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Katharine Holabird

Author profile

born

in Cambridge, Massachusetts, The United States

January 23, 1948

gender

female

website

http://katharineholabird.com/

genre

Children's Books

About this author

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Katharine Holabird is an American writer, best known as the author of the Angelina Ballerina series.

As a child, Holabird was an avid reader who loved fairy tales and stories about heroic animals, and she frequently saw ballets like Cinderella and Swan Lake with her grandmother. The young, imaginative Holabird loved animals, playing in her tree house, and dancing with her sisters. In 1969, she received a B.A. in literature from Bennington College in Vermont and then worked at Bennington College as a literary editor for a year after her graduation. Holabird then found herself in Italy as a freelance journalist where she met her husband, Michael Haggiag. The two married in 1974 and moved to London where she continued to write and worked at a n...more Katharine Holabird is an American writer, best known as the author of the Angelina Ballerina series.

As a child, Holabird was an avid reader who loved fairy tales and stories about heroic animals, and she frequently saw ballets like Cinderella and Swan Lake with her grandmother. The young, imaginative Holabird loved animals, playing in her tree house, and dancing with her sisters. In 1969, she received a B.A. in literature from Bennington College in Vermont and then worked at Bennington College as a literary editor for a year after her graduation. Holabird then found herself in Italy as a freelance journalist where she met her husband, Michael Haggiag. The two married in 1974 and moved to London where she continued to write and worked at a nursery school.

In 1983, her first children’s book, Angelina Ballerina, was published. Holabird’s son, Adam, was her inspiration for the character Henry, and Angelina’s character was inspired by her daughters’ love for dressing up and dancing. Holabird wrote the first draft of Angelina Ballerina at the kitchen table with her daughters dancing around her. In fact, the Angelina books were originally about a girl, but then Craig drew a mouse, and Holabird loved it. “The impulsive character of Angelina came alive,” says Holabird, “and seemed to pirouette off the page with enthusiasm and energy, while her plump and ebullient body expressed drama and attitude in every twitch of her tail.” Angelina is a very emotional character; she is sensitive and often bursts into tears right before offering an apology. She struggles with her conscience but always ends up doing the right thing—which is very familiar to many young children. The universal childhood themes in Angelina include friendship, jealousy, loyalty, & dedication. Holabird’s goal was to realistically portray the difficulties of growing up. According to Holabird, it is a ballerina book for “all the passionate little dancers and performers in the world,” including her own two daughters, which is why she “decided to explore the impulsive, highly emotional character of a small but determined ballerina.”

The first American edition of Angelina Ballerina was published in 1984. A year later, Holabird received the Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Angelina Ballerina. In 1986 and 1987, she received the ALA Notable Book Awards. Angelina’s Christmas was selected as Child Study Association’s Children’s Book of the Year in 1987. The following year, Holabird and Craig published Alexander and the Dragon, their first Alexander book; it is aimed at preschool children who want to be consoled about bedtime monsters. In 1990, Holabird wrote the Alexander sequel, Alexander and the Magic Boat, which portrays a strong mother/son relationship while the two go on a voyage to imaginary worlds. Also in 1990, Holabird received the British Book Design and Production award.

In 1999, HIT Entertainment in London (known for Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, and Barney) secured the rights for Angelina Ballerina and commissioned Grand Slamm Children's Films to make an animated TV pilot. HIT also developed a lot of Angelina merchandise. Angelina made her worldwide television debut in 2001 on CITV in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the Angelina series premiered on PBS Kids TV in the United States. Angelina Ballerina’s Invitation to the Ballet received the prestigious Oppenheim Platinum Award in the U.S. in 2004. That same year, Angelina was named the official spokesperson of National Dance Week in the United States. In 2005, Angelina made her debut on PBS Kids Sprout, a twenty-four-hour digital television channel for preschoolers in the U.S.(less)

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Katharine Holabird's Books

Average rating: 3.89 · 6,100 ratings · 280 reviews · 116 distinct works · Similar authors

	Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 3,701 ratings — published 1983 — 15 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina on Stage by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 232 ratings — published 1988 — 7 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina and the Princess by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 215 ratings — published 1984 — 9 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina and Alice by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 215 ratings — published 1987 — 10 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina's Christmas by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 155 ratings — published 1986 — 14 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina's Baby Sister by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 avg rating — 145 ratings — published 1991 — 6 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina Ice Skates by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 avg rating — 126 ratings — published 1993 — 10 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina and Henry by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 112 ratings — published 2002 — 4 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina at the Fair by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 avg rating — 118 ratings — published 1988 — 9 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angelina's Halloween by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 110 ratings — published 2006 — 10 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Katharine Holabird…

Series by Katharine Holabird

Angelina Ballerina (22 books)
by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig (Illustrations)
3.87929203539823 of 5 stars 3.88 avg rating — 5,650 ratings

Angelina Ballerina Series (1 book)
by Katharine Holabird, Helen Craig (Illustrator)
5.0 of 5 stars 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating

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Quotes by Katharine Holabird

“At playtime she twirled and spun across the playground so fast that none of the little boys in her class could catch her and they were all very cross.”
― Katharine Holabird

tags: angelina-ballerina

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