I was raised a Navy Brat and moved every two or three years when I was growing up. Now I live in one place and travel to lots of other places. I started writing poems in college, got a M.A. in History, performed in a modern dance company, traveled the world, got married, had two sons, and when I started telling my boys, Aaron and Sean, stories I realized that I could write for children. My first two books came out in the same week, in 1992, THIRTEEN MOONS ON TURTLE'S BACK and THE LION WHO HAD ASTHMA, soon followed by FROGGY GETS DRESSED. These books are still in print. FROGGY GETS DRESSED was the first of over twenty-eight Froggy books. The most recent one is FROGGY'S LEMONADE STAND (May 15, 2018) FROGGY
PICKS A PUMPKIN and FROGGY BUILDS A SNOWMAN will follow in 2019. Then FROGGY FOR PRESIDENT! will be published early in 2020.
My Froggy books are funny and kids love them. But I also write other kinds of books, including wildlife books: HIPPOS ARE HUGE! OTTERS LOVE TO PLAY! (river otters). And more recently: PUP THE SEA OTTER (illustrated by my son Sean London). PUP THE SEA OTTER won the 2017 NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD (NOBA), the 2017 National Science Teacher's Association Outstanding Children's Trade Book Award, and the 2018 ILA/CBC Children's Choice Award
My most recent wildlife book is LITTLE FOX IN THE SNOW (NOV. 13 2018), featured in
the Wall Street Journal Seasons Greetings children's book section.
I've also written a middle grade novel trilogy: Aaron's Wilderness Trilogy: DESOLATION CANYON, BELLA BELLA, and GRIZZLY PEAK, all illustrated by my son, Sean London, who is an animator.
I started a new picture book series with DUCK AND HIPPO IN THE RAINSTORM, followed
by DUCK AND HIPPO LOST AND FOUND. DUCK AND HIPPO GIVE THANKS came out on 8/20/18, to be followed by DUCK AND HIPPO THE SECRET VALENTINE Dec. 18 2018. I've published over 120 books since 1992, but now I only write poems for myself. My sons and my wife, Maureen, are my constant inspirations. But I'm also inspired by young children, dogs, mountains, rivers, stars, trees, great cities, deserts, jungles, great food, dance, art, some sports, and the moon. And if anybody asks, Froggy c'est moi--but he's also Aaron and Sean, and every kid I've ever met. Flop flop flop!
For more information, see my website at www.jonathan-london.net.
