Picture Books
Busy in the Garden Illustrated by Sam Williams. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2006.
Chicken Scratches: Poultry Poetry & Rooster Rhymes. With Lynn Brunnell. Illustrated by Scott Menchin. Chronicle, 2010.
Climbing Kansas Mountains. Illustrated by Thomas B. Allen. Bradbury, 1993. “A Best Book of the Year”-School Library Journal.
Dance Away. Illustrated by Aruego & Dewey. Greenwillow, 1982. Paperback: HarperTrophy, 1991.
Hands Say Love. [Illustrator to be selected] Little, Brown: [to be published].
Heart to Heart. Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman. Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
Lizard’s Song. Illustarated by Aruego & Dewey. Greenwillow, 1981. Paperback: HarperTrophy, 1992.
Rabbit’s Gift. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Harcourt, 2007. Washington State Book Award – 2008.
Sea Gifts. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Godine, 1989. Paperback: 2000.
The Secret Chicken Club. Illustrated by Deborah Zemke. Handprint Books, 2005. Pointer Review—Kirkus.
Tippy-Toe Chick, Go! Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2003. Starred Reviews—Horn Book & School Library Journal. Honor Book—2003 Charlotte Zolotow Award.
Tomorrow’s Alphabet. Illustrated by Donald Crews. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1996. Paperback: HarperTrophy, 1999. Starred Reviews—Booklist & School Library Journal. IRA Teacher’s Choice List 1997. NCTE Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts 1996. Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Awards 1996.
White is for Blueberry. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2005. “A Best Book of the Year”—Parenting Magazine.
Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Holt, 2011.
Wise Acres. Illustrated by Deborah Zemke. Handprint Books, 2004.
The Witches’ Double Spelling Bee. [Illustrator to be selected]. Harcourt, [to be published]
In Your Libraries [Though Out of Print for Now]
April Showers. Illustrated by Aruego & Dewey. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1995.
Bean Boy. Illustrated by Peter Sis. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1984.
Dancing the Breeze. Illustrated by Jacqueline Rodgers. Bradbury, 1991.
Frog Legs. Illustrated by Amit Trynan. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2000.
The Gang and Mrs. Higgins. Illustrated by Andrew Vines. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1981.
Laughing All the Way. Illustrated by Meg McLean. Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
Lizard’s Guest. Illustrated by Aruego & Dewey. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2003.
Lizard’s Home. Illustrated by Aruego & Dewey. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1999.
Oh I Love. Illustrated by Cheryl Harness. Bradbury, 1988.
The Piney Woods Peddler. Illustrated by Nancy Tafuri. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1981. ALA Notable Chidlren’s Book.
Seeds. Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman. Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
Spring: A Haiku Story. Illustrated by Malcah Zeldis. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1996.
The Surprise. Illustrated by Aruego & Dewey. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1983.
This is the Bird. Illustrated by David Soman. Houghton Mifflin, 1997. Pointer Review—Kirkus.
About Picture Books
Arnold Lobel. Twayne/Macmillan, 1989.
George, you are amazing!
I will share with all my nnanny families.
your friend,
Teresa Walsh
Dear Mr. Shannon,
Today, my daughter – Ariana (25 yrs old) was taking care of her sweet toddlers at a Montessori school in Seattle when she began singing the lyrics from one of her favorite childhood books. The lyrics go like this, “zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli rock is my home, rock is my home. . .”
Suddenly she heard one of her kids singing zoli zoli with her!
As she told me the story tonight it brought back all these fabulous memories of me reading her Lizard’s Song and The Surprise to she and her little brother (now 21 yrs old). Thank you for the gift of your stories! They will always have a special place in my children’s childhood memories!!
Dear Kathy,
Your lovely letter has made my day, my week, and perhaps my year! As a writer one never knows when or where one connects with a child. Yes, LIZARD’S SONG and zoli zoli zoli are 30 years old this year. Where DID the time go? Best of all wishes to you, your children and the children in their lives.
Thanks again.
George Shannon
George,
In 1998 you were back in Caldwell when I happened to be visiting my mom. I bought Climbing Kansas Mountains (my favorite) and Spring A Haiku Story. I’ve never been to the top of a grain elevator, but your imagination became mine. Having lived in Japan in the 1990s, I also loved the translations of the haiku. Now with 2 new stepgrandchildren (twins) who are part-Japanese, I want to share both books with them, as their father grew up in Dodge City and will recognize the Kansas Mountains. I’ve made crib quilts based upon 2 of the illustrations from Spring (the cover illustration and the flying geese) and hate to give up my copy to accompany the quilts. May I order signed copies from you?
Your neighbor in the 1950s-60s, Cindy Thomas
Dear Cindy,
I fear I can’t remember if I responded to your email via my blog. If not, I apologize with full Kansas guilt. I will be happy to send you several copies (my treat) to whatever address you wish. All tis social media stuff remains beyond me. I remember when phones in Caldwell didn’t even have a dial.
Best wishes.
George
Hello! We are going to start a homeschool curriculum called Five in a Row and it mentions your book Climbing Kansas Mountain. Our library doesn’t have a checkout copy, and I have been looking around booksellers on the Internet. Its hard to find a copy for under $25 – and there is even one new on Amazon for $976! Wow! This is extraordinary. Sadly, I don’t have $25 to $40 to spend on one book but it must be pretty amazing. Have you followed this phenomenon?
Thank you for your article. Great.