Fun Facts Friday: Charlotte Zolotow

Charlotte Zolotow (26 June, 1915 – 19 November, 2013) was a prolific writer of children books, editor and poet. Mrs. Zolotow was a prolific children book author who did not shy away from examining difficult subjects.

Books by Charlotte Zolotow*

1. Born as Charlotte Gertrude Shapiro in Norfolk, VA. Her father owned several businesses which forced the family to move around.
2. As a young girl she had to deal with physical issues that caused her to feel apart from other children.
3. The author attended the University of Wisconsin, she said that her studies in writing “was taught how to think, not what to think.”
4. After college, the author moved to New York City working for Harper Junior Books, as secretary to children’s book editor Ursula Nordstrom.
5. Quickly, Ms. Shapiro proved herself to be a capable editor.
6. In 1938 she married Maurice Zolotow, the couple had two children.
7. Over the years, Mrs. Zolotow wrote over 65 children books known for their honesty and comforting portrayal of emotions. The author has stated that a good picture book “. . . should extend a child’s understanding of the world and it must be done from the point of view of the child. It should first of all be a well-written piece of literature, and it should help children understand the world better, their own inner conflicts, their own family, the things closest to them, problems they sometimes think belong only to them.“
8. In 1981, Harper & Row honored Mrs. Zolotow with her own imprint, designated with a distinctive tulip design by Harriet Barton.
9. Mrs. Zolotow books were published by more than 20 publishing houses.
10. The Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has honored the author by establishing the Annual Charlotte Zolotow Lecture and Award for outstanding writing in a picture book.

Books by Charlotte Zolotow*

Zohar – Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account