Ryan T. Higgins

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Ryan T. Higgins
OccupationAuthor and illustrator
NationalityUS American
GenreChildren's books
Notable awardsThe E.B. White Read Aloud Award (2016, 2019)
Website
ryanthiggins.com

Ryan T. Higgins is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He is best known for his Mother Bruce and Penelope Rex books, both of which have had a book on The New York Times Best Seller List[1][2] and have won The E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books.[3][4]

Biography[edit]

Higgins graduated from the College of the Atlantic in 2006.[5] He is married and has three children.[6] As of 2021, he lived in Maine.[7]

Inspiration[edit]

Higgins was greatly inspired by Calvin and Hobbes comics when he was younger and initially wanted to become a comic writer; however, after seeing Mo Willems's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! at a friend's home, he became intrigued by the genre.[6] Later, he was inspired to write We Don't Eat Our Classmates when his son was preparing for kindergarten.[6] His son was nervous about the new experience, and he and his wife were nervous about entering this new life stage; these feelings eventually resulted in Higgins writing the book.[6]

Awards and honors[edit]

Mother Bruce was a New York Times bestseller.[1] Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2015.[1]

We Don't Eat Our Classmates was a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller.[2] Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2018.[2]

What About Worms?! was a 2021 ALSC Notable Children's Book for Younger Readers.[8][9]

Awards for Higgin's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2016 Mother Bruce The E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books Winner [3][10]
Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for Illustrator Honoree [11]
2017 Be Quiet! Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books Nominee [12]
2018 We Don’t Eat Our Classmates Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books Nominee [13]
2018-2019 Mother Bruce California Young Reader Medal for Primary Nominee [14]
2019 We Don’t Eat Our Classmates Bank Street College of Education Cook Prize Honor [15]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Commended [16]
The E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books Winner [4][17]
Irma Black Award Finalist [18][19]
2020 We Will Rock Our Classmates Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books Nominee [20]
2021 What About Worms?! Geisel Award Honor [21][22][23]
2023 Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers Nominee [24]
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates California Young Reader Medal for Primary Winner [25]

Publications[edit]

Mother Bruce series[edit]

  • Mother Bruce (2015)
  • Hotel Bruce (2016)
  • Bruce's Big Move (2017)
  • Santa Bruce (2018)
  • 1 Grumpy Bruce (2019)
  • Bruce's Big Fun Day (2019)
  • Bruce's Big Storm (2019)
  • PeekaBruce (2019)
  • The Bruce Swap (2021)
  • Thanks for Nothing (2021)
  • Spring Stinks (2021)
  • Ballet Bruce (2022)
  • Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book (2022)

Penelope Rex series[edit]

  • We Don't Eat Our Classmates (2018)
  • We Will Rock Our Classmates (2020)
  • We Don't Lose Our Class Goldfish (2023)
  • Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets (2024)

Stand alone books[edit]

  • Twaddleton's Cheese (2008)
  • Roger Goes Up (2012)
  • Wilfred (2013)
  • This Book Does Not Have Words (2014)
  • Be Quiet! (2017)
  • What About Worms!? (2020)
  • Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes He Did) (2021)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Mother Bruce". Kirkus Reviews. 2015-08-25. Archived from the original on 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  2. ^ a b c "We Don't Eat Our Classmates". Kirkus Reviews. 2018-05-13. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  3. ^ a b "2018 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners Announced". American Booksellers Association. 2016-04-13. Archived from the original on 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  4. ^ a b "2019 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners Announced". the American Booksellers Association. 2019-05-01. Archived from the original on 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  5. ^ "COA Alumni: Ryan T. Higgins". College of the Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  6. ^ a b c d "T. Rex Problems: Spotlight on Ryan T. Higgins". Publishers Weekly. 2018-06-15. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  7. ^ Morse, Libby (2021-09-02). "Four Questions for Ryan T. Higgins". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  8. ^ "2021 Notable Children's Books". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). 2022-01-25. Archived from the original on 2022-03-13. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  9. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (2021-03-30). "ALSC names 2021 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  10. ^ "ABA Names Indies Choice, E.B. White Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2016-04-14. Archived from the original on 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  11. ^ "2016 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners". The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. Archived from the original on 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  12. ^ "Be Quiet!". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  13. ^ "We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Penelope Rex, #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  14. ^ "Nominees". California Young Reader Medal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  15. ^ Yorio, Kara (2019-04-22). "Cook Prize and Irma Black Award Announced". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  16. ^ "Booklists". Cooperative Children's Book Center. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  17. ^ "Awards: Indies Choice Book & E.B. White Read-Aloud". Shelf Awareness. 2019-05-07. Archived from the original on 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  18. ^ "Awards: Irma Black Finalist". Shelf Awareness. 2019-02-28. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  19. ^ Burnett, Matia (2019-05-21). "Honoring Excellence at Bank Street: The 2019 Cook Prize and Irma S. and James H. Black Awards". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  20. ^ "We Will Rock Our Classmates". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 2022-05-10. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  21. ^ Communications and Marketing Office (2021-01-25). "David LaRochelle, Mike Wohnoutka win Geisel Award for 'See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog'". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  22. ^ "2021 Youth Media Awards". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  23. ^ Roback, Diane; Kantor, Emma (2021-01-25). "Keller, Goade, Nayeri Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz Awards". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  24. ^ "Eisner Awards Current Info". Comic-Con International: San Diego. 2014-12-17. Archived from the original on 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  25. ^ "Winners". California Young Reader Medal. Archived from the original on 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2023-06-15.

External links[edit]