Peter Mandel
Author
Peter Mandel is an
adventure travel journalist and the author of nine children's books. Mandel's
books have come out from HarperCollins, Penguin, Scholastic, Henry Holt, and
Hyperion, among others, and have been featured in USA Today, and on ABC's "The
Home Show." His titles have been part of exhibits at the Museum of Natural
History in New York, at the Smithsonian, and at the National Baseball Hall of
Fame, and have been translated into Japanese, Chinese, German, Italian, Dutch,
Swedish and Danish. Mandel's literary agent is Emilie Jacobson at Curtis Brown
Ltd. in New York, and his work is syndicated through Featurewell.com. He lives
in Rhode Island with his wife, Kathy, and cats, Sam and Betty. Mandel grew up in
Manhattan and graduated from Middlebury College and Brown University.
Mandel's newest picture book for kids is BUN, ONION,
BURGER, published by Simon & Schuster in 2010, and named a "Summer 2010
Children's INDIE NEXT PICK" by the American Booksellers Association. His
other recent kids' books include PLANES AT THE AIRPORT and BOATS ON THE RIVER,
both from Scholastic. The Boston Globe calls them a great way to introduce
the idea of travel in simple terms. The Dallas Morning News lauds the books
for "informing and calming very young travelers" and School Library Journal says
that "spare phrases combined with bold graphic illustrations will entice busy
toddlers" and that "a singsong text suitable for reading aloud makes these
titles entertaining choices." Other positive reviews of PLANES AT THE AIRPORT
and BOATS ON THE RIVER have appeared in Publishers Weekly and Booklist.
Another picture book, SAY HEY! A SONG OF WILLIE MAYS,
came out from Hyperion Books for Children in March of 2001 and was named a
Boston Globe "Quick Pick" for children, a Child magazine recommended title, a
San Francisco Examiner "Bay City Best" and a featured book in USA Today's Sports
Weekly. SAY HEY! is one of six titles selected for the newly published JUMP AT
THE SUN TREASURY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PICTURE BOOKS and is featured in the
"Baseball as America" exhibit curated by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and
currently at the Museum of Natural History in New York.
His chapter book for children is MY OCEAN LINER: ACROSS
THE NORTH ATLANTIC ON THE GREAT SHIP NORMANDIE from Stemmer House, which
Publishers Weekly called "a voyage in grand style" and which was featured on a
special family sailing on Cunard's QE2. RED CAT, WHITE CAT, another children's
book, came out in 1995 from Henry Holt & Co. and was an American Bookseller
"Pick of the Lists," a Kirkus Reviews "Best of the Issue," and a Working Mother
magazine recommended book. In 1991, HarperCollins published his humorous book,
THE OFFICIAL CAT I.Q. TEST. His more recent books include THE CAT DICTIONARY
(Penguin) and THE OFFICIAL DOG I.Q. TEST (Bonus Books).
A contributing author of the best-selling collection,
CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CAT & DOG LOVER'S SOUL, Mandel has published his articles
and essays in Harper's, Reader's Digest, The Los Angeles Times, The
International Herald Tribune, Budget Travel and The Chicago Tribune, and is a
regular contributor to the travel sections of The Washington Post, The Boston
Globe, and National Geographic ‘Kids.’ One of his Boston Globe articles won
the 2005 Lowell Thomas gold award from the Society of American Travel Writers
for adventure travel article of the year. Other articles, for The Washington
Post and the Baltimore Sun, won Lowell Thomas Awards in 2003, 2006 and 2007. One
of his essays is included in the new anthology of travel humor published by
Travelers' Tales: "What Color is Your Jockstrap?" "Funny Men and Women Write
from the Road."
Mandel has written op-eds for a variety of national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Globe and Mail, and The Christian Science Monitor. He's also a regular blogger and contributor to the travel and politics pages of The Huffington Post.
To check out an
archive of Peter Mandel's most recent Huffington Post columns, or to add your
comments, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-mandel
NEW BOOK!
Zoo
Ah-Choooo
by Peter Mandel (Author), Elwood Smith (Illustrator) Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Holiday House (February 20, 2012)
JACKHAMMER SAM
by Peter Mandel (author) David Catrow (illustrator),
Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 40 pages, Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
ISBN-10: 1596430346 ISBN-13: 978-1596430341
atta-RATTA-batta-blam!
Jackhammer Sam isn't just any old construction worker—he's the sidewalk blasting man. He stops traffic,splits the
sidewalk, and digs right down to the subway, all the while singing his song:
PLANES at the AIRPORT by Peter Mandel (Author), Edward Miller (Illustrator) Reading level: Baby-Preschool Edition: Hardcover 8 pages ; Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Board edition (March 1, 2004)
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist Busy and bright, these larger-than-average board books whir with vehicles in motion. Spare, rhyming words introduce each plane or boat, but the language is sometimes perplexing. Instead of using common names such as helicopter or submarine, Mandel uses phrases that describe what each vehicle does--"whirly-bird plane" and "go-below boats." The final spread in each book falls particularly flat, ending with a confusing reference: "This one is your [boat or plane]," accompanied by a picture of a toy children probably won't own. The illustrations more than make up for the over-reaching language, though. Using vivid, solid colors and simple geometric shapes reminiscent of Byron Barton's style, Miller creates exciting scenes of boats, planes, and passengers in action, while the uncluttered spreads and easily definable shapes invite counting practice for chubby-handed preschoolers. Pair these with Tana Hoban's Construction Zone (1997) for the Tonka Truck crowd
. Gillian Engberg Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved
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BOATS on the RIVER by Peter Mandel (Author), Edward Miller (Illustrator) Reading level: Baby-Preschool Edition: Hardcover, 8 pages; Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Board edition (March 1, 2004)
Editorial
Reviews
Spare phrases combined with bold graphic illustrations will entice busy toddlers. Mandel uses adjectives to describe the vehicles instead of their proper names. For example, submarines are "go-below boats," helicopters are "whirly-bird planes," and sailboats are "circle-slow boats." The final spread in both titles incorporates a child's world by depicting boats floating in the bathtub and youngsters playing with toy planes in an open field. Miller's clear, flat artwork combined with a singsong text suitable for reading aloud make these titles entertaining choices for transportation enthusiasts.–Olga R. Kuharets, Broward County Libraries, Fort Lauderdale, FL Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Busy and bright, these larger-than-average board books whir with vehicles in motion. Spare, rhyming words introduce each plane or boat, but the language is sometimes perplexing. Instead of using common names such as helicopter or submarine, Mandel uses phrases that describe what each vehicle does--"whirly-bird plane" and "go-below boats." The final spread in each book falls particularly flat, ending with a confusing reference: "This one is your [boat or plane]," accompanied by a picture of a toy children probably won't own. The illustrations more than make up for the over-reaching language, though. Using vivid, solid colors and simple geometric shapes reminiscent of Byron Barton's style, Miller creates exciting scenes of boats, planes, and passengers in action, while the uncluttered spreads and easily definable shapes invite counting practice for chubby-handed preschoolers. Pair these with Tana Hoban's Construction Zone (1997) for the Tonka Truck crowd. Gillian Engberg Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved
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SAY HEY! by Peter Mandel, Don Tate (Illustrator), Reading level: Ages 4-8, Hardcover - 32 pages 1st edition (March 2000), Publisher: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion
A Jazzy picture book about Willie Mays, one of baseball's immortal players. Known as the "Say Hey Kid," Willie Mays started off playing baseball in sandlots but grew up to become a baseball legend. When he joined the New York Giants, black players were still uncommon. But Willie Mays proved that baseball was just as much his sport as anyone's. His famous catches, amazing throwing arm, and record-setting home-run average propelled Mays to the top of the league, and then on the Baseball Hall of Fame. This rhyming, rhythmic text chronicles Mays incredible baseball career, and will appeal to baseball fans of all ages.
From The Boston Globe
In a joyful
rhyming tribute to Mays, the text highlights his triumphs in baseball and
depicts him as a strong role model for today's children. Bright, stylized
illustrations convincingly project Mays's energy and enthusiasm.
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My Ocean Liner : Across the North Atlantic on the Great Ship Normandie
by Peter Mandel, Betsey MacDonald (Illustrator), John Maxtone-Graham (Introduction), Reading level: Ages 9-12, Hardcover - 48 pages (December 2000) Stemmer House Pub;
Editorial Reviews
An Interview with Peter Mandel
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The Washington Post Hangzhou, China's tea-shaped capital where Longjing is king
By Peter Mandel
Special to The Washington Post / June 20, 2010 
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The Washington Post
On an excursion to Albania, it's just you and the antiquities By Peter Mandel Special to The Washington Post Sunday, January 17, 2010
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Parisian pink, Arabic spice
By Peter Mandel
Globe Correspondent / June 14, 2009  |
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The Boston Globe
"Making Merry: Customs Born Centuries Ago Endure and Thrive in Christmas Markets." Peter Mandel, November 29, 2009
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The Los Angeles Times An American holiday outside Paris
by Peter Mandel,Reporting from Saint-Avit-Sénieur, France 11:05 AM PDT, July 02, 2009
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The Washington Post3 Jobs in 1:For an Air Traffic Controller, It's a Routine Day
By Peter Mandel
Special to The Washington Post Sunday, April 12, 2009  |
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Coastal Living "Walking New Hampshire: Follow Writer Peter Mandel as he Chronicles the Shortest Shoreline of any State."
BY Peter Mandel,
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The Chicago Tribune Lisbon and Madrid: So close, yet worlds apartby Peter Mandel, The Chicago Tribune, May 25, 2008
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 "10 Coolest Small Towns: Yellow Springs, Ohio."
These towns all have fewer than 10,000 people—but they can
rival larger cities when it comes to good food, culture, and
quality of life.
By Peter Mandel, September 2008 issue  |
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The Washington Post Farewell, Old Friends: A Fan Gets One Last Look At NYC's Storied Stadiumsby Peter Mandel, The Washington Post, June 1, 2008.
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The Boston Globe Heritage, homecoming, and haggis : Across the Atlantic, memories meet DNA, and what ancestors left behind is seen freshby Peter Mandel, The Boston Globe, November 30, 2008  |
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The Minneapolis Star Tribune Something in the Sand By Peter Mandel, Special to the Star Tribune September 19, 2008
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Peter Mandel makes school visits to elementary, middle, and high schools in all regions of the US and abroad. He's also a frequent speaker at libraries and to a wide range of writers' and community groups. He teaches an adult education seminar in Boston, MA, Washington, DC, and Providence, RI., called
"Write
Your Children's Book (And Get It Published)."
Phone (401) 831-5227
To return to state page click HERE. 05/26/12 date last edited
