About Us and Our Books

About Us!

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We are The Three Silly Chicks, though we also answer to the names Andrea Beaty, Carolyn Crimi and Julia Durango.

Here are three things to know about us:

1. We are authors who write funny books for kids. Sometimes, we also write books that are serious. (Sometimes, we can actually tell the difference.)

2. We all live in Chicagoland. It's a lot like Disneyland without the mice.

3. We love funny books. Funny kids. Funny hats. And funions. Okay, we don't really love funions, but we love the word "funions." It's funnier than the word "bunions" and that's saying something.

4. All of us love visiting schools and libraries to talk about writing and reading and--when the moon is blue--arithmetic.

5. You can find us on Facebook!

For more information about each of us, our books, and our school visits:

Andrea Beaty

Carolyn Crimi

Julia Durango

Review Policies: The Three Silly Chicks are no longer accepting review copies of books from publishers or individuals. Thanks you!

Carolyn Crimi

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Carolyn Crimi cannot imagine that there's anything you need to know about her that she hasn't already written about extensively on her website, so please, visit that. Don't make her repeat the same ole, same ole. That makes her cranky.

www.CarolynCrimi.com.

If you are feeling even more curious about Carolyn Crimi, here are a few articles about her:

wordswimmer.blogspot.com/2006/11/one-writers-process-carolyn-crimi.html

theedgeoftheforest.com/archive/2006/nov/adayinthelife.shtml

Still curious? Okay, here's a list of her books. But that's it!

The Louds Move In!
illustrated by Regan Dunnick, Marshall Cavendish
Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies
illustrated by John Manders, Candlewick Press
Boris and Bella
illustrated by Gris Grimly, Harcourt
Get Busy, Beaver!
illustrated by Janie Bynum, Orchard Books
Tessa's Tip-Tapping Toes
illustrated by Marsha Grey Carrington, Orchard Books
Don't Need Friends
illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, Random House
Outside, Inside
illustrated by Linnea Asplind Riley, Simon & Schuster

Julia Durango

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Julia Durango lives with two funny boys and two silly mice in Ottawa , Illinois. You can read more about Julia at www.JuliaDurango.com.

PEST FEST
By Julia Durango
Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
Simon & Schuster
June 2007

"Young entomologists will go buggy for this book." — School Library Journal

ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME
Adapted by Julia Durango
Illustrated by Elisa Kleven
Simon & Schuster
March 2007

"Utterly angelic." — Kirkus Reviews

"Simply a glorious book." — School Library Journal

CHA-CHA CHIMPS
By Julia Durango
Illustrated by Eleanor Taylor
Simon & Schuster
February 2006

"Durango’s dancing rhyme is infectious...Taylor's cartoon watercolors virtually boogie off the page." — Kirkus Reviews

DREAM HOP
By Julia Durango
Illustrated by Jared Lee
Simon & Schuster
September 2005

"Durango's short rhyming couplets scan with an energetic, jaunty rhythm that amplifies the suspense and then the relief of each nail-biting dream scene." — Booklist

YUM! YUCK! A Foldout Book of People Sounds
By Linda Sue Park and Julia Durango
Illustrated by Sue Ramá
Charlesbridge Publishing
June 2005
Nick Jr. Magazine Best Books of 2005
ALA Notable Book 2006
CCBC Choices 2006

Andrea Beaty

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As a kid, Andrea Beaty thought she would grow up to be the world's greatest detective, the right fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, AND an interpreter at the United Nations. Now, she writes books for kids which she LOVES doing. However, she is also ready to make her Broadway debut and win a Tony award just as soon as she learns to sing, dance and act. Perhaps next week.

Andrea has many upcoming more picture books!

www.AndreaBeaty.com
e-mail: andreabeaty@gmail.com

Doctor Ted
by Andrea Beaty & Pascal Lemaitre
Margaret K. McElderry
Ages 4-8

ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-2820-1

"a breezy story about pretend play that's laugh-out-loud funny" --Publishers Weekly Starred Review

One morning, Ted wakes up and bumps his knee. He needs a doctor! Since doctors are scarce in Ted’s room, he becomes one. Doctor Ted diagnoses his mother’s freckles as measles and prescribes an operation. He diagnoses the principal’s bad breath and prescribes a shot.

No one appreciates Ted’s medical talents until an accident strikes and Doctor Ted saves the day!

Cicada Summer

Amulet
Ages 8-12
176 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9472-0

“... this is compelling fiction that will be a hit with young readers, as rich and thought-provoking and yet as accessible as DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie." —Horn Book

Lily has read every Nancy Drew book in the library. She’s good at spying and keeping secrets. She has to be. She has secrets of her own that no one can ever find out.

When summer brings lying, stealing Tinny Bridges to town, Lily must depend on her wits to keep ahead of this sly newcomer. Tinny takes candy from the general store and blames Lily. She tries to steal Lily’s friends and her father’s affection. Worst of all, she seems to know Lily’s secrets. When Tinny goes missing, only Lily has any idea what happened to her. But for Lily, finding Tinny means confronting her hidden past.

In one unusual summer, Lily Mathis will have a chance to solve a mystery, make a friend, and, most important, find forgiveness.

IGGY PECK, ARCHITECT
By Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by David Roberts
Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 978-0810911062

Time Magazine Top 10 Children's Books of 2007!

2007 Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award!

2007 Friends of American Writers Juvenile Literary Award!

Iggy has one passion: building. His parents are proud of his fabulous creations, though they’re sometimes surprised by his materials. But hey! What’s wrong with a tower built of diapers? (Even dirty ones!)

Young Iggy Peck is an architect

and has been since he was two,

when he built a great tower--in only an hour--

with nothing but diapers and glue.

"Good Gracious, Ignacious!" his mother exclaimed,

'That's the coolest thing I've ever seen!'

But her smile faded fast as a light wind blew past

and she realized those diapers weren't clean!

Dear Ig has it made until second grade. That’s when he meets his match. His teacher, Miss Lila Greer, frowns upon architecture. Banned from building in school, second grade becomes a bore until one day a fateful field trip lets Iggy Peck show the world his true talents!

David Roberts brings Iggy to life with fun, funky retro illustrations that are a pure joy!

WHEN GIANTS COME TO PLAY
By Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Abrams Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 978-0810957596
August 2006

"Sometimes on a summer morning, when the sun shines just so and the wind blows like this and like that on its way to somewhere else, giants come to play."

Thus begin the adventures of Anna and the giants who spend a summer day playing catch by the gnarled oak, picking peaches on the hillside, and dangling their toes in the cool shady pond until their shadows grow long and sleepy. Of course giants play catch by tossing Anna over the tree and pick peaches by plucking peach trees from the ground roots and all. A lyrical tale of wonder and whimsy!

"Hawkes proves that when it comes to giant tales, he's a supersize talent . . . A genuine poignancy resonates throughout Hawkes's artwork . . ." -- Publishers Weekly

"Enormously appealing." -- Kirkus

"A delightful romp, full of imagination, told in lyrical prose." --School Library Journal