Jonathan London (author)

Jonathan London (born March 11, 1947) is an American writer of children’s books, best known as the author of the popular Froggy series.

Jonathan London
Born (1947-03-11) March 11, 1947 (age 77)
NationalityAmerican
EducationSan Jose State University (M.A.)
SpouseMaureen Weisenberger
ChildrenAaron London, Sean London
Websitewww.Jonathan-London.net

Early life

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London was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a career Navy officer and London lived with his parents and brother Jeff on or near Navy bases all over the country, including Puerto Rico, until he was 18 years old.[citation needed] In college at San Jose State University he studied history and social sciences but became a poet. After receiving an MA in Social Sciences he joined a dance company in San Francisco, wrote poetry and short fiction, and travelled around the world.[1]

Career

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London published around 200 poems and short stories in literary magazines, worked in a union labor job, and didn’t make a living as a children’s book author until he was 45. His first published picture books were first told to his sons when they asked him to tell them a story. Aaron was five and Sean was two. They liked his stories so much he wrote them down, and one of them became FROGGY GETS DRESSED, which became a bestseller and is on the New York Public Library 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know list.[citation needed] Since then he has published over 120 books,[2] including 30 Froggy books.[3][4] Over 16 million Froggy books have sold in North America, and they are published in 8 languages, including Mandarin, Russian, Persian, Greek, and Spanish. Many Froggy titles have appeared on the New York Times and other bestseller lists.[5][6][7]

London also writes picture books about wildlife, including Pup The Sea Otter (illustrated by his son Sean London), and has published Aaron’s Wilderness Trilogy of middle grade novels: Desolation Canyon, Bella Bella, and Grizzly Peak (illustrated by Sean London).[citation needed]

Awards

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The Froggy series and other titles by London have received numerous awards and honors, such as the New York Public Library 100 Picture Books Everyone should Know list[8][9][10][11]

References

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  1. ^ London, Jonathan (1998). Tell me a story. Shahan, Sherry. Katonah, N.Y.: Richard C. Owen Publishers. ISBN 1572741945. OCLC 38295168.
  2. ^ "Jonathan London". goodreads.com. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  3. ^ "Jonathan London | Penguin Random House". penguinrandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  4. ^ "Froggy". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  5. ^ NSTA, National Science Teachers Association -. "Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: 2016". nsta.org. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  6. ^ "Bank Street - Children's Book Committee". bankstreet.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  7. ^ "Jonathan London". breakfastserials.com. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  8. ^ "View List | Ann Arbor District Library". aadl.org. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  9. ^ "Children's Choices Reading List | International Literacy Association". literacyworldwide.org. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  10. ^ admin (2008-10-09). "The Lists". Reference & User Services Association (RUSA). Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  11. ^ Notable Children's Books: 2016 | Booklist Online.