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Rita Golden Gelman

Biography- born July 2, 1937 in Bridgeport, CT. Her family owned a small pharmacy and she spent lots of time in the store, helping out. As a teenager, she worked at the soda fountain in the store. Her favorite part of the job was interacting with the customers, who came in many sizes, shapes, accents and styles.

Rita Golden Gelman attended Beardsley Elementary School, Harding High School for her freshman year and Bassick High School for her last three years. She graduated from Bassick in the class of 1954 and went off to Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she got her B.A. in English and American Literature in 1958. Many years later she studied anthropology at UCLA.

After graduating from college, she moved to New York where she worked as a file clerk for the magazine FOR YOUNG NEW YORKERS. Eventually she became a writer for the magazine until it folded. After that, she freelanced writing whatever she could get paid for.

In 1960, she married. She then was the editor for an anthology of children’s books until she had children. Her son, Mitch, was born in 1962 and her daughter, Jan, was born in 1963. After having children, she was a stay at home mom.

Her first book, DUMB JOEY, was published in 1972. The book was about a group of kids in New York City who have nowhere to play.

In 1986, at the age of 48, on the verge of divorce, she decided there had to be more than one way to ‘do life’. She sold or gave away all her possessions and began to travel the world. She settles in wherever she goes, long enough to get to know the people and their customs. She describes herself as a modern day nomad, with no permanent home or address.

Published Works

1.	More Spaghetti, I Say, Mort Gerberg (Illustrator), Oct. 1999

2.	Doodler Doodling, Paul O. Zelinsky (Illustrator), Aug. 2004

3.	Quiero Mas Fideos! ,April 2003

4.	Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World ,May 2001,

5.	Hello Cat, You Need a Hat ,October 2001

6.	Rice Is Life ,Yangsook Choi (Illustrator), May 2000

7.	Mole in a Hole, Holly Hannon (Illustrator) May 2000

8.	Pizza Pat by Rita Golden Gelman Oct 1999

9.	 Why Can't I Fly? ,October 1999,

10.	Body Battles ,Elroy Freem (Illustrator), October 1999,

11.	Monkey Grows Up ,October 1999,

12.	Wet Cats Eric Gurney (Illustrator, May 1999)

13.	Queen Esther Saves Her People, Frane Lessac (Illustrator), February 1998,

14.	Que Son Los Cientificos? : Que Hacen Ellos? Vamos a Descubrirlo,Mark Teague (Illustrator),, Susan Kovacs Buxbaum,June 1995,

16.	Batallas Del Cuerpo ,Elroy Freem (Illustrator) May 1995

17.	I Went to the Zoo, Maryann Kovalski (Illustrator )September 1993,

18.	Una Monita Crece/a Monkey Grows Up, Gioia Fiammenghi (Illustrator), March 1995,

19.	Body Detectives : A Book About the Five Senses, Elroy Freem (Illustrator),September 1994

20.	Quiero Mas Fideos ,Mort Gerberg (Illustrator), June 1994

21.	A Panda Grows Up by Mary Morgan (Illustrator), February 1993,

22.	More Spaghetti, I Say ,January 1993

23.	Batallas Del Cuerpo ,Elroy Freem (Illustrator),, Amalia Bermejo (Translator)January 1992

24.	Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night, Nancy Lamb, C. B. Mordan (Illustrator), January 1992

25.	Monkey Grows Up, Gioia Fiammenghi (Illustrator), May 1991

26.	Dawn to Dusk in the Galapagos, Vol. 1, Tui De Roy (Illustrator)May 1991

27.	What Are Scientists? , Susan Kovacs Buxbaun,,January 1991

28.	Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night, Nancy Lamb,,Dec. 1991

29.	Monsters of the Sea, Jean Day Zallinger (Illustrator)June 1990 , 30.	Monkeys and Apes of the World ,February 1990,

31.	Stop Those Painters!, Mort Gerberg (Illustrator),May 1989

32.	Cats and Mice, Eric Gurney (Illustrator) Jan 1989

33.	Hello Cat, You Need a Hat ,Eric Gurney, June 1988 , 34.	Inside Nicaragua ,January 1988,

35.	A Koala Grows Up ,November 1987

36.	Splash! All About Baths ,Maryann Cocca-Leffler (Illustrator),, Susan Kovacs Buxbaum November 1987 , 37.	El Sandwich Mas Grande Del Mundo ,September 1987

38.	Leave It to Minnie ,March 1987

39.	Splash! : All about Baths ,Maryann Cocca-Leffler (Illustrator, Susan Kovacs Buxbaum January 1987

40.	Pets for Sale ,November 1986 , 41.	Listen and Look! : A Safety Book/#9205-1, Cathy Beylon October 1986,

42.	Care and Share : A Book About Manners/#9205-2 Cathy Beylon, October 1986

43.	Benji Takes a Dive at Marineland July 1986

44.	A Koala Grows Up ,Gioia Fiammenghi (Illustrator), January 1986

45.	Body Noises, Susan Buxbaum, Angie Lloyd (Illustrator) January 1983,

46.	Boats That Float Marilyn MacGregor,, Susan Kovacs Buxbaum September 1981

47.	The Biggest Sandwich Ever, Mort Gerberg (Illustrator) Jan 1981

48.	ESP: Stories of Stange Happening July 1981

49.	America's Favorite Sports Stars ,Steve Gelman, Sept 1978

50.	UFO Encounters, Marcia Seligson Sept 1978

51.	Uncle Hugh : A Fishing Story Eros Keith, Warner Friedman June 1978,

52.	Hey, Kid! ,Carol Nicklaus, January 1977

53.	Ouch! : All About Cuts and Other Hurts ,April 1977

54.	Professor Coconut and the Thief, Emily Arnold McCully, Joan RichterJanuary 1977

55.	Dumb Joey, Cheryl Pelavin (Illustrator)January 1972

•	Awards and Recognition

Tales of a Female Nomad selected for 2009 Community Read Program, Three Rivers, MI

Doodler Doodling- An ALA Notable Children’s Book 2005

References:

www.threeriverslibrary.org www.bookloons.com

www.allbookstores.com

www.librarything.com

www.schoollibraryjournal.com

http://www.ritagoldengelman.com/home.html