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Deborah Freedman

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Jane
2,494 books | 61 friends

Michele...
8,433 books | 338 friends

Martha ...
247 books | 83 friends

John
15,899 books | 1,703 friends

Melissa
1,983 books | 585 friends

Susan
6,267 books | 225 friends

Maria
254 books | 151 friends

Kaley
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Deborah Freedman

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August 2007

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Once upon a time, I was an architect. But now I'd much rather build worlds in books. :)

I am the author and illustrator of 12 of them, featuring protagonists that include an earthworm searching for its purpose in life, a house that dreams of its origins, and a character that is almost too shy to appear in its own book.

My stories have been translated into ten different languages, adopted in classrooms across the country, and honored with many starred reviews and awards. I live in a colorful house in Connecticut, where I'm always busy at work on my next books.

I love reading books and telling you about them; I hate rating them! Let's just say that if I didn't like a book, it isn't here at all.

Website: www.deborahfreedman.net
—with tons of free
...more

Average rating: 3.89 · 9,828 ratings · 1,822 reviews · 13 distinct worksSimilar authors
Blue Chicken

3.78 avg rating — 2,172 ratings — published 2011 — 5 editions
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The Story of Fish and Snail

3.86 avg rating — 1,788 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions
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Carl and the Meaning of Life

4.22 avg rating — 1,450 ratings — published 2019 — 11 editions
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Shy

3.87 avg rating — 1,163 ratings — published 2016 — 8 editions
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This House, Once

3.86 avg rating — 1,118 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions
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By Mouse and Frog

3.92 avg rating — 798 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions
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Is Was

3.60 avg rating — 418 ratings — published 2021 — 3 editions
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Tiny Dino

3.88 avg rating — 366 ratings — published 2022 — 3 editions
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Partly Cloudy

3.83 avg rating — 283 ratings3 editions
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Scribble

3.61 avg rating — 165 ratings — published 2007 — 2 editions
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More books by Deborah Freedman…

“How do you draw so good?”

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you already know that my next book was inspired by the wonderful art that kids make, and the question, “how do you draw so good?

FLOWERS FOR MAMA... will be out on March 31 and is available for pre-order now! For signed copies, pre-order from Pebbles Toys & Gifts or River Bend Bookshop.

And please stay tuned for flowery events coming up. I’d love to see you!

FLOWERS_chalk2.jpg
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Published on March 14, 2026 13:34
What Art Does: An...
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Caste: The Origin...
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by Isabel Wilkerson (Goodreads Author)
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Dear Writer: Pep ...
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by Maggie Smith (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
read in July 2025
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Deborah’s Recent Updates

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Making Art by Diana Ejaita
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Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
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A Door Is to Open by Kyo Maclear
A Door Is to Open
by Kyo Maclear (Goodreads Author)
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From the very beginning, from the title alone, we have a hint that this book is an homage to classics of children's literature like A Hole is to Dig. If you were hoping that a door can open like a page into a book — this will not disappoint!

With nods
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Ruthie by Esmé Shapiro
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A pampered pet gets a taste of freedom and decides... it's actually nice being pampered. ...more
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Nani and the Lion by Alicia D. Williams
Nani and the Lion
by Alicia D. Williams (Goodreads Author)
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Nani loves to play the drums! The only problem is a very bossy lion who does not like noise...

Told in the style of an African folktale, it's a metaphor about a child who's told she's too loud, too much. A beautifully affirming and joyful story about
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If This Were the World by Stephen  Barr
If This Were the World
by Stephen Barr (Goodreads Author)
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This Is Orange by Rachel Poliquin
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"We must begin with the orange."

What fabulous first line! But we soon see that we do just "begin" with "the orange," because this book does much more than go around simply naming things that are orange. It puts the color in the context of art histor
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I'm a Cloud by Tjitske Kamphuis
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Bianca and the Butterfly by Sergio Ruzzier
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The House That Floated by Guojing
The House That Floated
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Quotes by Deborah Freedman  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“This door was once a colossal oak tree about three hugs around and as high as the blue.”
Deborah Freedman, This House, Once

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“...what I write is smarter than I am. Because I can rewrite it.”
Susan Sontag

“You can keep your willpower, Frog. I am going home to bake a cake.”
Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad Together

“What I really do is take real plums and put them in an imaginary cake.”
Mary McCarthy

“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.”
A.A. Milne

“I had hardly begun to read
I asked how can you ever be sure
that what you write is really
any good at all and he said you can't
you can't you can never be sure
you die without knowing
whether anything you wrote was any good
if you have to be sure don't write”
W.S. Merwin, Opening the Hand

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Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
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From picture-books to juvenile fiction, award-winners to overlooked gems, the world of children's literature provides an endless supply of fabulous bo ...more
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Deborah I'm glad you found me too — I am a shameless book nerd and love to connect with others who like to book-talk, especially about children's books!

Sandra wrote: "Thanks for friending me! I feel so honored! I'm so glad I found you on Twitter and I can't wait to read Blue Chicken and Scribble! :)"


Sandra Thanks for friending me! I feel so honored! I'm so glad I found you on Twitter and I can't wait to read Blue Chicken and Scribble! :)


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