Edith Kunhardt (1937–2020)

Edith Turner Kunhardt was born on Sept. 30, 1937, in Morristown, N.J. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1959, with a degree in art history. Her first paying job was with Golden Books, the children's publisher. In 12 years, she worked her way up from editorial assistant to senior editor. She also wrote, churning out 10 books in one year, some of them under pseudonyms because she was on staff. She loved the whole process. She often incorporated her children¿s names into her books: Ned¿s Number Book was one, Martha¿s House another. Her next move was to write and illustrate sequels to Pat the Bunny, her mother¿s signature work, which The New York Times said in 1991- 51 years after its publication - was the second-best-selling children¿s book in America, after Beatrix Potter¿s -The Tale of Peter Rabbit- (1902). Her other title's include: Pat the Cat, Pat the Puppy and Pat the Christmas Bunny. Like the original book, they were interactive; the dog¿s tail could be wagged, and when a story mentioned the aroma of brownies filling the kitchen, a reader could scratch a tuft of fabric and smell a whiff of chocolate. She produces 56 books in seven years. Edith Turner Kunhardt passed away on January 2, 2020 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) — biography from Pompeii... Buried Alive!… (more)