Photo by Laura Dronzek

While pre-school and elementary teachers may be familiar with the work of awesome author Kevin Henkes, there are plenty of upper grade teachers who may never have heard of him. This author/illustrator has a story of growing up that children can easily relate to and books that immediately capture their interest and their hearts. Take a look at the brief biography below, explore the links to read more about his work and check out the video to understand why Kevin Henkes is an ideal candidate for an in-class author study.

Who is Kevin Henkes?
According to his official website, Kevin Henkes grew up in an average American household with his parents and siblings in Racine, Wisconsin. He began writing and illustrating early in life and long before his first book was published in 1981. He admits to always being curious about other authors and illustrators, and says that “he wouldn’t trade it for anything.” Henkes describes how his stories evolve and says that focuses on the characters first. He also explains that he wanted to be an illustrator long before he wanted to write the stories, as well. This is a great point to use with children, because it encourages them to focus on their talents and be open to where those talents might lead them.

Henkes won the 2005 Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon. In addition to picture books, he also writes children’s novels. Bird Lake Moon is the type of novel that lets students dig deep into the characters’ development and study the elements of literature in a poignant way. Some of Henkes most famous books, however, are those that focus on a delightful group of friends who just happen to be mice. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse and Wemberly Worried are two of the most well-known of the series. No matter what type of book you pick up, you can be assured that the Henkes has focused on character development and the plot will be easy for students to relate to.

Find Out More
Additional Kevin Henkes resources can be found through the following links. They are great places to start when developing your author study and will help save you time in planning your lessons. Check them out!

More About Kevin Henkes – Another look at Henkes biography information.

Unit Studies for Chrysanthemum, Wemberly Worried and Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse – Lesson ideas based on three of the most popular mouse books.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse – An interview with Henkes about Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.

Watch Chrysanthemum

Do you have any lesson ideas that correspond to Kevin Henkes’ children’s books?

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