Bonnie Christensen Papers

Bonnie Christensen, born in 1951 in Saranac Lake, New York, is a children's book author and illustrator as well as an artist. Christensen earned a B.A. in Theatre and Communication from the University of Vermont. After college Christensen worked in New York theaters including Joe Papp's Public Theatre, New York Shakespeare Festival, Actor's Studio, Chelsea Theater, and Stella Adler Studio. In New York, Christensen became interested in playwriting while she worked for the Screen Actors Guild and then Paramount Pictures. While in New York, Christensen also studied wood engraving with John Depol and attended classes at Parsons School of Design and Center for Book Arts. Eventually, Christensen returned to Vermont and focused on wood engraving, exhibiting prints locally, and was offered her first illustration job. Through a keen interest in printmaking and letterpress printing Christensen eventually hand-printed and bound a limited- edition book. Desire to see that book reach a wider audience eventually led Christensen to trade publishers and initiated her career as an author and illustrator. Christensen began her career in children's literature in the mid-1990s, and since 2000 has worked to create children's books that highlight the lives of enigmatic Americans through self-illustrated picture books such as Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People and The Daring Nelly Bly: America's Star Reporter. Christensen and her books have recieved numerous awards including the Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2006 award for Pompeii, Lost and Found, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award for The Daring Nellie Bly , the Parent’s Choice Gold Award 2002, the Horn Book-Boston Globe Honor Award 2002, and the ALA Notable Children’s Book 2002 award for Woody Guthrie, Poet of the People , and the International Reading Association Best Books of 2000 award for Moon Over Tennessee . In addition to her work as a children's book illustrator and author Christensen has also dedicated her time to teaching at St. Michael’s College in Burlington, VT, where she has been an adjunct professor of Fine Arts since 1995. As an artist Christensen's portfolio ranges from frescos and monotypes to woodengravings and etchings.