Official Website of Ann McGovern, Popular Children’s Book Author
A: Whenever I went to Central Park, I saw kids playing baseball. There was always one sad child who wasn’t chosen to play. I wanted to write a book that showed children there are always other ways to have fun. My best friend, Nola, illustrated this book and we won the Boston Globe Horn Book … Read more
A: This is an Icelandic folktale. I liked the idea of writing about a peasant girl who finds the missing prince. The girl doesn’t want the reward until the King fixes the wrongs of his kingdom. I kept the general idea of the folk tale but told it in my own way. Swans and evil … Read more
A: So many people want what they can’t have. I thought of an idea for a book about a boy who wants a zoo of his own — with lions and tigers, monkeys and snakes. What he finds instead makes him happier. The illustrator, Ezra Jack Keats, was a dear friend. He won the Caldecott … Read more
A: I met the artist, Tomie de Paola at a writing conference, where we were both featured speakers. A strange combination of the shoes Tomie wore — two different colors and my recent visit to a tropical island gave me the idea. Sometimes an idea hits you – -bang! It suddenly made me think of … Read more
A: I took my three-year-old grandson, Chris, on his first elevator ride. He was so excited! He said, “I want my birthday party in an elevator.” I began to think of other silly places for birthday parties – in a jungle, a hot-air balloon, a rocket to the moon. The story is told in rollicking … Read more
A: Everybody has these feelings. In my school visits, I encourage children to write about their feelings. I read them one of my short poems from my book. Hope Wurmfeld’s beautiful photographs add just the right mood. I sit alone in the early morning And watch the waves wash the sand. The … Read more
A: BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL was written after Martin Luther King was killed. I went to a rally in New York City’s Central Park and saw so many people weeping. I heard a man shout to the crowd, “Black is beautiful. Know it, feel it!” I was very moved and stayed up most of the night … Read more
A: For seven years, I lived in the narrowest house in New York. It was only 8 1/2 feet wide! It’s known as the Edna St. Vincent Millay house, named for the famous poet who lived there. Once I saw a man who was standing in front of the house with his arms outstretched. “Hey, … Read more
A: My granddaughter was in 3rd grade when she told me she had “D.E.A.R. Time” in school. She explained that D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. I thought it would be fun to write a book about people in school who actually dropped what they were doing to read a book. So the principal … Read more
A: My granddaughter, Sharon, was a toddler. One day I gave her scrambled eggs for breakfast and soon she was covered with eggs. I began to say, “You’ve got eggs on your nose and eggs on your toes. All over your clothes. Eggs on the door. Eggs on the floor.” Before I knew it, I … Read more