Demi (born Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt; September 2, 1942) is a children’s book author and illustrator. During her career she has published over 300 titles.

Biography

Early life and education

Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect

Richard Morris Hunt Richard Morris Hunt (October 31, 1827 – July 31, 1895) was an American architect of the nineteenth century and an eminent figure in the history of American architecture. He helped shape New York City with his designs for the 1902 entrance fa� ...

. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her "

demi Demi is a feminine given name with Greek and Latin roots. It was originally a nickname of Demetria, the feminine form of the masculine name Demetrius, which is itself the Latin and English spelling of the Greek name Demetrios. It is also an Alba ...

" because she was half the size of her sister. She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with

Sister Corita Corita Kent (November 20, 1918 – September 18, 1986), born Frances Elizabeth Kent and also known as Sister Mary Corita Kent, was an American artist, designer and educator, and former religious sister. Key themes in her work included Christiani ...

at the

Immaculate Heart College Immaculate Heart College was a private, Catholic college located in Los Angeles, California. The college offered various courses including art and religious education studies. By June 1906, six young women had become the first graduates of the ...

in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master's degree.

Career

Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including

Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

, Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus,

Mary (mother of Jesus) Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

, Muhammad,

Rumi Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.

Awards and honors

''The Empty Pot'' was selected by former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1990 as one of the books to be read on the ''ABC Radio Network Program Mrs. Bush's Story Time''. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed ''The Empty Pot'' as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." ''Gandhi'' was awarded the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, while ''Muhammad'' was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. ''Master of Zen: Extraordinary Teachings from Hui Neng’s Altar Sutra'' (World Wisdom, 2012), illustrated by Demi and translated and adapted by her husband Tze-si Huang, won a 2012 USA Best Book Award (Religion - Buddhism category). ''One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale'' was awarded Mathical Hall of Fame status. A full list of over 20 awards and honors given to Demi’s books published by Wisdom Tales Press can be found on Demi’s author page at the publisher’s website.http://www.wisdomtalespress.com/authors_artists-childrens/Demi.shtml#awards In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.

Select bibliography

* ''Marie Curie'',

Henry Holt and Co. Henry Holt and Company is an American book-publishing company based in New York City. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt (publisher), Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt. Currently, the company p ...

, 2018 * ''Florence Nightingale'',

, 2014 * ''The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna'', Wisdom Tales, 2013 * ''St. Francis of Assisi'', Wisdom Tales, 2012 * ''Conference of the Birds'' (Illustrator, by Alexis York), Wisdom Tales, 2012 * ''Master of Zen: Extraordinary Teachings from Hui Neng’s Altar Sutra'',(Illustrator, translated and adapted by Tze-si Huang), World Wisdom, 2012 * ''Tutankhamun'', Marshall Cavendish, 2009 * ''Genghis Khan'', Marshall Cavendish, 2009 * ''Rumi: Persian Poet, Whirling Dervish'', Marshall Cavendish, 2009 * ''The Girl Who Drew a Phoenix'',

Margaret K. McElderry Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...

, 2008 * ''Marco Polo'', Marshall Cavendish, 2008 * ''The Magic Pillow'',

, 2008 * ''The Boy Who Painted Dragons'',

, 2007 * ''The Legend of Lao Tzu and Tao Te Ching'',

, 2007 * ''Su Dongpo: Chinese Genius'', Lee & Low, 2006 * ''Mary'',

, 2005 * ''Mother Theresa'',

, 2005 * ''Jesus'',

, 2005 * ''The Greatest Power'',

, 2004 * ''The Legend of St Nicholas,

, 2003 * ''Muhammad'',

, 2003 * ''King Midas: The Golden Touch'',

, 2002 * ''Gandhi'',

, 2001 * ''The Dalai Lama: Foreword by his Holiness The Dalai Lama'',

Henry Holt and Company Henry Holt and Company is an American book-publishing company based in New York City. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt. Currently, the company publishes in the fields ...

1998 * ''One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folk Tale'', Scholastic, 1997 * ''Buddha'',

, 1996 * ''The Empty Pot'',

, 1990 * ''Liang and the Magic Paintbrush'',

, 1988 * ''The Hallowed Horse: A Folktale from India'', Dodd Mead, 1987

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demi 1942 births Living people American children's writers American illustrators Writers from Cambridge, Massachusetts Artists from Massachusetts Immaculate Heart College alumni Instituto Allende alumni Fulbright alumni