David Martin, the award-winning author and originator of Candlewick Press's Brand New Readers series, died on September 12. Calling Martin an "extraordinary creator," Andrew Smith, senior v-p and publisher of Candlewick Press, said: "David's remarkable imagination and commitment to encouraging literacy amongst beginning readers inspired countless children to discover the magic of books. While we mourn this tremendous loss, we celebrate a legacy that will continue to resonate through every story shared, every page turned, and every child whose life was touched by his work."
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| David Martin | |
Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, CEO of Walker Books Group, added: "Candlewick Press was extraordinarily fortunate to work with David and to count his books among the treasures of the Candlewick list. His stories reached generations of young readers and will leave an enduring mark on children's literature. While we mourn David's passing, we are profoundly grateful for the trust he placed in us as his publishing home. His books remain a lasting part of who we are."
A resident of northeast Vermont since 1970, Martin grew up in New York City, where he dreamed of being a dairy farmer. "I never thought I was going to be a writer," he once said. "I thought that I was going to be an engineer or a scientist because I was always dragging home broken televisions and trying to fix them."
When he had children and began teaching, however, he made up stories and this prompted him to learn the craft of writing. Candlewick noted that "often, when the 18-year veteran of teaching elementary and middle school visited schools or libraries, he would have a hard time sharing which of his many books was his favorite. He could, however, name his favorite sentence: 'I see a pin.'
"Those four words were what made Balloons, his handmade easy-to-read book, so popular with the first graders he was teaching. 'When a pin shows up in a story about balloons, you know something mischievous is going to happen!' Published as Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop, that story was the spark that started the Candlewick Press Brand New Readers series, funny books for children with the philosophy that even the easiest books should be worth reading and should reward the child's efforts to read with appealing characters and humor."
Martin went on to create many more books, including We've All Got Bellybuttons!; the Piggy and Dad books, including Piggy and Dad and Piggy and Dad Play (two Brand New Readers titles); and their first full-length picture book, Piggy and Dad Go Fishing. He also contributed Monkey Business and Monkey Trouble to the series, drawing on his years of teaching experience. Early versions of the books were tested on his students.
"I got to see how much fun kids in my school had reading the funny but very simple and readable stories," he recalled. "And rereading them and rereading them!"
Candlewick added that readers of Martin's books "were not surprised when they met the author and found that he was just as entertaining as his books. He sang, played the guitar and the kazoo, or even juggled during his school visits. As David said, 'I have never minded particularly making a fool of myself,' so he was never at a loss to illustrate his points or to make a connection with the kids."
Memorial service details will be shared at a later date.