Once upon a time: Four KU graduates share their stories

Children's book authors and illustrators Christine Schneider, Brad Sneed and Stephen Johnson, along with nonfiction writer Andrea Warren, discussed the creative process April 24 at the School of Education. All brought examples of their work and told of the trials and tribulations of transforming their imaginative ideas into books that delight children. The inaugural lecture was part of the Gertrude Way Strong Children's Literature Collection. Along with the lecture series, the collection in the Learning Resource Center in Joseph R. Pearson Hall plans a literacy program and a world-class library of children's literature. 

Christine Schneider, f'93, works from her home in Lawrence. She got her rocky artistic start with a trip to New York, where she promptly locked her purse in the interviewer's office. Even as a little girl, Schneider said, she loved books. Her mother was an artist, and she's happy to follow in her footsteps, although as a freelancer she doesn't always agree with her publisher's input. "At the end they had me put a butterfly on his face, and I hated that," she said as she flipped through examples of her work. Schneider's seventh book will be released this fall. Among her hits are Look for Ladybugs, Saxophone Sam and His Snazzy Jazz Band and Picky Mrs. Pickle. Along with her whimsical illustrations, she also wrote three of the seven publications. She serves as art director for the American Academy of Family Physicians magazine, and her work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers.

Brad Sneed, f'89, started "making marks," as he puts it, at an early age. After KU, the farm boy from Newton took a trip to the Big Apple, where he got his big break—an assignment to illustrate Grandpa's Song. "I was at the right place at the right time," he said. Sneed's morning commute is a climb up the stairs and down the hall to his spare bedroom. In his studio, he has created the exciting adventures of Deputy Harvey and the Ant Cow Caper, Thumbelina, Aesop's Fables and more. He credited his success to an overactive imagination and inspirational mentors. Sneed has illustrated 20 books, three of which he wrote as well. He lives in Prairie Village with his wife and daughter, and the household's wide range of pets proves the adage, "Once a farmer, always a farmer."

Stephen Johnson's realistic creations literally jump from the pages of his children's stories. Opening his books is an interactive experience complete with removable parts, screwdrivers and taxis. Johnson discussed the painstaking process and technical drawing of his latest books My Little Red Toolbox, My Little Blue Robot and My Little Yellow Taxi (due out in October), which allow children to hammer nails, build their own robot, or turn on headlights. Johnson, f'87, spent 13 years in New York before returning to Kansas. He lives in Lawrence with his family and has published 19 books. He has exhibited in galleries across the country and completed large-scale public sculptures and paintings. At KU, his work can be seen in Green Hall and the Lied Center.

Although Andrea Warren's stories are not as lighthearted as the others, they do have happy endings. Warren, g'83, lives in Prairie Village and has devoted her career to the history of down-and-out children who thrive in spite of their situations. Her five nonfiction books tell the tales of kids who rode the orphan trains to new homes across the country, survived the harsh farm life on the prairie or escaped the Vietnam War to find a new life in America. During the lecture, Warren shared the story of her own sorrows and how writing her book, Surviving Hitler, helped her survive the tragic death of her 10-year-old son. "Sometimes you have to be the hero of your own scary story," she said.