Kathryn Madeline Allen: About Kathryn Madeline Allen

About Kathryn Madeline Allen

Kathryn Madeline Allen was born in Detroit in 1957-the same year Michigan opened its magnificent Mackinac Bridge and Dr. Seuss published his wildly popular The Cat in the Hat.

As a child, Ms. Allen's favorite picture book character was the brave and daring Madeline, of Ludwig Bemelmans' enormously famous series of the same name. Here's how Madeline and Ms. Allen compare:

Madeline:	lived in "an old house in Paris that was covered with vines"
Ms. Allen:	lived in a new house in Michigan that had a plum tree in the front yard

Madeline:	lived with "twelve little girls in two straight lines"
Ms. Allen:	lived with big brother Jack, little sister Barbara Jo, and dog Duncan

Madeline:	had her appendix taken out
Ms. Allen:	still has her appendix in

Madeline:	her first name is Ms. Allen's middle name
Ms. Allen:	her middle name is Madeline's first name.

More about Ms. Allen

Ms. Allen loves lakes. Why? She spent all of her growing-up summers at her family's cottage on Good Harbor Bay on Lake Michigan. "I've never been great at catching trout or whitefish," she admits, "but when it comes to finding Petoskey stones, I'm the b-e-s-t best!"

Ms. Allen loves the color pink. Why? "My manners book is about piggies, and piggies are pink." (So are Pepto-Bismol® and salmon, but that's beside the point.)

Ms. Allen loves writing. Why? "It's fun to play with words," she says. "And it's not as messy as playing with mud or finger paint or oatmeal."

Ms. Allen also loves cottage cheese, chocolate ice cream, spinach, and crunchy peanut butter. "But not together," she adds.

In addition to writing for children, Ms. Allen teaches writing at Oakland Community College. She lives in the Detroit area with her three polite children.

2009 www.kathrynmadelineallen.com

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