Phoebe Gilman’s Followers (52)

Phoebe Gilman

Born

in New York City, The United States

April 04, 1940

Died

August 29, 2002

Website

http://www.phoebegilman.com/

Genre

Children's Books

edit data

What can I tell you about myself? I like to make up stories and draw pictures. I like to go ice skating, to the movies and I love reading books.

I was born and grew up in the Bronx, New York. My Mother loved to read so it was only natural that my brothers and I got our own library cards as soon as we were able to print our names. My favorite books were fairy tales. When the pictures didn't match the images that the words had painted in my head, I would cover them up with my hands. I still do that.

I prefer the words to the pictures, which is a little odd since I think of myself as an artist rather than a writer. All of my formal training has been in art. I went to The High School of Art and Design. From there, it was a short skip and a jump What can I tell you about myself? I like to make up stories and draw pictures. I like to go ice skating, to the movies and I love reading books.

I was born and grew up in the Bronx, New York. My Mother loved to read so it was only natural that my brothers and I got our own library cards as soon as we were able to print our names. My favorite books were fairy tales. When the pictures didn't match the images that the words had painted in my head, I would cover them up with my hands. I still do that.

I prefer the words to the pictures, which is a little odd since I think of myself as an artist rather than a writer. All of my formal training has been in art. I went to The High School of Art and Design. From there, it was a short skip and a jump over to The Art Student's League, after a brief detour to Hunter College. I spent fifteen years at the Ontario College of Art, teaching others how to draw and paint. It still surprises me to be called a writer.

As soon as I was able, I started to travel. I like meeting new faces and going to new places. One of the nice things about being an artist is that it is a very portable profession. I have lived for extended periods of time in both Europe and Israel.

Shortly after coming to Canada in 1972, I met and married Brian Bender. We have three children, Ingrid, Jason and Melissa, two granddaughters, Ariana and Emily and a cat, Minoo.

It was because of my daughter, Ingrid, that I became an author. When her balloon burst on a tree branch, I wished the tree would magically sprout balloons. It didn't...what sprouted was an idea in my head. Why not write a story about a tree that blossoms balloons? And that's how I came to write my first book, The Balloon Tree.

It is not how I came to be published. That took fifteen years and umpty zillion rejection slips to accomplish.

My advice to any aspiring author is:
•Get a balloon and let it go.
•Read. Read. READ!
•Write. Write. WRITE! (To do anything well takes practice.)
•Don't give up. Keep on trying.
•Don't be afraid of criticism. Learn from it.

From the author's website ...more

Combine Editions
Phoebe Gilman’s books

Average rating: 4.36 · 7,824 ratings · 537 reviews · 32 distinct works • Similar authors

	Something from Nothing 4.43 avg rating — 2,949 ratings — published 1989 — 29 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jillian Jiggs 4.32 avg rating — 1,553 ratings — published 1985 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Balloon Tree 4.43 avg rating — 1,311 ratings — published 1984 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs 4.31 avg rating — 827 ratings — published 1989 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Grandma and the Pirates 4.18 avg rating — 283 ratings — published 1990 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jillian Jiggs to the Rescue 4.15 avg rating — 208 ratings — published 1994 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gypsy Princess 4.40 avg rating — 195 ratings — published 1995 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jillian Jiggs and the Great Big Snow 4.05 avg rating — 131 ratings — published 2002 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jillian Jiggs and the Secret Surprise 3.95 avg rating — 92 ratings — published 1989 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Treasury of Jillian Jiggs 4.49 avg rating — 69 ratings — published 2008 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Phoebe Gilman…

Series by Phoebe Gilman

Jillian Jiggs (5 books)
by

Phoebe Gilman

4.29 avg rating — 2,880 ratings

Quotes by Phoebe Gilman (?)

“Moon balloon,
Moon balloon,
Tickle the tree.
Four balloons,
More balloons,
Blossom for me.”
― Phoebe Gilman, The Balloon Tree

tags: children, magic

0 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: Books about: Trees or plants which grow impossible crops	17	33	Apr 03, 2022 02:27AM
All Challenges Al...: WTR Tackle - 'J'	20	37	Aug 22, 2022 07:43AM
What's the Name o...: Children's book. Young girl dresses up in mom's clothes (red hat, heels, pearl necklace?). She looks in mirror not recognizing herself. Read in 1980s.	22	1715	Jul 11, 2025 08:28AM

More…

Phoebe Gilman’s Followers (52)

Phoebe Gilman

Combine EditionsPhoebe Gilman’s books

Series by Phoebe Gilman

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Phoebe Gilman’s books