Cynthia Cotten

Many writers know they wanted to write early in their lives. I was not one of those people. While I grew up in a home full of books and a love of words, I didn’t think about actually writing books until I had a child of my own.

Somebody once asked me if I could have my dream job, what would it be? My reply was that I have it (although I would have loved to have been a backup singer for John Denver!). I love kids, I love books, I love writing—and while the words don't always come easily and there are days when I find myself looking for excuses not to sit down at my computer, there is really no other job I'd rather have.

In 1999, I received an MFA in Writng for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. A native of Lockport, New York—a small town in the western part of the state, on the banks of the Erie Canal—I currently live in northern Virginia with my husband and our Glen of Imaal terrier, the lovely lady Aster. When I'm not writing or reading, I enjoy needlework, music of all kinds (especially Irish traditional), crossword puzzles, watching movies and live theater, and canoeing and fishing with my husband. (We always throw the fish back!)




			Rain Play illustrated by Javaka Steptoe Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2008 ISBN 978-0805067958 At the park the sky grows dark... Here it comes! cool drops splash down, scattering the grown-ups. But the children love romping in the rain, until—BOOM! This joyous rhyming poem celebrates the many delights of a rainy day. A teaching guide is available for this book. Awards Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice for 2009; Finalist for Library of Virginia’s Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award for Children's Literature



			Fair Has Nothing to Do With It Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2007 ISBN 978-0374399351 There are two bright spots in Michael's life: Melanie, the new girl in town, and Charlie Andrews, an artist and retired teacher who used to work with Michael's dad and is now giving Michael private art lessons. Like Grandpa and Michael, Mr. Andrews knows how to observe carefully and deeply, and as his lessons progress, Michael understands better and better how to capture what he sees on paper. But after losing Grandpa, can Michael let himself get close to someone else? A teaching guide is available for this book.



			Some Babies Sleep illustrated by Paul Tong Philomel Books, 2007 ISBN 978-0399240300 Some babies sleep high up in a tree. Some babies rock in the waves of the sea. No matter where your baby sleeps, this lyrical bedtime book will lull them there.



			This Is the Stable illustrated by Delana Bettoli Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2006 ISBN 978-0805075564 Wondrous things are happening in this humble little stable. The animals are gathering. Shepherds and wise men and angels are coming from afar. All of them are flocking to see the Christ child, born this night in Bethlehem. Awards Honor Book (picture books): Cynsational Books of 2006 – Cynthia Leitich Smith’s “cynsations”; Kansas State Reading Circle, 2007; Paterson Poetry Prize, 2007



			Abbie in Stitches illustrated by Beth Peck Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2006 ISBN 978-0374300043 It's the early 1800s, and Abbie's sister, Sarah, is a proper young lady who loves needlework. She has already made a sampler displaying her neat and even stitching. But when it becomes time for Abbie to make her sampler, she despairs—she hates needlework and would much rather curl up with one of the books on Papa's shelf. How will she ever get through the long, tedious hours of needlework? And how can she pick a subject for a picture to sew when she really doesn't care about the sampler at all? After considering what's really important to her, Abbie completes the sampler in a way that is all her own. A teaching guide is available for this book. Awards 2007 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People; 2007 Amelia Bloomer Project Recommended Titles List; Bank Street College "Best Books", 2007; Kansas State Reading Circle, 2007



			At the Edge of the Woods: A Counting Book illustrated by Reg Cartwright Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2002 ISBN 978-0805063547 The chipmunk is not alone. Two spotted fawns play in the grass. Three furry foxes drink from the pond. And who is that coming out of the cave? Count up to ten and back again with the animals of the deep, dark woods. A teaching guide is available for this book. Awards Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, 2003; Texas Library Association's 2X2 List, 2003; Center for Children's Books "Best Books" List, 2002



			Snow Ponies illustrated by Jason Cockcroft Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2001 ISBN 978-0805060638 On a cold gray day, Old Man Winter leads his snow ponies outside. "Are you ready?" he asks them. They toss their heads. Yes! The ponies gallop across the landscape, bringing winter to the forest and field. Everything they touch turns white with snow. A teaching guide is available for this book. Awards Children's Book Council "Children's Choices" selection, 2002