J. Patrick Lewis is an American poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 and prose

Prose

Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...

 writer noted for his children's poems and other light verse. He worked as professor of economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

 before devoting himself full-time to writing in 1998.

Career

J. Patrick Lewis is the author of more than 75 children's books

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 including A Hippopotamusn't (1990), BoshBlobberBosh (1998), Please Bury Me in the Library (2004), First Dog (2009), Spot the Plot (2009), and The House (2009).

His books have been published by Creative Editions, Knopf, Atheneum, Dial, Harcourt

Harcourt (publisher)

Harcourt was a United States publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. The company was based in San Diego, California, with an Editorial / Sales / Marketing / Rights offices in New York City and Orlando, Florida.In 2007, the U.S...

, Little, Brown

Little, Brown and Company

Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...

, National Geographic, Chronicle Books

Chronicle Books

Chronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children.The company was established in 1968 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1999 it was bought by Nion McEvoy, great-grandson of...

, Scholastic, Candlewick

Candlewick Press

Candlewick Press, established in 1991 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, is the American division of the British publisher Walker Books Ltd....

, Schwartz & Wade, Holiday House

Holiday House

Holiday House, Inc., is a publishing house founded in 1935 in New York City, specializing in children's literature. It is a member of the Children's Book Council....

, Sleeping Bear Press, Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press, Dawn Publications, and others. Gulls Hold Up the Sky, his first book of adult poems, was published by Laughing Fire Press (2010).

Awards

Lewis has received numerous awards from the American Library Association

American Library Association

The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....

, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is a nonprofit, 5013 organization that acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people.The...

, and others. He was the recipient of the 2010-11 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Excellence in Children's Poetry Award, presented every two years.
He was also named the third U.S. Children's Poet Laureate (2011-2013) by the Poetry Foundation.

Works

• Lewis, J. Patrick (2011). Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers: A Life of Marc Chagall in Verse. (With Jane Yolen). Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2011). And the Soldiers Sang. Mankato MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2012). Tugg & Teeny (book #3). Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2011). Tugg & Teeny (book #2). Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2011). Tugg & Teeny (book #1). Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2010). Gulls Hold Up the Sky. LaJolla, CA: Laughing Fire Press (adult poems).
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2010). Kindergarten Cat. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade/Random House.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2010). The Fantastic 5&10 Cent Store. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade/Random House.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2010). Skywriting: Poems in Flight. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2010). First Dog's White House Christmas. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2009). The House. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2009). Spot the Plot! A Riddle Book of Book Riddles. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2009). First Dog. (With Beth Zappitello), Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2009). Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year. New York: Little, Brown.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2009). The Underwear Salesman; and Other Odd-Job Verses. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2008). Birds on a Wire: A Renga 'Round the Town. (With Paul B. Janeczko), Boyds Mills Press/Wordsong.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2008). The World's Greatest: Poems. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2007). The Brothers' War: Civil War Voices in Verse. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2007). Tulip at the Bat. Boston: Little, Brown. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2007). Big Is Big and Little Little: A Book of Contrasts. New York: Holiday House.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2007). Michelangelo’s World. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2007). Poems for Teaching in the Content Areas: Math, Science, History and Geography . New York: Scholastic Teaching Resources.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2007). Under the Kissletoe. Honesdale, PA: Boyd Mills Press/Wordsong.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2006). Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2006). Blackbeard the Pirate King. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2006). Black Cat Bone: A Live of Blues Legend Robert Johnson in Verse. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2006). Good Mornin', Ms. America: The U.S.A. in Verse. School Specialty Publishing.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2006). Castles: Old Stone Poems. (With Rebecca Kai Dotlich), Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press/Wordsong.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2006). Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku. (With Paul B. Janeczko), Boston: Little, Brown. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2005). Vherses: A Celebration of Outstanding Women. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2005). Monumental Verses. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2005). God Made the Skunk; and Other Animal Poems. Cupertino, CA: Doggerel Daze.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2005). Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes. New York: Dial.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2004). Scien-trickery: Riddles in Science. Orlando: Silver Whistle/Harcourt.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2004). Please Bury Me in the Library. New York: Harcourt.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2004). The Stolen Smile. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2003). The Snowflake Sisters. New York: Atheneum.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2003). Galileo's Universe. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2003). Swan Songs: Poems of Extinction. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2002). Arithme-tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes. New York: Harcourt.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2002). A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2002). The Last Resort. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2002). Earth and Me, Our Family Tree. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2001). Good Mousekeeping; and Other Animal Home Poems. New York: Atheneum. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2001). A Burst of Firsts: Doers, Shakers, and Record Breakers. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2001). The Shoe Tree of Chagrin. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2001). Earth and You, a Closer View: Nature's Features. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2001). Earth and Us, Continuous: Nature's Past and Future. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2000). Isabella Abnormella and the Very, Very Finicky Queen of Trouble. New York: DK Publishing. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (2000). Freedom like Sunlight: Praisesongs for Black Americans. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1999). At the Wish of the Fish: An Adaptation of a Russian Folktale,. New York: Atheneum. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1999). The Bookworm's Feast: A Potluck of Poems. New York: Dial.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1999). The Night of the Goat Children. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1998). Riddle-lightful. New York: Knopf. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1998). The House of Boo. New York: Atheneum. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1998). Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape. New York: Atheneum.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1998). BoshBlobberBosh: Runcible Poems for Edward Lear. New York: Harcourt.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1997). The La-Di-Da Hare. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1997). Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled: A Tale of the Nativity. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1997). The Little Buggers: Insect and Spider Poems. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1996). Riddle-icious. New York: Knopf. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1996). The Boat of Many Rooms. New York: Atheneum. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1995). Ridicholas Nicholas. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1995). Black Swan/White Crow. New York: Atheneum.
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1994). The Frog Princess: A Russian Folktale. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1994). July Is a Mad Mosquito. New York: Atheneum. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1994). The Christmas of the Reddle Moon. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1994). The Fat-Cats at Sea. New York: Knopf. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1993). One Dog Day. New York: Atheneum. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1992). The Moonbow of Mr. B. Bones. New York: Knopf. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1991). Two-legged, Four-legged, No-legged Rhymes. New York: Knopf. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1991). Earth Verses and Water Rhymes. New York: Atheneum. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1990). A Hippopotamusn't; and Other Animal Verses. New York: Dial. OP
• Lewis, J. Patrick (1988). The Tsar and the Amazing Cow. New York: Dial. OP

OP = out-of print book

External links

• JPatrickLewis.com
• J. Patrick Lewis on Answers.com
• J. Patrick Lewis at Brief Biographies
• interview, May 16, 2006
• interview, August 12, 2007
• 2007
• interview, April 4, 2008
• interview, November 21, 2008
• you tube (2008)
• http://www.ala.org/ala/booklinksbucket/0508_Links_pocketinyourpoem. Pdf (poem)
• (interview—April 5, 2009)
• (notice for new book of adult poems, Gulls Hold Up the Sky—

release date, September 1, 2010)

• 1, 2010