Robin Michal Koontz (born July 29, 1954) is an American author and
illustrator
An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...
of
picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...
s and early readers for children as well as
non-fiction
Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...
for
middle school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
readers. Her books are published in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Indonesian. Many of her titles have been reviewed in
School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
,
Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
, and the CLCD (Children's Literature Comprehension Database).
Biography
Koontz was born in 1954 and grew up in
Wheaton, Maryland
Wheaton is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, situated north of Washington, D.C. and northwest of downtown Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton (1833–1903), a career officer in the Uni ...
and
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...
. She attended the
Maryland Institute College of Art
The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a private art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the oldest art colleges in the U ...
in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
in 1973–74. She currently lives near
Noti, Oregon
Noti (pronounced NO-tie) is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States, located in the foothills of the Central Oregon Coast Range between Eugene and Florence. Per the 2000 census, Noti had a total population of 699.
Hist ...
.
Koontz served as the Regional Advisor of the
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
chapter of the
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization that acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers ...
from 1994 to 2012. She is now Regional Advisor
Emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
.
Awards
In 2018, Robin was inducted into the Albert Einstein High School Arts Hall of Fame for her contributions to visual arts and arts education.
''What's the Difference Between a Butterfly and a Moth'' was an International Reading Association Teachers Choice Award in 2010.
''Leaps and Creeps: How Animals Move to Survive'' was one of four finalists for the
Animal Behavior Society
The Animal Behavior Society is an international non-profit scientific society that encourages and promotes the professional study of animal behavior. It has open membership and also provides a certification and directory for animal behaviorists. T ...
's Outstanding Children's Book Award in 2012.
Bibliography
*''EE-OH-LAY! What Do Birds Say?'' (spring 2024)
*''The Boxcar Children: The Skeleton Key Mystery (published under the name Gertrude Chandler Warner'' (September 2020)
*''Great Minds and Finds in Australia (Discoveries Around the World)'' (August 2020)
*''Great Minds and Finds in Antarctica (Discoveries Around the World)'' (August 2020)
*''Great Minds and Finds in South America (Discoveries Around the World)'' (August 2020)
*''Sir Pants-a-Lot and Squire Mousekins: The Girl With the Golden Hair'' (June 2020)
*''Invention of Robotics (It Changed the World)'' (January 2020)
*''Invention of Electricity (It Changed the World)'' (January 2020)
*''BUG!'' (spring 2019)
*''Natural Laboratories: Scientists in National Parks - Carlsbad Caverns'' (spring 2019)
*''Natural Laboratories: Scientists in National Parks - Yellowstone'' (spring 2019)
*''Building a Wood-Framed Panelized Yurt'' (2018)
*''Bio-mimic Building & Design (Nature-Inspired Innovations)'' (2018)
*''Bio-inspired Transportation and Communication (Nature-Inspired Innovations)'' (2018)
*''Animal-Inspired Robots (Nature-Inspired Innovations)'' (2018)
*''Nature-inspired Contraptions (Nature-Inspired Innovations)'' (2018)
*''Biomimicry in Medicine (Nature-Inspired Innovations)'' (2018)
*''Nature's Energy (Nature-Inspired Innovations)'' (2018)
*''Disaster Proof! (Define Design)'' (2017)
*''From Here to There (Define Design)'' (2017)
*''Think Like an Engineer (Science Alliance)'' (2017)
*''Great Danes (Dog Applause)'' (2017)
*''French Bulldogs (Dog Applause)'' (2017)
*''Why Do Animals Hide?'' (2016)
*''Why Do Animals Sound Like That?'' (2016)
*''Robotics in the Real World'' (2016)
*''Poop is Power!'' (2016)
*''Our Place in Space'' (2016)
*''What was Hurricane Katrina?'' (2015)
*''Learning About Africa'' (2015)
*''The Science of a Sinkhole'' (2015)
*''The Science of a Tsunami'' (2015)
*''Entomologists'' (2015)
*''Marine Biologists'' (2015)
*''Volcanologists'' (2015)
*''What's Great About Missouri?'' (2015)
*''The Boxcar Children: Mystery of the Stolen Dinosaur Bones'' (published under the name
Gertrude Chandler Warner (2015)
*''The Science of a Pandemic'' (2014)
*''How It Works: Binoculars'' (2014)
*''How It Works: TV Remote'' (2014)
*''How It Works: Computer Mouse'' (2014)
*''The Boxcar Children: Mystery of the Wild West Bandit'' (published under the name
Gertrude Chandler Warner (2014)
*''The Boxcar Children: Mystery of the Fallen Treasure'' (published under the name
Gertrude Chandler Warner (2013)
*''Indigenous Peoples'' (2013)
*''Your Family Tree'' (2013)
*''Light in the Real World'' (2013)
*''Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox'' (2012)
*''Run…It's a Bee!'' (2012)
*''Robin Hood'' (2012)
*''Rumpelstiltskin'' (2012)
*''Leaps and Creeps: How Animals Move to Survive'' (2011)
*''Spits and Squirts: How Animals Squirt to Survive'' (2011)
*''Sniffs and Stinks: How Animals Use Odor to Survive'' (2011)
*''Screams and Songs: How Animals Communicate to Survive'' (2011)
*''Movers and Makers: How Animals Build and Use Tools to Survive'' (2011)
*''The King's New Clothes'' (2011)
*''Lizzie Little: The Sky is Falling!'' (2011)
*''Goldie Duck and the Three Beavers'' (2011)
*''The Three Little Recyclers'' (2011)
*''Old McDoggle Had a Farm'' (2011)
*''Jill and the Beanstalk'' (2011)
*''Cinderella Zelda''(2011)
*''Water Goes Round -The Water Cycle'' (2011)
*''Hide and Seek Moon - The Moon Phases'' (2011)
*''Building a Small Cable Suspension Bridge - with the Cable Locking System'' (co-author) (2011)
*''Our Amazing States'' Six nonfiction early readers (2010)
*''Pick a Perfect Pumpkin: Learning about Pumpkin Harvests'' (2010)
*''Apples, Apples, Everywhere: Learning about Apple Harvests'' (2010)
*''Furlock and Muttson Mysteries'' Six fiction early readers (2010)
*''What's the Difference Between a Butterfly and a Moth?'' (2010)
*''Butterfly Spring'' (2009)
*''Tai Chi for Fun!'' (2008)
*''Jewelry Making for Fun!'' (2008)
*''Who's Hiding?'' (Illustrator) (2008)
*''Composting: Nature's Recyclers'' (2007)
*''Erosion: Changing the Earth's Surface'' (2007)
*''Creepy Crawly Colors'' (2006)
*''Up All Night Counting'' (2006)
*''On Her Way: Stories and Poems About Growing Up Girl'' (Contributor) (2004)
*''It Takes Three'' (illustrator) (2003)
*''How is a Moose Like a Goose?'' (2003)
*''Why a Dog? By A. Cat'' (2000) (2013)
*''The Complete Backyard Nature Activity Book'' (1998) (2012)
*''Chicago and the Cat'' Series of five early readers (1993-1997) (2013)
*''I Don't Like Peas'' (illustrator) (1993)
*''Music in the Night'' (illustrator) (1993)
*''I See Something You Don't See'' (1992)
*''In a Cabin In a Wood'' (illustrator) (1991)
*''Victoria Flies High'' (illustrator) (1990)
*''This Old Man'' (illustrator) (1988)
*''Dinosaur Dream'' (1988)
*''Pussycat Ate the Dumplings'' (illustrator) (1987)
References
Interviews
Mihnea Simandan, Voicu. ""The devices that deliver a book might change, but I believe that kids will still read." – Interview with Robin Koontz. Voicu Mihnea Simandan. July 11, 2011. Harrison, David. Robin Koontz today. Children's Author David L. Harrison's Blog. October 29, 2010.
External links
Works by or about Robin Koontz in libraries
(WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the OCL ...
catalog)
Contemporary Authors, volume(s) 138; Something about the Author, volume(s) 70, 136Robin Koontz Author Page on
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
Robin Koontz's website Robin Koontz's blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koontz, Robin
1954 births
American children's writers
British children's book illustrators
Living people
People from Wheaton, Maryland
Writers from Maryland
Writers from Oregon
20th-century American writers
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American writers
21st-century American women writers
People from Lane County, Oregon
American women children's writers