Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo
Katrina Elizabeth "Kate" DiCamillo is an American writer of children's fiction for all reading levels, usually featuring animals. She is one of six people to win two Newbery Medals, recognizing her novels The Tale of Despereauxand Flora and Ulysses. Her best-known books for young children are Mercy Watson series illustrated by Chris Van Dusen...
ProfessionChildren's Author
Date of Birth25 March 1964
CityPhiladelphia, PA
writing terror uncertainty
When I do it [writing] by myself, there's a lot more terror and uncertainty.
my-favorite
My favorite food is deep-fried ravioli. I always get that every year.
american-author danger happens heart keeping locked share somebody
The story is about what happens when you share your heart with somebody else; it is also about the danger of keeping things locked up.
building
I always go to the Agriculture Building, where they make apple cider popsicles for a dollar.
character thinking enough
I always wanted to be a character, when I worked at Disney, but I wasn't short enough for certain characters and I wasn't tall enough for others. I wanted to be a chipmunk; I think 4'10" was the cutoff.
writing thinking joy
I think we sent Tony Fucile pictures of ourselves, photos from like when we were seven years old. That's what he worked from. He captured exactly what we looked like. I'd love to do another one with Alison, not just for the joy of writing, but also for the joy of watching Tony bring it to life with his illustrations. I'm hoping at BEA, or ALA, I'll get to meet Tony and shake his hand and thank him.
moving-on letting-go leaving
There ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.
sadness names someone-you-love
There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.
beautiful flower giving
... every time you look at the world and the people in it closely, lovingly, imaginatively, it changes you. The world, under the microscope of your attention, opens up like a beautiful, strange flower and gives itself back to you in ways you could never imagine.
undoing difficult
The undoing is almost always more difficult than the doing.
princess feet speak
Love!' said the princess. She stamped her foot. 'Why must everyone always speak of love?
dark light stories
The world is dark, and light is precious. Come closer, dear reader. You must trust me. I am telling you a story.
heart two promise
My favorite six letter word is always because it promises so much. My favorite five letter word is never because it insists on contradicting the promise. My favorite four letter word is once because it says it happened then. My favorite three letter word is yes because I’m just now learning to say it to my heart. My favorite two letter word is if because it makes all things possible like this: If not always If not never Then once. Yes.
children reading literacy
Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.