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I’ve always loved making things. Construction paper, scissors, and crayons were my favorite toys growing up. My neighbor LuAnn and I made Christmas decorations all summer long and performed paper bag puppet shows for our family and friends in our backyards. In college I studied art and English, but when I was turned down for a job as an illustrator by Hallmark cards, I decided to become an elementary-school teacher instead. I loved being a teacher, especially reading to my students, inventing games to play in class, and thinking of fun writing and drawing projects, but I knew that someday I wanted to create books for kids…and that’s exactly what happened.
My first book, A Christmas Guest, was published in 1988. Since then I’ve had more than thirty books published, including Isle of You, How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans, and Moo!, a story using only one word (well, maybe two). One of the best things about being an author is that I get to visit schools across the country, and even around the world. I talk to kids about books, writing, and drawing — all the fun parts of being a teacher without having to correct homework or fill out report cards.
Three Things You Might Not Know about Me:
I love carving pumpkins. I’ve even been on national television with my jack-o’-lanterns. You can view some of my pumpkin creations at www.davidlarochelle.com.
I love entering contests. The first prize I ever won was a transistor radio in a coloring contest when I was six. After I won a seven-minute grocery shopping spree when I was fourteen, I was hooked. Several of my books, including my first book, were originally written for contests.
I love playing games. My current favorite is Dominion, but I also like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Boggle, and many, many more.
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