the rhythm, the pacing, the syntax, the drama. Read!