// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Verna Aardema an author? Aard-ently yes.
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Verna Aardema | |
|---|---|
| Born | Verna Norberg June 6, 1911 New Era, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 2000 (aged 88) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Notable works |
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Verna Norberg Aardema Vugteveen (June 6, 1911 – May 11, 2000), best known by the name Verna Aardema,[citation needed] was an American writer of children's books.[1]
In 1960, she published her first set of stories, Tales from the Story Hat, which were very successful, and so she continued to adapt traditional tales and folklore from distant cultures, (usually from Africa and Mexico) to expose young children to the vast variety of human expression.
Her book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (1975), illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, received the Caldecott Medal in 1976 and the Brooklyn Art Books for Children Award in 1977. Who's in Rabbit's House? 1977 was the 1977 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award winner in 1978. Aardema received the Children's Reading Round Table Award in 1981, and several of her works have been selected as Notable Books by the American Library Association. Her Oh Kojo! How Could You! won the 1984 Parents' Choice Award for Literature.[2]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Hackley Public Library designated a Literary Landmark for connection to children's author Verna Aardema Vugteveen". mlive. October 31, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Verna Aardema, 88, Chronicler Of African Folklore for Children". The New York Times. May 16, 2000. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
Sources
[edit]- Verna Aardema Bibliography from James Madison University
- Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, vol. 18, pp. 471–472.
- Fifth Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators, 1983, pp. 1–2.
External links
[edit]- Verna Aardema at the Internet Book List
- Verna Aardema Papers in the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection —with biographical sketch
- Verna Aardema Archived May 28, 2023, at the Wayback Machine at Library of Congress Authorities — with 39 catalog records
