Kevin Henkes

Two of Henkes's books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards. In 2020, Henkes won the Children's Literature Legacy Award.

Kevin Henkes studied at University of Wisconsin–Madison and St. Catherine's High School. The recorded working language is American English and English. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are children's and young adult. Residence is recorded at Madison. Works named in the authority record are Kitten's First Full Moon and Chrysanthemum. Distinctions recorded are Caldecott Medal, Regina Medal and Children's Literature Legacy Award.

• Name — Kevin Henkes • Born — 27 November 1960 • Birthplace — Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. • Occupation — Illustrator, writer • Period — 1981–present • Children — 2 • Genre — Children's literature • Notable Works — * Sheila Rae, the Brave • Chrysanthemum • Circle Dogs • Olive's Ocean • Kitten's First Full Moon • Waiting • Education — University of Wisconsin–Madison • Website — kevinhenkes.com

Kevin Henkes was born on November 27, 1960, in Racine, Wisconsin. He thought he would be an artist until his junior year of high school when a teacher encouraged Henkes in his writing efforts. Henkes discovered that children's books combined both his literary and artistic interests. Henkes wrote his first book during his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The book's theme deals with how a child describes the pleasures of occasional solitude. This theme became common in many of Henkes's later books. Henkes, one of five children, says that many of his storylines are inspired by his family and the neighborhood where he grew up. Henkes has written and illustrated around 50 critically acclaimed and award-winning picture books, early readers, and novels in his career thus far. Henkes's first book, All Alone, was published in 1981 by Greenwillow Books. More than 50 books followed, including Chrysanthemum and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. In 1994, Henkes was a runner-up for one of the premier American Library Association (ALA) children's book awards, the Caldecott Medal for Owen, one of his mouse books. In 2004, Henkes was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal for Olive's Ocean. The following year, he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon, recognizing that as the year's best children's picture book published in the United States. All of Henkes's books to date have been published by Greenwillow Books. He won the inaugural Phoenix Picture Book Award in 2013 for Owen. The Phoenix Awards from the Children's Literature Association recognize the best books that did not win major awards when they were first published twenty years earlier. In 2014, Henkes received a Newbery Honor for his book, The Year of Billy Miller. In 2020, he was awarded the ALA's Children's Literature Legacy Award, celebrating his entire body of work. Henkes and his wife, Laura Dronzek, have collaborated on a series of picture books based on the four seasons, with Henkes writing the story and Dronzek providing the acrylic painting illustrations.

Henkes lives in Madison with his wife, artist Laura Dronzek, and their two children.

The Miller Family books are published by Greenwillow Books. • The Year of Billy Miller (2013) • Billy Miller Makes a Wish (2021) • Oh, Sal (2022) • Still Sal (2024) • Poppy (2026)

• Return to Sender (1984) • Two Under Par (1987) • The Zebra Wall (1988) • Words of Stone (1992) • Protecting Marie (1995) • Sun & Spoon (1997) • The Birthday Room (1999) • Olive's Ocean (2003) • Bird Lake Moon (2008) • Junonia (2011) • Sweeping up the Heart (2019)

• All Alone (1981) • Clean Enough (1982) • Margaret & Taylor (1983) • Bailey Goes Camping (1985) • Grandpa and Bo (1986) • Once Around the Block, illustrated by Victoria Chess (1987) • Jessica (1989) • Shhhh (1989) • The Biggest Boy, illustrated by Nancy Tafuri (1995) • Good-bye, Curtis, illustrated by Marisabina Russo (1995) • Circle Dogs, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (1998) • Oh!, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (1999) • Kitten's First Full Moon (2004) • So Happy!, illustrated by Anita Lobel (2005) • A Good Day (2007) • Old Bear (2008) • Birds, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2009) • My Garden (2010) • Little White Rabbit (2011) • Waiting (2015) • When Spring Comes: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2016) • Egg (2017) • In the Middle of Fall, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2017) • A Parade of Elephants (2018) • Winter Is Here, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2018) • Summer Song, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2020) • Sun Flower Lion (2020) • A House (2021) • Little Houses, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2020) • The World and Everything in It (2023) • Finding Things, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2024) • Is It Spring? (2026)

The Mouse books are published by Greenwillow Books. • A Weekend with Wendell (1986) • Sheila Rae, the Brave (1987) • Chester's Way (1988) • Julius, the Baby of the World (1990) • Chrysanthemum (1991) • Owen (1993) • Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse (1996) • Wemberly Worried (2000) • Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick (2001) • Owen's Marshmallow Chick (2002) • Julius's Candy Corn (2003) • Lilly's Chocolate Heart (2003) • Wemberly's Ice-Cream Star (2003) • A Box Full of Lilly (2006) • Lilly's Big Day (2006)

The Penny books are published by Greenwillow Books. • Penny and Her Doll (2012) • Penny and Her Song (2012) • Penny and Her Marble (2013) • Penny and Her Sled (2019)