Spotlight: Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Even though you've most likely already heard a great deal about this duo's collaborations, please indulge us for just a moment.   The Andrea Beaty/David Roberts partnership is something special.  If you and your library haven't met them yet, you should.




Meet Andrea Beaty (Author):

• Raised in a small town (population in the hundreds) in Illinois
• Studied biology and computer science in college
• Worked at a software company before becoming a children's book author
• Written more than 10 books

Meet David Roberts (Illustrator):

• From Liverpool, England
• Had many different jobs, from hair washer to film extra before becoming an illustrator (Beaty wrote Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau for Roberts after discovering he once designed hats in Hong Kong)
• Uses all sorts of mediums: watercolor, ink, pencil, pastel, anything handy
• Written two books and illustrated more than 150

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Roberts: I knew you were coming, so I've baked a cake.

Books:

• Iggy Peck, Architect
• Rosie Revere, Engineer
• Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau
• Ada Twist, Scientist (coming September 2016)

Why I Love Them:

• Each story is told in brilliantly rhyming text, wonderful for reading aloud
• They provide a great starting point for discussions and STEM activities
• Characters are smart and interesting, and their dilemmas are relatable
• The illustrations are complex without being cluttered and full of smart, quirky details 

Additional Resources:

• Andrea Beaty's website has information and activities for each of her books, including great materials for at-home and classroom projects (her Pinterest boards are also fantastic resources)
• Dozens of engineering projects for kids (is anyone else as blown away by homeschoolers as I am? Ah-mazing.)
• An excellent gift guide for STEM toys