The Crews Family: Nearly 50 Books in 50 Years

The Crews Family
(Photo: Courtesy of Gordon Trice)

The Crews family—Donald Crews, Ann Jonas (1932–2013), and their daughter, Nina Crews—have between them published nearly 50 books with Greenwillow during the last 50 years. Here, father and daughter share some bookmaking memories.

Nina Crews: You first published with Greenwillow in 1978, just a few years after the imprint was founded. Could you talk a bit about those early years?

Donald Crews: Picture books were a part of my life before I met the principals who became Greenwillow. I created We Read: A-Z as a portfolio inclusion while still in the service. One of the first art directors I met was Ava Weiss at Macmillan. She recommended me to Libby Shub at Harper & Row, where I also met Susan Hirschman.

On to Greenwillow: our business, Ann's and mine, was freelance design. First, as a design team, Ann and I did book jackets and whatever assignments Greenwillow offered. I illustrated several texts, including Rain by Robert Kalan, which is still in print today. The Greenwillow team—now Susan, Ava, and Libby—gently encouraged me to do something of my own, and Freight Train, Truck, and more followed.

Enthusiasm is a word that defines Greenwillow. The meeting where I showed Freight Train was brief and Susan only looked at half of it before accepting it. That's the type of response you want but don't usually receive. Ava and Libby were equally effusive. That kind of energy ran—and runs—through Greenwillow old and new.

Nina Crews: I agree. Mom's first two books with Greenwillow were published in 1982. Can you talk a bit about her beginnings?

Donald Crews: Our freelance work was slowing down as I focused more on picture books. After encouragement from me (along with Susan and Ava), Ann decided to try her hand at picture books. She thrived. Two Bear Cubs, When You Were a Baby, Round Trip (of course), and many others would not have happened without that Greenwillow openness, enthusiasm, and "we are all in this together" attitude.

Nina Crews: I see two primary sources of inspiration for Mom's books: her experience raising her daughters and her love of puzzles and wordplay. Color Dance is a perfect synthesis of the two—the dance recitals of our childhood and color mixing.

Donald Crews: What about you? 

Nina Crews: It was your encouragement and Susan and Ava's openness and enthusiasm that led me to my first book (celebrating 30 years in print!), One Hot Summer Day. After The Neighborhood Sing-Along, I had a long gap between books with Greenwillow. They continued to support my backlist, but my new proposals weren't right for them.

But in 2020, as I was looking to take my work in a new direction, I told my agent that I'm Not Small seemed like something Virginia Duncan might like, a "Greenwillow" book. It's a simple story with a spare text, told from a young child's perspective. Simplicity and spareness are the hallmarks of so many fantastic Greenwillow picture books, including yours.

It has been great to "come back home" and to work with Virginia and Sylvie Le Floc'h again. They are enthusiastic collaborators; giving me the space and support I've needed. I'll have a book on Greenwillow's 2025 list too, Big Family Beach Day.

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