David Shannon Award winning author and illustrator “Fairy dust is very useful. I use it to turn oatmeal into cake.”

David Shannon Born in Washington, D.C., Shannon grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and then moved to New York City.

David Shannon Internationally acclaimed picture-book creator David Shannon has always been an artist. At the age of five, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were pictures of David doing things he was not supposed to do- and these words: No, David! – the only words he knew how to spell! Many years later, when his mother sent him that book, Shannon was inspired to write and illustrate his now-classic bestseller and Caldecott Honor Book, No, David!

David Shannon In the books he writes, Shannon often uses incidents and people from his own life. His daughter made animal noises before she could talk, so Shannon wrote Duck on a Bike, a story with lots of quacks, moos, oinks, and woofs. His entertaining picture book about a West Highland terrier, Good Boy, Fergus!, features the beloved family dog, and how can anyone with children not guess where Shannon got the idea for Too Many Toys?

David Shannon, illustrator In 1988 he illustrated his first children’s book, How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have?, by Julius Lester. After illustrating several books by other authors, David was encouraged to try writing his own stories. Some of the award-winning books books that he has illustrated include: How I Became a PirateHow I Became a Pirate Pirates Don’t Change DiapersPirates Don’t Change Diapers The Rough Face GirlThe Rough Face Girl The Shark GodThe Shark God Robot ZotRobot Zot

David Shannon, author Some of the award-winning books books that he has authored include: No, DavidNo, David David Gets in TroubleDavid Gets in Trouble Too Many ToysToo Many Toys Alice the FairyAlice the Fairy A Bad Case of the StripesA Bad Case of the Stripes Duck on a BikeDuck on a Bike The Rain Came DownThe Rain Came Down

David Shannon, award winner David Shannon has won numerous book awards including School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, ALA Notable Children’s Book, IRA Children’s Choice, and an a Caldecott Honor Book award.

David Shannon While most of his books feature male lead characters, Shannon has authored a few books that also feature a female lead character, including Alice the Fairy, which he wrote after the birth of his daughter.

Curricular Themes Shannon’s David books are an excellent introduction to young authors in writing workshop about how the text must match the illustrations. These books could also be used in writing workshop to discuss autobiographical text. A Bad Case of the Stripes could be used to discuss individuality as well as bullying in schools. Too Many Toys could be used to discuss consumerism in American society and its effect on the global economies.

David Shannon He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, their daughter, and their dog, Fergus.