Margaret Wise Brown

Rookie Biography

by Carol Greene, Steven Dobson (Illustrator)

A simple biography of the author who, during her short life, wrote over 100 books for young children.

Genres: Biography

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Has degrees in English Literature and musicology. She has worked in international exchange programs, as an editor, and as a teacher of writing. Lives in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

So with her junior and illustrated biography Margaret Wise Brown: Author of Goodnight Moon (and featuring many archival photographs as well as Margaret Wise Brown book cover illustrations) author Carole Greene certainly does present a pretty decent and educational general introduction to both Margaret Wise Brown’s life and to her writing career. And yes, I also do indeed very much appreciate learning for example that while Margaret Wise Brown’s father clearly did not wish for his two daughters to attend college, his wife, Margaret Wise Brown’s mother in fact insisted on this and obviously managed to push through (and although Margaret Wise Brown was seemingly not really a stellar student at college, I for one have totally found it cheering and very much a positive that both Margaret and her sister were in fact and rather easily able to attend college even though their father absolutely wanted his daughters to stay at home and to get married).

However, and the above having been said, I also tend to think that Carol Greene’s style of written expression for Margaret Wise Brown: Author of Goodnight Moon is a bit on the surface and lacking in depth (especially with regard to any questions concerning Margaret Wise Brown’s personal life, with her recurring issues with loneliness and that she also had a rather unconventional love life), leaving us with a sufficient enough introduction to Margaret Wise Brown but also in fact truly wanting a trifle more (and in particular that Margaret Wise Brown seemingly had a number of very personal animosities and literary feuds, and I do find it kind of strange that her well known and very acrimonious confrontations with the chief librarian of the New York Public Library are not once even mentioned in Margaret Wise Brown: Author of Goodnight Moon).

But the main reason why my star rating for Margaret Wise Brown: Author of Goodnight Moon is not three stars but only two is actually twofold. For one, while I do appreciate that there is a list of photographic sources included in Margaret Wise Brown: Author of Goodnight Moon, I do not really understand why Carol Greene has not equally presented a detailed bibliography with suggestions for further study and research. And for two, I also do find Greene’s description of Margaret Wise Brown’s 1952 death both a bit awkward and lacking in information. Because while it is true that Margaret Wise Brown blacked out and never regained consciousness, she died in hospital of an embolism, and that piece of fact really should be specifically mentioned by Carol Greene, as the way she describes Margaret Wise Brown’s death just feels almost trivial and insignificant.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded up from 3.5 stars because of the quality of the photos included. The simple text often sounds almost tongue in cheek. Why certain things happen is left a mystery, although granted it is probably a bit more complicated than one would explain to a third or fourth grader, which would be a good age for this book.
"Margaret planned to marry a young lawyer when she finished college. Then she changed her mind."

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short bio for children about Margaret Wise Brown. She wrote a lot of kids’ books though she died at 42. (Her cause of death is a little unclear: “While she was in France, she became very ill. She had to have an operation. It went well. Each day, Margaret felt better. She wrote funny letters to her friends. But on the morning of November 13, 1952, something went wrong. Margaret blacked out. A minute later, she died.”

[Jodi Lamb · Rating 3 out of 5]

very simple biography for young children. Makes me want to learn more about the author.

[Hannah Cussen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: biography
3rd-5th grade
This book was very good at telling about Margaret Wise Brown's passions. I learned that she loved to make things up, rabbits, sports, and nature. Some of these aspects were seen in the books that Margaret wrote. I liked how there were pictures of some pages from the books she wrote in this biography. The chapters in this biography split up the content nicely and made it organized. I was a little sad and shocked at the end of the book though.

[Jessie Horcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about Margaret Wise Brown that is very informative, interesting, and I would definitely use it for kids doing a book report.

[Marah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A look into Margaret's life for children learning about her lifestyle and her writings.