Born: 1966
Ohio connection: Birth
Cleveland
Dav Pilkey, son of David M. and Barbara (Pembridge) Pilkey, was born in 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was considered to be a “class clown” during his years at parochial schools in Elyria, Ohio. He also struggled with attention deficit disorder, and had numerous difficulties with teachers. It wasn`t until he became a student at Kent State University, from which he graduated with an A.A. degree in 1987, that his creative abilities were discovered and encouraged. His writing career began when he was nineteen years old, with his book World War Won, which he entered in Landmark Editions` National Written and Illustrated by…Awards Contest for Students. The book won first prize and was published. This encouraged Pilkey to continue writing and illustrating books for children, and he has become one of the most popular children`s writers in America. His Captain Underpants series has sold more than fourteen million copies. He is also the author of the Dragon series, the Big Dog and Little Dog series, and the Ricky Ricotta series. Some of his individual book titles are `Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving; When Cats Dream; Dogzilla: Starring Flash, Rabies, and Dwayne, and Introducing Blueberry as the Monster; Dog Breath!: The Horrible Terrible Trouble with Hally Tosis; and God Bless the Gargoyles. The Paperboy was named a Caldecott Medal Honor Book in 1997. Pilkey`s books are humorous, and many children find them to be great fun. Pilkey lives on Bainbridge Island, just west of Seattle, with his wife Sayuri.
Awards:
California Young Reader Medal, 1998, for Dog Breath!: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis
Caldecott Honor Award, American Library Association, 1997, for The Paperboy.
Disney Adventures Kids’ Choice Awards, 2007, for the Captain Underpants series