WESTERLY — Beloved bestselling author Jane Yolen, once called “the Hans Christian Anderson of American children’s literature,” by Newsweek magazine, will be at Savoy Bookshop and Café next Tuesday to read a few stories and sign a few books.
“Yolen is one of the great storytellers of our time,” said Anastasia Soroko, the bookstore’s events and marketing manager, “and she’s also an enigmatic presence.”
Yolen’s stories use “rhythm and rhyme in conjunction with elements of folklore and fantasy,” according to the Poetry Foundation, which quotes an article Yolen wrote for the Huffington Post, where she stated, “I write to satisfy the story or poem or piece of fascinating research that speaks to me. To rub a sore, to resonate with joy, to answer a question no one else has satisfactorily answered for me.”
Yolen is the author of more than 400 books — including science fiction, fantasy and poetry in addition to children’s books — and her work has been translated into almost two dozen languages. Her poetry collection, “Radiation Sonnets: Love, in Sickness and in Health,” deals with her late husband’s battle with cancer. Her numerous books for young readers include the picture books “Owl Moon,” which was illustrated by John Schoenherr, “How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?”, illustrated by Mark Teague (which has more than 15 million copies in print), and the novella “The Devil’s Arithmetic.”
Her nonfiction includes “Take Joy: A Writer’s Guide to Loving the Craft,” and “Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood.”
Born in New York City, Yolen — who divides her time between homes in Hatfield, Mass., and Scotland — grew up in Hollywood, New York City, and Newport News, Va., and earned degrees from Smith College and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She has won a Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, two Christopher Medals, and the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
She has honorary doctorates from Smith College, Keene State College, and the College of Our Lady of the Elms (to name a few). The former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Yolen has served on the board of directors for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for more than 25 years.
One of her books, “Arch of Bone,” her twist on “Moby-Dick,” is a historical novel that reanimates Nantucket’s whaling history.
Yolen’s fan base is varied and multigenerational. Several of her books have been written for — or with, in some cases — her grandchildren, who are now adults.
“This will be an incredible way for families to kick off the holiday season at the bookstore,” added Soroko, noting that Yolen will be reading from “How do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas” and “How do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah” and signing copies for fans.
