Jane Wattenberg
Encyclopedia
Jane Wattenberg is an America
n author
, photographer, and illustrator
of books for children. Mrs. Mustard is her pen name
.
). She is also the author and photo illustrator of the award winning re-told tale, Henny-Penny (Scholastic Press
) and the retelling of the classic Aesop fable
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
, which she wove into Never Cry Woof! (Scholastic Press
), wherein dogs guard the sheep instead of a boy.
Her most recent photo-illustrated book is The Duck and the Kangaroo, written by Edward Lear
(1812–1888). It is the first stand-alone version of this endearing poem, which Lear wrote in the same time period as The Owl and the Pussycat
.
Wattenberg is influenced by photo collage artist Hannah Hoch
, painter Rene Magritte
, photographer Herbert Bayer
and the 19th Century collage photographer Henry Peach Robinson
as well as by animal photographers Ylla
(Camilla Koffler) and Harry Whittier Frees
. Tana Hoban
has been another inspiration in the field of children's books as are Vladimir Radunsky and Maira Kalman
.
At a young age, Wattenberg began photographing with a Brownie camera. Double exposed images from Brownie camera days influenced her future work. Her first published art photo was selected for publication in Rolling Stone
in 1972 by Annie Leibovitz
, who was photo editor at that time. She has illustrated book jackets for Judy Blume
(Places I Never Meant to Be), Ellen Wittlinger
(Razzle), Virginia Euwer Wolfe (Make Lemonade), Rachel Cohn (Gingerbread) and Joan Bauer (Thwonk) among others and album covers for Herbie Hancock
(Mr Hands), Daniel Lenz, and The Aqua Velvets.
Before making books, Wattenberg's early photo collage work appeared in the Electric Company
, Bananas and Dynamite magazines, the latter two edited in the 1970s by R.L. Stine (Goosebumps).
She maintains an urban farm in San Francisco, California where she lives with her husband, a psychoanalyst. They have three adult sons. Wattenberg is a beekeeper, harvesting honey. She raises hens, ducks, goats, as well as an occasional emu and quail.
(1971) and an MFA in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology
(1973). In 1970 she studied art history in Vienna, Austria. She interned with Linda Shearer at the Guggenheim Museum
, New York. From 1972-73 she interned with Robert Sobieszek at the George Eastman House
at the International Center for Photography, Rochester, New York. Wattenberg has studied with photographers John Pfahl
, Betty Hahn, Bea Nettles
, historian Robert Sobieszek, and children’s book author Uri Schulevitz.
in 1973, Wattenberg moved to San Francisco where she taught photography classes at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
and at the University of California San Francisco. At UCSF, Wattenberg taught classes in self portraiture with photographer Mitchell Payne and performance artist Linda Montano
. In 1976 she joined the photography faculty of Lone Mountain College
alongside Greg MacGregor and Larry Sultan
. Magnum photographer Jim Goldberg
and photographer and museum director Arthur Ollman were among her students.
"Best of Baby Board Books," Booklist, 2005
Valerie Lewis and Walter Mayes, "Valerie and Walter's Best Books for Children," Collins, 2004 (This is the Rain, Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces, Henny-Penny)
Sam Swope, "Once More Upon a Time," New York Times, May 14, 2000, (Henny-Penny)
Henny-Penny, Publisher's Weekly, April 10, 2000
Ellen and Paul Kayser, et al., "Pick of the Lists," American Bookseller, March 1990, p. 51
Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces, Publisher's Weekly, October 13, 1989, p 51.
Steven Heller, "Passionate Collagists," Print Magazine, 1983
Judy Blume, Places I Never Meant to Be, Simon and Schuster, 2008
Henny-Penny, Best Book Choices, University of Wisconsin (2001)
Henny-Penny, Blue Ribbon Award for Best Books, Center for Children's Books, University of Illinois (2000)
Mrs. Mustard’s Beastly Babies, American Bookseller's Pick of the Lists (1990)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, photographer, and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
of books for children. Mrs. Mustard is her pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
.
Artistic career
Jane Wattenberg is the author and photo collage creator of the best-selling accordion-style baby board books, Mrs. Mustard’s Baby Faces and Mrs. Mustard’s Beastly Babies (Chronicle BooksChronicle 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...
). She is also the author and photo illustrator of the award winning re-told tale, Henny-Penny (Scholastic Press
Scholastic Press
Scholastic is a global book publishing company known for publishing educational materials for schools, teachers, and parents, and selling and distributing them by mail order and via book clubs and book fairs. It also has the exclusive United States' publishing rights to the Harry Potter book...
) and the retelling of the classic Aesop fable
Aesop's Fables
Aesop's Fables or the Aesopica are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today...
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Boy Who Cried Wolf, is one of Aesop's Fables, numbered 210 in the Perry Index. From it is derived the English idiom 'to cry wolf', meaning to give a false alarm.-The fable and its history:...
, which she wove into Never Cry Woof! (Scholastic Press
Scholastic Press
Scholastic is a global book publishing company known for publishing educational materials for schools, teachers, and parents, and selling and distributing them by mail order and via book clubs and book fairs. It also has the exclusive United States' publishing rights to the Harry Potter book...
), wherein dogs guard the sheep instead of a boy.
Her most recent photo-illustrated book is The Duck and the Kangaroo, written by Edward Lear
Edward Lear
Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, author, and poet, renowned today primarily for his literary nonsense, in poetry and prose, and especially his limericks, a form that he popularised.-Biography:...
(1812–1888). It is the first stand-alone version of this endearing poem, which Lear wrote in the same time period as The Owl and the Pussycat
The Owl and the Pussycat
"The Owl and the Pussycat" is a nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1871.- Background :Lear wrote the poem for a three-year-old girl, Janet Symonds, the daughter of Lear's friend poet John Addington Symonds and his wife Catherine Symonds...
.
Wattenberg is influenced by photo collage artist Hannah Hoch
Hannah Höch
Hannah Höch was a German Dada artist. She is best known for her work of the Weimar period, when she was one of the originators of photomontage.-Biography:...
, painter Rene Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
, photographer Herbert Bayer
Herbert Bayer
Herbert Bayer was an Austrian American graphic designer, painter, photographer, sculptor, art director, environmental & interior designer, and architect, who was widely recognized as the last living member of the Bauhaus and was instrumental in the development of the Atlantic Richfield Company's...
and the 19th Century collage photographer Henry Peach Robinson
Henry Peach Robinson
Henry Peach Robinson was an English pictorialist photographer best known for his pioneering combination printing - joining multiple negatives to form a single image, the precursor to photomontage...
as well as by animal photographers Ylla
Ylla
Ylla was the pseudonym of Camilla Koffler , a Hungarian photographer who specialized in animal photography. At the time of her death she "was generally considered the most proficient animal photographer in the world."...
(Camilla Koffler) and Harry Whittier Frees
Harry Whittier Frees
Harry Whittier Frees was an American photographer who created novelty postcards and children's books based on his photographs of animals. He dressed the animals and posed them in human situations with props...
. Tana Hoban
Tana Hoban
Tana Hoban was an author and photographer.She created children's books out of photos and thereby taught educational concepts such as signs and symbols, the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, animals, opposites, sizes and prepositions. Her early books were in black-and-white, but later books are in...
has been another inspiration in the field of children's books as are Vladimir Radunsky and Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman, born in 1949, is an American illustrator, author, artist, and designer. Born in Tel Aviv, Kalman came to New York City with her family at age 4. She attended the High School of Music and Art, now LaGuardia High School....
.
At a young age, Wattenberg began photographing with a Brownie camera. Double exposed images from Brownie camera days influenced her future work. Her first published art photo was selected for publication in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
in 1972 by Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
, who was photo editor at that time. She has illustrated book jackets for Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Judy Blume is an American author. She has written many novels for children and young adults which have exceeded sales of 80 million and been translated into 31 languages...
(Places I Never Meant to Be), Ellen Wittlinger
Ellen Wittlinger
Ellen Wittlinger is an author for young adults, including Gracie's Girl and the Printz Honor book Hard Love.- Biography :...
(Razzle), Virginia Euwer Wolfe (Make Lemonade), Rachel Cohn (Gingerbread) and Joan Bauer (Thwonk) among others and album covers for Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
(Mr Hands), Daniel Lenz, and The Aqua Velvets.
Before making books, Wattenberg's early photo collage work appeared in the Electric Company
Electric company
Electric company can mean:*Electrical power industry*Electric Company *The Electric Company *The Electric Company...
, Bananas and Dynamite magazines, the latter two edited in the 1970s by R.L. Stine (Goosebumps).
Personal life
Jane Rachel Wattenberg was born (April 19, 1949) and raised in Norwalk, Connecticut. Her father was a chemist and amateur photographer. Her mother was an elementary school teacher dedicated to community service, family, and friends.She maintains an urban farm in San Francisco, California where she lives with her husband, a psychoanalyst. They have three adult sons. Wattenberg is a beekeeper, harvesting honey. She raises hens, ducks, goats, as well as an occasional emu and quail.
Education
Jane Wattenberg received a BA in Art History from Simmons CollegeSimmons College
Simmons College may refer to:*Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky*Simmons College , a liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts...
(1971) and an MFA in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
(1973). In 1970 she studied art history in Vienna, Austria. She interned with Linda Shearer at the Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
, New York. From 1972-73 she interned with Robert Sobieszek at the George Eastman House
George Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
at the International Center for Photography, Rochester, New York. Wattenberg has studied with photographers John Pfahl
John Pfahl
John Pfahl is an American photographer. He is known for his landscape photography such as his 1974 "Altered Landscapes" series. He taught at Rochester Institute of Technology from 1968 – 1983. He received a BFA from Syracuse University in the School of Art and his MA from Syracuse University in...
, Betty Hahn, Bea Nettles
Bea Nettles
-Career:Artist Bea Nettles is a pioneer in photographic techniques and book arts. She has been exhibiting and publishing her semi-autobiographical works since 1970. She taught photography and artists’ books from 1970-2007 at Rochester Institute of Technology, Tyler School of Art, and the University...
, historian Robert Sobieszek, and children’s book author Uri Schulevitz.
Teaching
After graduating from Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
in 1973, Wattenberg moved to San Francisco where she taught photography classes at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
and at the University of California San Francisco. At UCSF, Wattenberg taught classes in self portraiture with photographer Mitchell Payne and performance artist Linda Montano
Linda Montano
Linda Mary Montano is a central figure in contemporary performance art. She was raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic household, partly Irish and partly Italian, that was surrounded by artistic activity...
. In 1976 she joined the photography faculty of Lone Mountain College
Lone Mountain College
Lone Mountain College was a college acquired by the University of San Francisco in 1978. It was founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart as Sacred Heart Academy in Menlo Park, California in 1898 and became College of the Sacred Heart in 1921...
alongside Greg MacGregor and Larry Sultan
Larry Sultan
Larry Sultan was an American photographer. His work was recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship as well as multiple grants from the NEA...
. Magnum photographer Jim Goldberg
Jim Goldberg
Jim Goldberg is an American photographer and writer whose work reflects long-term, in-depth collaborations with neglected, ignored, or otherwise outside-the-mainstream populations.-Artistic career:...
and photographer and museum director Arthur Ollman were among her students.
Books
- The Duck and the Kangaroo Greenwillow/HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
(2009)
- Never Cry Woof! A Dog-U-Drama Scholastic PressScholastic PressScholastic is a global book publishing company known for publishing educational materials for schools, teachers, and parents, and selling and distributing them by mail order and via book clubs and book fairs. It also has the exclusive United States' publishing rights to the Harry Potter book...
(2005)
- This is the Rain (Text by Lola Schaefer) HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
/Greenwillow (2001)
- Henny-Penny Scholastic PressScholastic PressScholastic is a global book publishing company known for publishing educational materials for schools, teachers, and parents, and selling and distributing them by mail order and via book clubs and book fairs. It also has the exclusive United States' publishing rights to the Harry Potter book...
(2000)
- Mrs. Mustard’s Name Games Chronicle BooksChronicle BooksChronicle 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...
(1993)
- Mrs. Mustard’s Beastly Babies Chronicle BooksChronicle BooksChronicle 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...
(1990)
- Mrs. Mustard’s Baby Faces Chronicle BooksChronicle BooksChronicle 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...
(1989, 2007)
Publications
Maryann Owen, Librarian Racine Public Library, Wisconsin, "The Duck and the Kangaroo," School Library Journal, November 1, 2009"Best of Baby Board Books," Booklist, 2005
Valerie Lewis and Walter Mayes, "Valerie and Walter's Best Books for Children," Collins, 2004 (This is the Rain, Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces, Henny-Penny)
Sam Swope, "Once More Upon a Time," New York Times, May 14, 2000, (Henny-Penny)
Henny-Penny, Publisher's Weekly, April 10, 2000
Ellen and Paul Kayser, et al., "Pick of the Lists," American Bookseller, March 1990, p. 51
Mrs. Mustard's Baby Faces, Publisher's Weekly, October 13, 1989, p 51.
Steven Heller, "Passionate Collagists," Print Magazine, 1983
Judy Blume, Places I Never Meant to Be, Simon and Schuster, 2008
Awards
Never Cry Woof!, Children’s Choice Award (2006)Henny-Penny, Best Book Choices, University of Wisconsin (2001)
Henny-Penny, Blue Ribbon Award for Best Books, Center for Children's Books, University of Illinois (2000)
Mrs. Mustard’s Beastly Babies, American Bookseller's Pick of the Lists (1990)