JEAN MARZOLLO BIOGRAPHY

Jean Marzollo has written over 130 books, including the award-winning I SPY series for children, written completely in rhythm and rhyme. "Rhythm and rhyme are like music without the tune; they lure and excite the ear. Children love rhythm and rhyme, and so do I. Do you know that I SPY actually has the same rhythm as "Old Mother Hubbard Went to the Cupboard" and also rap?"

Jean Marzollo was born and raised in Manchester, CT to Richard and Ruth Martin. She loved reading books and sewing her own clothes as she grew up. She is a graduate of Manchester High School (1960), the University of Connecticut (1964), and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (1965).

She was a high school English teacher in Arlington, MA (1965-66) and the assistant director of Harvard's Project Upward Bound (1967). In New York City, she worked on early childhood research projects for General Learning Corp. (1967-69) and was the Director of Publications for the National Commission on Resources for Youth (1970-71). For 20 years from 1972-1992, she was editor of Scholastic's Let's Find Out Magazine, working closely with art director Carol Devine Carson. She has written books, such as The New Kindergarten, for teachers and parents, as well as articles for Parents Magazine, Redbook, and other parenting magazines.

Jean Marzollo is best known for her award-winning, best-selling I SPY series with photographic illustrator Walter Wick. Among her other well-known children's books are: Pierre the Penguin, Soccer Sam, Mama Mama/Papa Papa; Close Your Eyes; Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King; and the Shanna Show books. After more than 20 years of writing children's books, she began to illustrate them, too. She has retold and illustrated five Bible stories and three Greek myths, as well as writing and illustrating two counting books for preschoolers: Ten Little Eggs and Ten Little Christmas Presents.

In recent years she has developed online, interactive books for young children to play on computers and on interactive whiteboards, such as SMART Boards. "I love all aspects of creating ebooks for kids: writing, painting, working with animators, and testing the ebooks with children ages 5-8 in classrooms. Children are great editors. They "get" the internet, and they teach me what works best for them and what doesn't."

Jean Marzollo is married to Claudio Marzollo, a retired sculptor who has co-authored the ebooks, as well as some of her children's science fiction and fantasy books. They have two sons, Dan Marzollo (b. 1973) and Dave Marzollo (b. 1975), who ghostwrite the I SPY CHALLENGER books and the I SPY readers, and who have co-authored some of her sports books for kids. She resides in Upstate New York.

Official website: JeanMarzollo.com

Dan, Claudio, Jean, Dave                                Photo © Chris Mazzuca 2008-2009