Ten years ago, a retired librarian named Harriett Oberhaus encouraged Jim to write and illustrate his first children’s book. Jim submitted the completed manuscript “over the transom” to Houghton Mifflin, and within a month he had a contract.

Since then, Jim has written and illustrated eleven books. The subject matter of his books reflect his wide range of interests--from papermaking to Polynesian navigation to Egyptian hieroglyphs. His books—such as the critically acclaimed Traveling Man¹ and Calabash Cat²—also draw on the experiences he has gained and the many languages he has learned while living and working abroad.

Apart from writing children’s books, Jim also runs Manoa Press, a private press he founded in 1986. There in his studio, at his Honolulu home, he makes limited-edition, handmade books. He makes the paper, sets the type, prints the pages on an antique iron press then binds the book.

In Jim’s spare time, he and his wife take hikes, go to the beach, and rummage around Chinatown. “Hawai‘i is the perfect place for me,” he says. “There are so many cultures here, and there is so much to learn.”

It is Jim’s interest in learning something new—in expanding one’s horizons—that motivates him to create books that will inspire children to learn all they can about the world around them.

To learn more about Jim, read the article about him in The Ninth Book of Junior Authors, to be published in 2005. For information about school visits, book signing and presentations, please contact Dwyer & O’Grady, Inc.

---

Footnotes:

1:Traveling Man: ALA notable book, Smithsonian Magazine notable book, Mideast Outreach Council Best Book Award, New York Public Library 100 best books, a Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.

2: Calabash Cat: Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, New York Public Library 100 best books.

---