Frieda Simone GatesFrieda Gates went from only illustrating to being the author/illustrator of several children's books. Her children's books are: Foot & Feet, Easy to Make Puppets, Easy to Make Costumes (Babbling Bookworm Award), Easy to Make Monster Masks and Disguises, Easy to Make American Indian Crafts, all published in hard cover by Harvey House, a Division of EM Hale Company. These books were also published in soft cover by Prentice Hall, Inc. Glove, Mitten & Sock Puppets, Ghouls and Monsters, and North American Indian Masks, were published by Walker & Company, with Glove, Mitten & Sock Puppets, published in soft cover by Scholastic. Owl Eyes (Children's Book Council Award), was published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, and Johnny Appleseed, by Mercury Press.
Ms. Gates also worked with her husband to produce three art textbooks, Lettering for Reproduction, Type, both published by Watson-Guptil, and Graphic Design Studio Procedures, published by Lloyd-Simone, Inc. Her own text book, How to Write, Illustrate, and Design Children's Books, published by Lloyd-Simone, and presently being revised with the help of David Billings, has been called the most definitive book on the subject and bible of the trade. As an editor for CraftFamily magazine, Frieda wrote many of the articles and also has been published in magazines such as Print, The Artist's Magazine, etc.. As initiator for the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Illustrator's Conference, she has been director for the past twenty-four years. She is also a recipient of the SCBWI Member of the Year Award. After studying with the well known puppeteer, Bil Baird, Frieda helped to organize the Hudson Valley Vagabond Players and, besides building and performing, also wrote puppet plays. She has taught courses in illustrating and writing for children at Rockland Community College, Fashion Institute of Technology, and Parsons School of Design. With her daughter, Tris Gates-Bonarius, she has written a children's musical being considered for production in Europe. Her latest venture, a historical novel; Sawney Beane: The abduction of Elspeth Cumming, published by Cambridge House, has been opted for film. |
Sawney BeaneClick to enlarge
A LEGENDARY TRUE STORY
The story of Sawney Beane has been documented by Captain Charles Johnson (a pseudonym for Daniel Defoe) in a collection published in 1734 titled, A General History of Famous Highwaymen, Murderers, & Street Robbers. Basing my novel on Defoe's account, I have added the fictional story of Elspeth Cumming, a fifteen year old girl who was abducted by this notorious family. The Hairy Tree |