"The greatest joy I get out of illustrating books for children is knowing the potential my art has to make a difference in a child's life. Even if it just creates an opportunity for a child to cuddle in a parent's lap while reading the story, I feel I've accomplished something important and worthwhile."
—Sylvia Long

I was born in 1948, in Ithaca, NY, where my father was finishing his doctorate in Soil Science at Cornell University. The second of five children, I was quiet and shy. I have fond memories of my mother reading Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, When We were Very Young, The Pokey Little Puppy and The Little Engine that Could. My mother, now in her 80s, memorized many of A.A. Milne's poems and has repeated them on appropriate occasions throughout our lives. Sometimes, after stories, my father would sit in the hallway, where all five of us could hear from our bedrooms, and play soft tunes on his recorder (sort of a wooden flute with mellow tones) to help us go to sleep.

I loved to draw--clowns, flowers, and then horses and other animals. I remember copying some of Peter Rabbit. My favorite Christmas present was new "colors," whether a new box of Crayolas, a set of paints or pencils. I was quite young when my family identified me as the 'family artist' and put me in charge of making cards for every occasion, in which my parents, sister and brothers would then write their "Get Well Soon" or "Happy Birthday" messages.

Even though I loved to draw and paint, I didn't consider it a possible profession until I was a senior in high school. Most in my family ended up with advance degrees in the sciences. Enjoying nature and animals, I had a vague idea that I might be a veterinarian. My art teacher encouraged me to apply to a private college, Maryland Institute of Art, in Baltimore, MD. I also applied for, and received, a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, so was able to attend and graduate with a B.F.A. in 1970 with a painting/drawing major and ceramics minor.

I don't recall a time in my life when I wasn't working in some sort of art media. When my boys, Matthew and John, were small, I'd work while they were napping, or they would draw along with me in my studio. Being a mother is the most important thing in my life, and I was very fortunate to have a profession that didn't take me out of the house. For nearly 25 years, I showed my work in galleries and museums and entered competitive shows around the country.

My method of working was to have an idea for a series of pictures, and then visually investigate the idea until it held no more interest for me, changing mediums to suit the exploration of the idea. Some series would consist of a dozen or so pieces--others, more than a hundred. It was while I was working on a series called "Native American Rabbits" that my first children's book was born. A friend, Virginia Grossman, came to visit while my family was living on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Ft. Washakie, WY. She thought the images would be a good vehicle for a children's book. We collaborated on Ten Little Rabbits long distance (between Washington and Wyoming). It was published in 1991 by Chronicle Books and received the honor of "Best Picture Book of the Year" from the International Reading Association. That was a huge encouragement for me to continue on that path.

There is nothing I'd rather do than illustrate children's books. It has been extremely rewarding for me in many ways. I was very fortunate to have an editor at Chronicle Books who saw potential in my work, taught me about the fine points of illustrating, encouraging me to use different perspectives, new formats, vary my style to suit the manuscript, etc. With each new project, I learn something new about my craft.

I currently live in Scottsdale, Arizona, and enjoy working in my bright studio with my golden retriever, Amigo, at my feet.

Sylvia Long's works include:
A Seed Is Sleepy.
An Egg Is Quiet. Read the artist's note.
Waddle, Waddle, Quack, Quack, Quack. Read the artist's note.
Snug As a Bug. Read the artist's note.
Sylvia Long's Mother Goose (over 175,000 copies sold). Read the artist's note and send e-postcards.
Sylvia Long's Mother Goose Block Books and Nesting Blocks.
Hush Little Baby Hardcover and Board Book (over 500,000 copies sold)
Hush Little Baby boxed set
Hush Little Baby doll (over 100,000 copies sold)
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (over 100,000 copies sold). Send e-postcards.
Liplap's Wish
Alejandro's Gift
Fire Race
Deck the Hall and Deck the Hall doll
Ten Little Rabbits Board Book, Hardcover, and Paperback (over 500,000 copies sold).

"Being an author or illustrator is a wonderful, fulfilling career and children should be aware that it is an option in life. I think it's wonderful that elementary teachers are making a point of telling their classes about the author and illustrator of books they read and even including units of study where each child makes their own book."
—Sylvia Long