Betty Paraskevas

Rita E. "Betty" Paraskevas (April 8, 1929 – April 7, 2010) was a New York-based writer and lyricist best known for her work on Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, but adapted into a animated television series and produced by the Canadian studio Nelvana.

Early life, career and death
Born in Linden, New Jersey, Paraskevas attended the Douglass Residential College and majored in chemistry. Prior to becoming a children's author, Paraskevas worked for many years as a playwright and lyricist on Broadway, working with producer Harry Rigby on shows such as Sugar Babies and No, No, Nanette. She married Paul Paraskevas in 1956 with whom she had twins Judith and Michael. The couple relocated to Roselle Park, New Jersey where they raised the children. Paul died in 2001.

Betty Paraskevas moved to Southampton in the mid-1980s. Her collaborations with Michael began in the early 1990s when Michael – already a successful illustrator – encouraged her to write a story which he could then illustrate. They produced On the Edge of the Sea, which was published by Dial Books in 1992. Their second book, which she once again penned, was Junior Kroll. Published in 1993, it led to their first series. Since then the pair produced over 20 books, three of which were turned into television series and aired on networks such as Nickelodeon.

Betty Paraskevas died on April 7, 2010, from complications due to pancreatic cancer; in Southampton, New York, one day before her 81st birthday.