Sara Varon

Sara Varon is a graphic novelist, writer, and illustrator best known for her work in children's literature. She is the author of the comic Robot Dreams which was later adapted into an animated film of the same name directed by Pablo Berger.[1]

Sara Varon
BornIllinois, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)Writer, Artist
Notable works
Sweaterweather
Robot Dreams
Bake Sale
Odd Duck
New Shoes
Hold Hands
chickenopolis.com

Early life

Varon grew up in the Illinois suburbs, and later attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City,[2] graduating in 2002.[3] As of 2006, she lived in Brooklyn, New York. Varon is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts.[4]

Career

Varon's characters are entirely non-human — she claims to be bad at drawing people — except in her book My Pencil and Me where she draws herself.[5][6] Her characters often form unlikely friendships — cats and chickens, cupcakes and eggplants — which combine to form what the New York Times calls "endearing, uncommon narratives."[7]

Varon created a series of alebrijes of some of her cartoon characters in collaboration with a Oaxacan artist.[8] She has also made traditional-style Turkish carpets with images of her characters.[9]

Personal life

As of June 2006, Varon lives in Brooklyn, New York.[2] She is married and her husband is Guyanese.[9]

Honors and awards

Varon's book Sweaterweather (2003) was a 2004 Harvey Award nominee for Best Graphic Novel.

Varon's book Robot Dreams (2007) landed on many 2007 and 2008 "best-of" lists, including:

Bake Sale (2011) was named a YALSA Great Graphic Novel for 2012 and selected by the School Library Journal as one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2011. In addition, it was a Junior Library Guild Fall 2011 Selection.

Varon was a recipient of the Maurice Sendak Fellowship in 2013.[10]

Her and Cecil Castellucci's book Odd Duck (2013) was a Eisner Award nominee. In addition, it was named by School Library Journal as one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2013, and Kirkus Reviews named it one of the Best Children's Books of 2013. Odd Duck was a Spring 2013 Selection of the Junior Library Guild. Translated into French as Des canards trop bizarres, it won the 2015 Livrentête Prize in France.[11]

Varon's book New Shoes (2018) was selected as one of the books features in the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art's exhibit Out of the Box in 2019.[12]

Her book Hold Hands (2019) was selected as a New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year in 2019.[13]

Bibliography
  • Sweaterweather & Other Short Stories (2003) ISBN 1-891867-49-0
  • Chicken and Cat (2006) ISBN 0439634067
  • The Present (2005)
  • Robot Dreams (2007) ISBN 1596431083
  • Chicken and Cat Clean Up (2009) ISBN 0439634083
  • Bake Sale (2011) ISBN 1596437405
  • (with Cecil Castellucci) Odd Duck (2013) ISBN 1596435577
  • (with Aaron Reynolds) President Squid (2016) ISBN 1452136475
  • New Shoes (2018) ISBN 1596439203
  • Hold Hands (2019) ISBN 1596435887
  • My Pencil and Me (2020) ISBN 1596435895
  • (with Cate Berry) Thank You, Teacher (2023) ISBN 978-0062491572

References
  1. Jiménez, Jesús (11 May 2022). "'Robot Dreams', el cómic de Sara Varon que Pablo Berger llevará a los cines" ['Robot Dreams', Sara Varon's comic about friendship that Pablo Berger will bring to theaters]. RTVE (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  2. Bean, Joy (29 June 2006). "Spring 2006 Flying Starts: Sara Varon". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  3. Mozzocco, J. Caleb (4 April 2016). "First Second's Tenth Year: An Interview with Sara Varon". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. "Sara Varon | Faculty Listing". School of Visual Arts. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  5. Gustines, George Gene (13 October 2011). "What's On at New York Comic Con". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  6. "Children's Book Review: My Pencil and Me by Sara Varon. First Second, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-596-43589-6". Publishers Weekly. 2020. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  7. Jamieson, Virctoria (16 February 2018). "Great New Books for a Child Just Learning to Read". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  8. "the site for sara varon - Page 2". chickenopolis. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  9. Lafond, Ruthie (13 April 2015). "A Pen & Oink interview with the great Sara Varon!". Pen and Oink. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  10. "The Sendak Fellowship - 2013". The Maurice Sendak Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  11. "Prix Livrentête". mediatheque-conquet.fr (in French). 2015-08-14. Archived from the original on 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  12. "Out of The Box: The Graphic Novel Comes of Age". Carle Museum. 2019-02-10. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  13. "The 25 Best Children's Books of 2019". The New York Times. 2 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
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