Born:
  Ohio,

Current Home:
Kings Ferry, New York,

David Kirk

Biography

• PRINT
• EMAIL

I've based my career on all the stuff I was interested in when I was seven — particularly robots and telepathic space travel. As a child, I loved to draw, and spent hours drawing robots. I was also good at making things. After high school, I decided to study art at the Cleveland Art Institute.

Before my Miss Spider books, I made toys — all sorts of colorful, one-of-a-kind toys packed in little hand-painted boxes. One day, my toys caught the attention of a book packager. He encouraged me to write and illustrate a children's book. So I did.

It wasn't hard to find the perfect subject for my first book — bugs. My daughter, Violet, loved insects. I also found a small copy of The Gnomes' Almanac by little-known Viennese author Ida Bohtta Morpugo. The pictures and verse about bugs, butterflies, and mice really came to life in that book. That inspired me to start drawing and writing....

Whatever I end up doing next, I know I love making stories. The bookmaking process is a liberation for me from the years I toiled to produce handmade items. I think the life of a children's book author is bliss.

David Kirk has been making toys and art for children for over 15 years. He also designs furniture that, together with his one-of-a-kind toys and paintings, are treasured by collectors. He is currently working on a feature-length animated film for Universal that is based on a new character in an upcoming picture book.

• Teacher Store
• 

  The Teacher Store

  Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt by David Catrow Max Spaniel is a daffy hound dog who one day decides to go on a dinosaur dig. But what Max thinks are dinosaur parts is just a lot of junk - or is it? As Max puts his fossils together, readers will see how the random objects Max finds - including a football, a hockey stick, and an old boot - transform into a living dino! New readers will laugh out loud as they follow the fantastical thoughts of this wacky hound. The ingenious story, by David Catrow, is easy to read with lots of visual humor. $6.99 Hardcover Book | Grades Pre-K-3

  
  Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt
  Grades Pre-K-3 $6.99
  
• Teacher Store
• 

  The Teacher Store

  Motocross Cycles by Jack David Get ready for adventure! Whether snowboarding down a mountain, speeding through the sky in a stealth bomber, or cruising the highway on a motorcycle, Torque books are designed to get readers engaged. With reading levels targeted to grades 2-3 and an interest level spanning grades 3-7, Torque books are specifically designed to motivate reluctant and less-able readers with high-interest subjects that will have their mental gears eager to learn more! $14.00 You save: 30% Library Binding | Grades 2-3

  
  Motocross Cycles
  Grades 2-3 $14.00