About this item
Born to Draw Comics, a mixed-panel format picture book biography of Charles "Sparky" Schulz, creator of the beloved comic strip Peanuts.As a child, Charles split his free time between adventures outdoors with his friends and dog Spike, and daydreams and doodles inspired by the comics he loved to read. He longed to become a professional cartoonist, but saw his dreams deferred by unexpected challenges that laid ahead: military deployment to the European front of World War II, and the heartbreak of a family tragedy back home. Even so, Charles never lost sight of the hopeful joy of his early years and his love for Spike, both of which inspired PEANUTS. The comic strip went on to become the most popular and influential in comics history.For fans of Brad Meltzers New York Times-bestselling picture book biography of the Muppets and Sesame Street creator, I Am Jim Henson.Christy Ottaviano Books
About the Author
I thrive in my world of books, reading, research, and writing award-winning nonfiction titles. Biographies, natural history and American history are my main focus. Each of my books is for young readers ... and the young at heart! I have a reputation for being a research junkie and in my house, that means tiptoeing around boxes (my style of file cabinets) in my office, stacks of "very important" papers, and teetering towers of reference books that don't fit into my floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Despite my predilection for research, I have managed to publish 30 nonfiction books, and many others are still waiting to find that perfect home.
I come from a creative family and we all love the natural world. My father made his living writing westerns and then adventure novels for young readers. His father also wrote western novels and for the "Big Slicks." My mother was an artist and her father was director of the San Diego Natural History Museum. I have one brother who is a professional photographer and another who, along with his wife, are the publishers of many award-winning natural history books (Cachuma Press) .
When I'm not working in my office, I often like to garden or head to the hills behind my house. I take my "writing buddies," Scout (my golden retriever) , plus my little black & white dog (a poodle mix) named Oreo, and my newest, a miniature golden doodle named Penny. While I hike, I like to think about my books. Sometimes I go further and visit our national parks. Many of my ideas come together after one of these "explores."
