Biography
Born in New York City, Eve Feldman spent her first few years in a small Brooklyn apartment on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Her family at the time included her parents, an older sister, and very nearly a goat (but that’s another story).
Just before Eve’s baby brother arrived, the family moved to the suburbs. Now a middle child, Eve entered a local elementary school and was met by enthusiastic teachers, eager classmates, and an innovative curriculum. All that combined with a lack of athletic skills, encouraged Eve to become an avid reader and writer. She did pause from her reading and writing long enough to play the violin poorly.
Speaking of her early affection for the written word, Ms. Feldman said, “I think it also helped that my father was an immigrant who loved America and the English language. He relished every new word he discovered and every single word that I wrote. My mother was the daughter of immigrants who didn’t have the opportunity to learn to read and write until they were adults. My mother had studied Greek and Latin and was also a language buff. They both appreciated my passion for books, although I can still hear my mother saying, ‘Stop reading for a minute and go outside!’
After high school, Ms. Feldman earned a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She spent eight years abroad where she continued to explore her love of language and languages. Her teaching jobs have included second grade, English as a second language in an overseas middle school, and remedial reading in two different languages.
Having written for the encouragement of her students abroad, Ms. Feldman returned to the states with a husband, a son and a strong determination to continue writing. She began writing children’s books including humorous fiction and inventive non-fiction. Her books include the newly released BILLY & MILLY, SHORT & SILLY, which Kirkus described in a starred review as “A wonderfully playful introduction to language, rhyme and storytelling.” Other works include ANIMALS DON’T WEAR PAJAMAS, an American Booksellers Pick of the List and NCTA CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children and DOG CRAZY, a nominee for the Florida State Sunshine Award. In 2010, one of her short stories will appear in a Candlewick anthology called I FOOLED YOU.
The Feldmans have two grown sons and two grandchildren (so many more stories!) When not writing, Ms. Feldman enjoys new and old friends, chocolate, laughing, and visiting schools to share her contagious enthusiasm for reading and writing.