Ryan T. Higgins

{{Infobox author

| website = {{URL|ryanthiggins.com}}

| nationality =

| occupation = Author and illustrator

| genre = Children's books

| awards = The E.B. White Read Aloud Award (2016, 2019)

}}

Ryan T. Higgins is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He is best known for his Mother Bruce and Penelope Rex series, both of which have had a book on The New York Times Best Seller List{{Cite web |date=2015-08-25 |title=Mother Bruce |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ryan-t-higgins/mother-bruce/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Kirkus Reviews |archive-date=2022-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303062913/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ryan-t-higgins/mother-bruce/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2018-05-13 |title=We Don't Eat Our Classmates |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ryan-t-higgins/we-dont-eat-our-classmates/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Kirkus Reviews |archive-date=2022-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207224648/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ryan-t-higgins/we-dont-eat-our-classmates/ |url-status=live }} and have won the E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books.{{Cite news |last=Jarrard |first=Sydney |date=2016-04-13 |title=2018 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners Announced |url=http://www.bookweb.org/news/2018-indies-choice-and-eb-white-read-aloud-award-winners-announced-104285 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514015114/http://www.bookweb.org/news/2018-indies-choice-and-eb-white-read-aloud-award-winners-announced-104285 |archive-date=2018-05-14 |access-date=2017-02-02 |newspaper=American Booksellers Association}}{{Cite web |last=Button |first=Liz |date=2019-05-01 |title=2019 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners Announced |url=https://www.bookweb.org/news/2019-indies-choice-and-eb-white-read-aloud-award-winners-announced-572095 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226014052/https://www.bookweb.org/news/2019-indies-choice-and-eb-white-read-aloud-award-winners-announced-572095 |archive-date=2022-12-26 |access-date=2021-01-12 |website=American Booksellers Association}}

Biography

Higgins graduated from the College of the Atlantic in 2006.{{Cite web |title=COA Alumni: Ryan T. Higgins |url=https://www.coa.edu/live/profiles/3631-ryan-higgins |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=College of the Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=2021-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129101934/https://www.coa.edu/live/profiles/3631-ryan-higgins |url-status=live }} He is married and has three children.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-15 |title=T. Rex Problems: Spotlight on Ryan T. Higgins |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/77263-t-rex-problems-spotlight-on-ryan-t-higgins.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Publishers Weekly |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520131321/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/77263-t-rex-problems-spotlight-on-ryan-t-higgins.html |url-status=live }} As of 2021, he lives in Maine.{{Cite web |last=Morse |first=Libby |date=2021-09-02 |title=Four Questions for Ryan T. Higgins |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/87272-four-questions-for-ryan-t-higgins.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Publishers Weekly |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209200149/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/87272-four-questions-for-ryan-t-higgins.html |url-status=live }}

Influences

Higgins was greatly inspired by Calvin and Hobbes comics when he was younger and initially wanted to become a comic writer; however, after seeing Mo Willems's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! at a friend's home, he became intrigued by the genre. He was inspired to write We Don't Eat Our Classmates when his son was preparing for kindergarten.

Awards and honors

Mother Bruce was a New York Times bestseller. Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2015.

We Don't Eat Our Classmates was a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller. Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2018.

What About Worms?! was a 2021 ALSC Notable Children's Book for Younger Readers.{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-01-25 |title=2021 Notable Children's Books |url=https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb/ncbpastlists/ncb_2021 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313061751/https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb/ncbpastlists/ncb_2021 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Schulte-Cooper |first=Laura |date=2021-03-30 |title=ALSC names 2021 Notable Children's Books |url=https://www.ala.org/news/2011/10/alsc-names-2021-notable-childrens-books |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201013437/https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/03/alsc-names-2021-notable-childrens-books |archive-date=2022-02-01 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=American Library Association |language=en}}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" \|+Awards !Year !Title !Award !Result !Ref.
rowspan="2" \|2016 \| rowspan="2" \|Mother Bruce \|E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books \|Winner \|{{Cite web \|last= \|first= \|date=2016-04-14 \|title=ABA Names Indies Choice, E.B. White Winners \|url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2732 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216114033/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2732 \|archive-date=2022-12-16 \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=Shelf Awareness}}
Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for Illustrator \|Honoree \|{{Cite web \|title=2016 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners \|url=https://www.ejkf.org/2016-ejk-award/ \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation \|language=en-US \|archive-date=2023-03-15 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315130145/https://www.ejkf.org/2016-ejk-award/ \|url-status=live }}
2017 \|Be Quiet! \|Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books \|Nominee \|{{Cite web \|title=Be Quiet! \|url=https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/31423547-be-quiet \|access-date=2023-06-16 \|website=Goodreads \|language=en}}
2018 \|We Don't Eat Our Classmates \|Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books \|Nominee \|{{Cite web \|title=We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Penelope Rex, #1) \|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36341954-we-don-t-eat-our-classmates \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=Goodreads \|language=en}}
2018–2019 \|Mother Bruce \|California Young Reader Medal for Primary \|Nominee \|{{Cite web \|title=Nominees \|url=http://www.californiayoungreadermedal.org/nominees \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=California Young Reader Medal \|language=en-US \|archive-date=2023-04-10 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410150601/http://www.californiayoungreadermedal.org/nominees \|url-status=live }}
rowspan="4" \|2019 \| rowspan="4" \|We Don't Eat Our Classmates \|Bank Street College of Education Cook Prize \|Honoree \|{{Cite web \|last=Yorio \|first=Kara \|date=2019-04-22 \|title=Cook Prize and Irma Black Award Announced \|url=https://www.slj.com/story/cook-prize-and-irma-black-award-announced \|access-date=2023-06-16 \|website=School Library Journal}}
Charlotte Zolotow Award \|Commended \|{{Cite web \|date= \|title=Booklists \|url=https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/booklists/?booklistId=3 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930170027/https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/booklists/?booklistId=3 \|archive-date=2022-09-30 \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=Cooperative Children's Book Center \|publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison}}
E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books \|Winner \|{{Cite web \|last= \|first= \|date=2019-05-07 \|title=Awards: Indies Choice Book & E.B. White Read-Aloud \|url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3489 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018081149/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3489 \|archive-date=2022-10-18 \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=Shelf Awareness}}
Irma Black Award \|Finalist \|{{Cite web \|last= \|first= \|date=2019-02-28 \|title=Awards: Irma Black Finalist \|url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3441 \|access-date=2023-06-16 \|website=Shelf Awareness \|archive-date=2023-02-24 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224195420/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3441 \|url-status=live }}{{Cite web \|last=Burnett \|first=Matia \|date=2019-05-21 \|title=Honoring Excellence at Bank Street: The 2019 Cook Prize and Irma S. and James H. Black Awards \|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/80124-honoring-excellence-at-bank-street-the-2019-cook-prize-and-irma-s-and-james-h-black-awards.html \|access-date=2023-06-16 \|website=Publishers Weekly \|language=en \|archive-date=2022-08-11 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811211403/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/80124-honoring-excellence-at-bank-street-the-2019-cook-prize-and-irma-s-and-james-h-black-awards.html \|url-status=live }}
2020 \|We Will Rock Our Classmates \|Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books \|Nominee \|{{Cite web \|title=We Will Rock Our Classmates \|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48932414-we-will-rock-our-classmates \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=Goodreads \|language=en \|archive-date=2022-05-10 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510150325/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48932414-we-will-rock-our-classmates \|url-status=live }}
2021 \|What About Worms?! \|Geisel Award \|Honoree \|{{Cite web \|last=Morales \|first=Macey \|date=2021-01-25 \|title=David LaRochelle, Mike Wohnoutka win Geisel Award for 'See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog' \|url=https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/01/david-larochelle-mike-wohnoutka-win-geisel-award-see-cat-three-stories-about \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601143727/http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/01/david-larochelle-mike-wohnoutka-win-geisel-award-see-cat-three-stories-about \|archive-date=2021-06-01 \|access-date=2023-06-15 \|website=American Library Association \|language=en}}{{Cite web \|title=2021 Youth Media Awards \|url=https://www.slj.com/page/2021YouthMediaAwards \|access-date=2023-06-16 \|website=School Library Journal \|archive-date=2023-04-13 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413060404/https://www.slj.com/page/2021YouthMediaAwards \|url-status=live }}{{Cite web \|last=Roback \|first=Diane \|last2=Kantor \|first2=Emma \|date=2021-01-25 \|title=Keller, Goade, Nayeri Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz Awards \|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/85396-keller-goade-nayeri-win-newbery-caldecott-printz-awards.html \|access-date=2023-06-16 \|website=PublishersWeekly.com \|language=en \|archive-date=2021-11-16 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116213633/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/85396-keller-goade-nayeri-win-newbery-caldecott-printz-awards.html \|url-status=live }}
rowspan="2" \|2023 \|Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book \|Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers \|Nominee \|{{Cite web \|date=2014-12-17 \|title=Eisner Awards Current Info \|url=https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607093909/https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards-current-info \|archive-date=2017-06-07 \|access-date=2023-06-16 \|website=Comic-Con International: San Diego \|language=en}}
We Don't Eat Our Classmates \|California Young Reader Medal for Primary \|Winner \|{{Cite web \|title=CYRM Winners, Complete List \|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/533e5b23e4b089b274abbdc9/t/64d65680806e3d751cf703dc/1691768448903/CYRM+Winners%2C+Complete+List.pdf \|url-status= \|archive-url= \|archive-date= \|access-date=2024-09-27 \|website=California Young Reader Medal \|language=en-US}}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

|+Awards

!Year

!Title

!Award

!Result

!Ref.

rowspan="2" |2016

| rowspan="2" |Mother Bruce

|E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books

|Winner

|{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2016-04-14 |title=ABA Names Indies Choice, E.B. White Winners |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2732 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216114033/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2732 |archive-date=2022-12-16 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Shelf Awareness}}

Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for Illustrator

|Honoree

|{{Cite web |title=2016 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners |url=https://www.ejkf.org/2016-ejk-award/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315130145/https://www.ejkf.org/2016-ejk-award/ |url-status=live }}

2017

|Be Quiet!

|Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books

|Nominee

|{{Cite web |title=Be Quiet! |url=https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/31423547-be-quiet |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Goodreads |language=en}}

2018

|We Don't Eat Our Classmates

|Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books

|Nominee

|{{Cite web |title=We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Penelope Rex, #1) |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36341954-we-don-t-eat-our-classmates |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Goodreads |language=en}}

2018–2019

|Mother Bruce

|California Young Reader Medal for Primary

|Nominee

|{{Cite web |title=Nominees |url=http://www.californiayoungreadermedal.org/nominees |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=California Young Reader Medal |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410150601/http://www.californiayoungreadermedal.org/nominees |url-status=live }}

rowspan="4" |2019

| rowspan="4" |We Don't Eat Our Classmates

|Bank Street College of Education Cook Prize

|Honoree

|{{Cite web |last=Yorio |first=Kara |date=2019-04-22 |title=Cook Prize and Irma Black Award Announced |url=https://www.slj.com/story/cook-prize-and-irma-black-award-announced |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=School Library Journal}}

Charlotte Zolotow Award

|Commended

|{{Cite web |date= |title=Booklists |url=https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/booklists/?booklistId=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930170027/https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/booklists/?booklistId=3 |archive-date=2022-09-30 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Cooperative Children's Book Center |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison}}

E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books

|Winner

|{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-05-07 |title=Awards: Indies Choice Book & E.B. White Read-Aloud |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3489 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018081149/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3489 |archive-date=2022-10-18 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Shelf Awareness}}

Irma Black Award

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-02-28 |title=Awards: Irma Black Finalist |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3441 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Shelf Awareness |archive-date=2023-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224195420/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3441 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Burnett |first=Matia |date=2019-05-21 |title=Honoring Excellence at Bank Street: The 2019 Cook Prize and Irma S. and James H. Black Awards |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/80124-honoring-excellence-at-bank-street-the-2019-cook-prize-and-irma-s-and-james-h-black-awards.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Publishers Weekly |language=en |archive-date=2022-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811211403/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/80124-honoring-excellence-at-bank-street-the-2019-cook-prize-and-irma-s-and-james-h-black-awards.html |url-status=live }}

2020

|We Will Rock Our Classmates

|Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books

|Nominee

|{{Cite web |title=We Will Rock Our Classmates |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48932414-we-will-rock-our-classmates |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Goodreads |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510150325/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48932414-we-will-rock-our-classmates |url-status=live }}

2021

|What About Worms?!

|Geisel Award

|Honoree

|{{Cite web |last=Morales |first=Macey |date=2021-01-25 |title=David LaRochelle, Mike Wohnoutka win Geisel Award for 'See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog' |url=https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/01/david-larochelle-mike-wohnoutka-win-geisel-award-see-cat-three-stories-about |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601143727/http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/01/david-larochelle-mike-wohnoutka-win-geisel-award-see-cat-three-stories-about |archive-date=2021-06-01 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=American Library Association |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=2021 Youth Media Awards |url=https://www.slj.com/page/2021YouthMediaAwards |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=School Library Journal |archive-date=2023-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413060404/https://www.slj.com/page/2021YouthMediaAwards |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Roback |first=Diane |last2=Kantor |first2=Emma |date=2021-01-25 |title=Keller, Goade, Nayeri Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz Awards |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/85396-keller-goade-nayeri-win-newbery-caldecott-printz-awards.html |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=PublishersWeekly.com |language=en |archive-date=2021-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116213633/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/85396-keller-goade-nayeri-win-newbery-caldecott-printz-awards.html |url-status=live }}

rowspan="2" |2023

|Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book

|Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers

|Nominee

|{{Cite web |date=2014-12-17 |title=Eisner Awards Current Info |url=https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607093909/https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards-current-info |archive-date=2017-06-07 |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=Comic-Con International: San Diego |language=en}}

We Don't Eat Our Classmates

|California Young Reader Medal for Primary

|Winner

|{{Cite web |title=CYRM Winners, Complete List |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/533e5b23e4b089b274abbdc9/t/64d65680806e3d751cf703dc/1691768448903/CYRM+Winners%2C+Complete+List.pdf |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=California Young Reader Medal |language=en-US}}

Publications

= ''Mother Bruce'' series =

Mother Bruce (2015)
Hotel Bruce (2016)
Bruce's Big Move (2017)
Santa Bruce (2018)
1 Grumpy Bruce (2019)
Bruce's Big Fun Day (2019)
Bruce's Big Storm (2019)
Peek-a-Bruce (2019)
The Bruce Swap (2021)
Thanks for Nothing (2021)
Spring Stinks (2021)
Ballet Bruce (2022)
Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book (2022)

= ''Penelope Rex'' series =

We Don't Eat Our Classmates (2018)
We Will Rock Our Classmates (2020)
We Don't Lose Our Class Goldfish (2023)
Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets (2024)

= Stand alone books =

Twaddleton's Cheese (2008)
Roger Goes Up (2012)
Wilfred (2013)
This Book Does Not Have Words (2014)
Be Quiet! (2017)
What About Worms!? (2020)
Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes He Did) (2021)

References

External links

[https://www.hbook.com/story/ryan-t-higgins-talks-roger Ryan T. Higgins Talks with Roger] (2017 Horn Book interview)
[https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/77167-q-a-with-ryan-t-higgins.html Q & A with Ryan T. Higgins] (2018 Publishers Weekly interview)
[https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/89482-close-up-on-ryan-t-higgins.html Close-Up on: Ryan T. Higgins] (2022 Publishers Weekly interview)

Category:Living people

Category:College of the Atlantic alumni

Category:American children's book illustrators

Category:Writers from Maine

Category:21st-century American writers

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)