Valerie Joy Watson (née Evans; 21 February 1938 – 4 October 2021) was a New Zealand author of children's books, many of which were published by

Scholastic Corporation Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...

. Many of Watson's tales were based on her husband Kevin. Watson had also written lyrics to school musicals and songs. She was the mother of writer/singer/musician Mary-anne Scott.

Early life

Watson was born in Gisborne on 21 February 1938 to a farming family, she was the second (and only girl) of four children. Largely educated by correspondence, she later attended school at

Waipukurau Waipukurau is the largest town in the Central Hawke's Bay District on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the banks of the Tukituki River, 7 kilometres south of Waipawa and 50 kilometres southwest of Hastings. H ...

and

St Mary's College, Wellington St Mary's College Wellington is situated in the suburb of Thorndon in Wellington, New Zealand. The school is a state-integrated all-girls Catholic secondary school for years 9–13. History The school, which is one of the oldest existing scho ...

. Although her father left school at a young age, both of her parents were literate. After finishing school, she trained as a dental nurse and worked in the Dannevirke area.

Career

Watson began her writing career by penning stories and poems for her family. The inspiration for her book ''Grandpa's Slippers'' was her husband's old slippers. It became well-known and won a Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much–Loved book in 2000. ''Grandpa's Slippers'' was followed by ''Grandpa's Cardigan, Grandpa's Shorts, Grandpa's Shed'' and ''Grandpa's Cat.'' In 2015, ''Grandpa's Slippers'' was a fiction nomination for the Great Kiwi Classic, adapted into a

stage show A theatrical production is any work of theatre, such as a staged play, musical, comedy or drama produced from a written book or script. Theatrical productions also extend to other performance designations such as Dramatic and Nondramatic theatre, a ...

, and included in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Grants for 2017/2018. It has been published in foreign language editions. Watson wrote 15 books and with her husband a musical performed in schools. In 2012, Watson dedicated preschool story time to the community of

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

for New Zealand Book Month.

Personal life

Watson married pharmacist Kevin Watson and they had nine children. Her daughter Mary-anne Scott is a writer of young adult fiction. Watson died in

Havelock North Havelock North ( mi, Te Hemo-a-Te Atonga) is a town in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, situated less than 2 km south-east of the city of Hastings. It was a borough for many years until the 1989 reorganisation of local ...

on 4 October 2021, aged 83. Her

Requiem Mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

was held in the town on 7 October 2021.

Works

* ''Pets'' (1988) * ''Mouse In The House'' (1989) * ''Grandpa's Slippers'' (1989) * ''Grandpa's Cardigan'' (1993) * ''No Porridge, Please'' (1994) * ''Just In Case'' (1996) * ''A Wet Day At School'' (1996) * ''Foster Dog'' (1999) * ''Highway Robbery'' (2000) * ''The Birthday Flood'' (2001) * ''Grandpa's Shorts'' (2001) - Children's Choice Award at the 2002

New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a series of literary awards presented annually to recognise excellence in children and young adult's literature in New Zealand. The awards began in 1982 as the New Zealand Governme ...

* ''Grandpa's Shed'' (2003) * ''Zita the Zebra'' (2006) * ''Grandpa's Cat'' (2006) * ''Worms Squirm...and Other Poems'' (2007)

References

External links

Joy Watson at Goodreads
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Joy 1938 births 2021 deaths New Zealand dentists New Zealand children's writers People from Gisborne, New Zealand Scholastic Corporation books New Zealand women children's writers People educated at St Mary's College, Wellington New Zealand lyricists